Why My Boss Is A Jerk
I had to cut a baguette in half. I had to walk into the kitchen to find a knife. I had my eyes focused on the knives hanging on the wall. I walked past my boss, Steve, and past the sinks. As I got to the end of the sinks, I didn't see the huge wet spot on the floor. There was no "caution, wet floor" tent to be seen. My legs went one way and the rest of me went the other. My arm went into the trash can, which then toppled down with the rest of me. I landed on my butt. I was more embarrassed than anything else. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my manager, he looks up and stares at the wall in front of him, with a look on his face that says, "Oh my God, how could she be so stupid as to slip and fall?" He hesitated a few moments, then said to me, "What did you do, wipe out?" *No, I always sit on the floor with a garbage can on my lap!* I imagine he was worried that he would have to fill out an accident report. He didn't even offer to help me up. I would have to be hurt very badly to fill out an accident report. They make you jump through all kinds of hoops when that happens. I pulled myself up, brushed the crap off me, and went back to work.

I'm sitting her blog-hopping, and all I smell is wet dog. My little Westie, Shallie, is such a tomboy! It's been heavily raining for two days now, and all she wants to do it go play in the rain. I don't think she realizes it's raining! Now, Fredo, my Dalmatian, is the complete opposite! He has barely been outside since it started raining. When he does go out, he acts as if every drop of water that is hitting him is painful! I think this stems from a "swimming accident" he had when he was a puppy. We lived in Milton, in a house with a pool. Usually, if you weren't swimming in the pool, the stairs to the pool were lifted and locked in place so children (or dogs) fall in the water. My brother-in-law Mark was visiting. Fredo was just a puppy. Mark woke early to go swimming, and let the dogs out with him. Bill and I were in another room. Mark came back in the house and took a shower. Bill, out of the blue, asks me where Fredo was. I casually said they were outside. Bill had an odd feeling, so he got up and went to the backdoor, and Shallie was on the deck. When she saw Bill, she frantically started barking and running in circles. Bill looked at the pool, and there was Fredo, tiredly swimming. He ran out, and grabbed Fredo from the water. Mark didn't lock the stairs! I was so scared! Fredo would have kept swimming until he became exhausted, which would cause him to drown. I was so upset. He was just a puppy, and this had to happen! I took him to the vet for a check, and the vet said he was fine, and that we were lucky. Can you blame the poor dog for hating rain?

My poor hubby had to go to the outpatient center at the hospital for two tests, a CAT scan and a Holter harness. I wasn't able to go with him, because I had to work. He isn't good with hospitals, and I had a fear that he would chicken-out at the last minute. He left work early and found everything in time for his appointments. I didn't know that you had to have an IV when you had a CAT scan. Bill is very afraid of needles... I'm surprised he didn't run out of there when he learned of it! He said they had to tie him down to inject him, but that may be an exaggeration! (We drove to Tennessee to get married because at that time, Pennsylvania required blood tests to get married while Tennessee doesn't!!!). He said he had a reaction to the stuff they injected him with, and he became sick to his stomach. He also has a little box and wires attached to his body... it stays on till tomorrow, and that is measuring something with his heart. He was really happy with the hospital staff... there was one tech, named Phyllis, who was so nice to him. She recognized his fear, and went the extra mile to make him feel better. He wants me to write a nice letter to the hospital, telling them how great she was. Hopefully, these tests will all come back normal, and we will learn that all of his dizziness and other symptoms are because of stress (you can do things to relieve stress).

I worked the lunch hours in the cafe at Panera Bread. It was very busy today... it was a dreary and rainy day, and that tