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The Countdown to
Julie's 30th Birthday:
Links
Recent Comments:
Calendar:
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
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An article in the Houston Chronicle about where I work.
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Well, I didn?t end up going to Lori?s new place yesterday. I went up to work since I knew I would have to put my computer back in order after the IT Department had to re-image it. I was so frustrated after working on it, I was not in the mood to drive up to Houston and deal with another computer. So, I told Lori I would come up there today after work.
So, I skipped lunch today at work since I wanted to leave early. Not only did I have to get up to Lori?s place, but I had to drive to my doctor?s office in the opposite direction beforehand and pick up my prescription. I left work, rushed to my doctor?s office, and decided to get something to eat on my way to Lori?s since I was starving. I go thru the drive-thru at Whataburger and get my burger. As I?m driving away from the window, I somehow managed to hit my side mirror on the big, blue block of cement they have beside the window and bent it. All I could think was, ?Isn?t this lovely.?
I didn?t get a chance to look at it, since I was already driving. Then, I tried to roll up my window. The damn thing would not go up all the way. When the mirror got bent in, it blocked the path of my window. And, of course, it started to rain. Okay, I was starting to hit that frustration point. So, I called Lori and informed her that I wouldn?t be coming out this evening either to take care of her computer. I told her what happened and she understood. I will try again tomorrow to see her new place after work and get her computer set-up so she can blog again.
Once I got home, I was finally able to see the damage I did to my car. I now have blue paint all over my side mirror. But, I was able to bend it back enough to roll up my window, so I was happy. I?ll have to work on getting the blue paint off another day.
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Being poor just sucks. I haven?t been able to go out the past few weekends due to the lack of money. What really sucks is that fact I should be out partying this weekend celebrating the fact that I passed my CAP exam. But, instead, I?m sitting here typing a blog entry.
I logged into my work email earlier today. I put in IT help ticket because Schlumberger?s wonderful web-based procurement program (SWPS) was fucked up. I ordered software for some employees. Once an order gets approved, the company that provides our software is sent an email notifying them of the order. Well, the orders were approved back on Tuesday. Usually, I get an email from the software company within 24 hours of the approval. I still had not received one by Friday, so I called the company to find out what was going on. The lady told me that they haven?t received any emails for any of my orders, even though they had already been approved. After speaking with her, I realized it must be the procurement program and that?s when I called the IT help desk. The guy took all my information down and said he would pass it on to the program?s help desk, which is great. Then, this morning, I get an email notification saying that my help ticket has been fixed. I read the comments in the ticket and wanted to kick this person?s ass. Here?s what the comments said:
?Julie, if you have not received the confirmation approval it means the requisitions are still awaiting approval. You need to log into SWPS, click on 'shopping cart status' and check your requisitions. You can click on 'view approval map' to see who the order is awaiting approval from. Once the approval cycle has been completed you will receive a confirmation.?
Well, no fuckin? shit, bitch! Of course they were already approved?why the hell did she think I submitted the help request in the first place?! UUUUUGGGGHHHH!
Okay, enough venting and on to some good news. My friend?s son had his birthday party today, so I went to that. It seemed like the kids had a good time. I took plenty of pictures that you can check out here.
After the party, I was supposed to go to Lori?s new place and hook up her computer. I called her around 7:00pm, and she told me not to worry about coming into Houston so late and that it would be easier if I just rode with mom there tomorrow. Yea?that?s a good plan. Trust me?it doesn?t take that long for my mom to get on my nerves. Tomorrow should be an interesting day.
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FQ1: Lie about where you spent your last vacation. In Australia!
FQ2: Tell an untruth about your last romantic encounter. It left nothing to be desired
FQ3: Fib about the last gift you received. Didn’t really care for it.
FQ DARE: This time tell the truth on all the above! Well, obviously I wasn’t in Australia. My last romantic encounter was nice, but I wish there was more. The last gift I received was awesome!
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I PASSED MY CAP EXAM!!!
Not only did I pass...I was in the 98 percentile!!! That's unbelievable!
Here’s part of the official letter. It is so SWEET!
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Audra had this listed on her site, so of course I had to try it!
| Julie Look out for the |
| m HOLE |
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Last night, I’m about to walk out the door for EMS duty. I go to turn off my TV when a “Breaking News” bulletin comes on. So I wait to see what it is. I was thinking that it is probably important since they are interrupting programming for this breaking news. I was shocked when they announced it. The news they considered as “breaking” was the fact that the LA Lakers had contacted Rudy Tomjonovich for their head coaching position. I’ll admit that I’m not really a basketball fan, but even so, is this considered breaking news?
Fox 26 News...If someone sneezes, we'll make sure to interrupt any program and let you know.
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Thursday and Friday were crappy days for me because I was sick. I was so sick, that I ended up missing work, which sucked. I know that sounds weird, but I don’t like to miss work because I hate playing catch-up.
On a brighter note, I did get my new mobile phone!
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Every now and then, I get a good view from my backyard:
And finally, after planting my gardenia bushes weeks and weeks ago, I finally saw a bud start to open up!
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FQ1: What's your favorite electronic gadget that you own? Which gadget do you wish you owned but don't? I love my blender! The gadget I don?t have that I would love would be one of those full-body massage chairs.
FQ2: What gadget do you wish somebody would invent so you could have one? Which gadget do you wish had never been invented at all? If I knew that, I would invent it myself and make some $$$. I can?t think of a gadget that I wish had never been invented.
FQ3: Do you consider yourself an electronic gadget junkie? How many gadgets are around/on you right now? Hell yes I?m a junkie. I have four around me right now.
FQ DARE: Reveal a trendy gadget you bought, but are now embarrassed to own/have owned. I don?t have one that I?m now embarrassed to own.
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Today is the birthday of my friend Belinda. Since she is a big Elvis fan, this MP3 is for her.
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I immediately thought of those two when I saw this:
Aimee is concerned that I'm an alcoholic. So, with my next drink, I will be sure to toast her. 
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Irfan is riding in the Tour de Braz today. Since he was coming out to my neck of the woods, I thought I would be a good friend and go see him before the ride started at 7:00am. I really tried to go to bed at a decent hour last night, but couldn’t fall asleep until 3:00am. I was so freakin’ tired when the alarm went off this morning. I did manage to get out of bed and go see Irfan in all his cool riding gear. After the ride started, I came home and went right back to sleep.
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This evening was so weird. I went to the mall to get a couple of more tongue rings. I ended up getting eight more. Needless to say, I’m now broke until payday, which means I’ll be spending the weekend around the abode.
When I was picking out my tongue rings, these two guys were standing behind me. They looked like they were in their late teens. When I turned around, one of them said, “Let me guess…you’re buying those for your daughter.” It didn’t bug me at the time, but the more I thought about it as I left the mall, the more it concerned me. So, for so odd reason, I decided to call Lori. I told her what happened and she said that the guys were probably just being sarcastic. I felt a little better after that. Here are some pics of my new jewelry:
I hope you’re able to read what’s on this one:
I can’t wait to try this one out! 
The rest of my “balls”:
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FQ TOPIC: Musical.
FQ1: Do you play any musical instruments or have any musical talents? Whose musical talent would you most like to have? I took piano lessons years ago. For musical talents, I would have to go with Elana Fremerman.
FQ2: What was the last musical event you attended? I can't remember!
FQ3: Give it up... to which musician would you most like to have an "all access pass" for the night? Probably Toby Keith
FQ DARE: Reveal a musical artist or group that you are embarrassed to like. Dolly Parton
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The crown saga continues!
I get a call from Kim at my dentist’s office. She just got off the phone with the lab that is making my crown, and it’s not going to be ready by Monday. So, my appointment has now been moved back to the following Monday, June 21st. Kim said that if it arrives before the end of next week, she’ll call me to see if they can work me in sooner. This whole tooth thing has been one hell of an experience.
Can anyone tell me if there is really a difference between these two Little Debbie products?
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It was just a crappy day at work. Payroll was due today, and not all of my employees had finished putting their time into our time-keeping system. It pisses me off to stop entering time and call someone to remind them to put in their time. It’s a pain in the ass! Then, when I went to leave for lunch, I realized that I had locked my keys in my car. Thank goodness for my friend, Beverly. She let me use her car to drive home, eat lunch, and get my spare key. So, I ate lunch and freakin’ fell asleep! I ended up taking a two-hour lunch. I got back to the office around 2:00pm, and still didn’t manage to finish payroll. At least I have until noon tomorrow to do it.
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This whole issue is somewhat overwhelming to me. It should be simple, right? Wrong.
I believe in order to have a healthy friendship with anyone; you must first have a healthy relationship with yourself. If you’re not happy with yourself, you’ll probably end up being a codependent friend. You know the one that will rearrange his /her priorities to meet the needs of a friend. This is not bad thing if done in moderation. But there has to be a point when the person needs to say “no”. It will also be likely that this codependent will end up being friends with someone who is a narcissistic, and not even realize it. I will admit that I am guilty of doing that on more than one occasion.
A good friendship is comprised of mutual respect and kindness to the self and to the other. It is also comprised of trust, acceptance, communication, a genuine liking for the other person, and a willingness to compromise at times. It’s easier said than done.
But once a good friendship is developed, it’s worth it to cherish it. It can provide stimulation and sometimes a good kick in the ass. A friend should allow you to express feelings, make mistakes, experiment, take risks, and be nurtured along the way. As you can imagine, you should do the same for them. I think effective communication is a very important element.
This all goes back to the fact that you have a good friendship with yourself. You can never have a better relationship with someone else than you do with yourself.
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On Mother’s Day this year, Ariel surprised me with a gift of a live snake…in my living room. Fortunately, I saw her come in from the outside with it. I yelled at her, so she dropped it and took off for the bedroom. The damn thing was still alive. It wasn’t that big, maybe six inches or so. I got a broom and brushed it outside. I told people that the snake must have been Ariel’s Mother’s Day gift to me.
When I was getting ready for bed last night, I looked up and noticed something on the floor in my bedroom. Sure enough, there was another snake. At least this time, the snake was already dead. Ariel must have snuck it inside when I wasn’t paying attention. Since it was already dead, I took a picture of it so I could share Ariel’s gift with the rest of you. It was about the same size as the first one, but has a darker color. You can see another picture of it here.
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So far, this weekend has been uneventful. Last night, I was determined to get some sleep. I don’t know what was going on with me, but I didn’t sleep more then 2-3 hours each night last week. So, I stayed in to sleep. Today, I woke up feeling a little ill. Nothing major, just blah. So, I spent a majority of the day during chores around the place and taking mini-naps. I’m feeling a lot better now.
Since I don’t have much to blog about, I thought I would leave you with some good quotes:
I have taken more good from alcohol than alcohol has taken from me.
Winston Churchill
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
Benjamin Franklin
An alcoholic is anyone you don't like who drinks more than you do.
Dylan Thomas
He was a wise man who invented beer.
Plato
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FQ TOPIC: Escape.
FQ1: What is your favorite way to escape from everyday life? Being by myself and doing crossword puzzles (easy ones!)
FQ2: When was the last time you made an escape? Where did you go? I can’t remember the last time I made a real escape…which is scary
FQ3: If you could escape to anywhere on earth right now, where would that be? To Wilkes-Barre, PA to watch the third game of the AHL Calder Cup finals.
FQ DARE: Post your passport photo (or your driver's license photo if you don't have a passport). Well, you’ll have to wait until later today when I can scan it in.
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First of all, I had to laugh when I read my horoscope for today:
Force yourself to realize how petty this is. You have better things to obsess about.
Now, on to the rest of the day:
I was at work today when I returned to my desk to see I had a voicemail waiting for me. It was Lori, and her message was this:
“Hey, call me back at work. I want to know more about Mom’s disease.”
Mom’s disease? I had no idea what she was talking about. So, I called her back to get the scoop. Mom had something wrong with her eye. She went to a doctor and discovered that she had scratched her cornea. While she was there, she was also put on medicine for high blood pressure and instructed to start taking one baby aspirin a day. She’s calls Lori to let her know about her doctor visit, and goes on to tell her how she’s “falling apart” and now has to take medicines everyday. Of course, this worried Lori. She hates anything to deals with medical stuff. I told Lori that Mom’s new medications should be viewed more as preventive maintenance than a disease. Don’t get me wrong, high blood pressure (aka hypertension) can be bad. Fortunately, Mom had any symptoms of it yet, so that is a good thing. It was caught before getting to that point. As for her eye, she has to wear a patch over it for the next two days to prevent her eyelid from moving and delaying the scratch from healing. She also stayed home from work today, so I went by to see her.
She said she was fine and everything. After I made sure she was okay, I asked her why in the hell did she scare Lori. I asked her what the big deal was with taking medication daily; it’s for her own health. She said that she didn’t have to take anything before and now she’s on two medications. Well, I can tell you the reason she never took anything before is because she never visits the doctor.
I reminded her that I have had to take medication daily since I was fifteen. It doesn’t bother me. I consider myself falling apart every time my doctor has to change or even increase my dosage. It’s so I can function. Mom’s wonderful response…”Well, it’s two of them [medicines]”. I asked her if she wanted my spare pill organizer; she didn’t like that offer. She said she’ll just take them in the morning with her vitamin and calcium pills. I still couldn’t believe she was bitching about having to take four pills in the morning. So, I asked her if she wanted to compare her number of pills with the number I have to take. The conversation got even more interesting:
Me: “Mom, I have to take Adderall ever fours hours four times a day. I take Effexor three times a day…”
At this time, I realize she quit walking behind me. So, I turned around to see what was wrong.
Mom: “You’re on Adderall!”
Me: “Yes”
Mom: “For what?!”
Me: “My ADD. I’ve been on it for over two years now.”
Mom: “But that’s a triplicate!”
Me: “I know that Mom. That’s why I have to go to my doctor’s office once a month to get a refill”.
I had to pause for a moment from the shock that my Mom is just now figuring this out. I know I told her when I first got on Adderall. I guess she forgot, or was in denial, or both.
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I know I have a lot of pictures of Ariel in my photo gallery, but I actually got this one by chance. It turned out pretty good!
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Work was better than I expected it to be today. Usually, after a holiday weekend, I come back to a ton of work waiting for me on my desk. I only stayed at work until 2:00pm today since I had a doctor’s appointment at 2:45pm.
Then, I joined Carol, Beverly, and her mom at Monterrey for dinner. I know I’m supposed to be on my diet, but I ordered a pitcher of margaritas. I usually don’t drink during the week, but I was craving it for some reason. I guess since I didn’t drink over the weekend, I was trying to make up for it. Don’t worry…I didn’t drink the entire pitcher by myself. I think I only had two glasses total. I guess I can control my drinking better if Goldschlager or Rumplemintz isn’t involved.
Afterward, I came home and fiddled on my computer for a while. Then, my wonderful friend Gil called. It was so great to hear from him. He called just to check on me. Friends like him are hard to find. I was also able to discuss my one of my looming issues with him. Like a great friend, he listened and gave some good advice. Thanks, Gil!
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I have been dealing with a lot lately. I realize this world is going to hell in a hand basket. I like to think that I’m in that part of the world that will help stop it. Then, when someone I really admired does something that seems, in my mind, unthinkable, it just breaks my heart. Now, I have to reevaluate how I view this person. I know that no one is perfect, but I do expect for some morals and/or ethics to exist within people. It’s just fucked up.
That is why I found my horoscope for today (“red with anger”) quite fitting.
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My horoscope for today:
You are red with anger and green with envy. Why get so worked up? Cool it.
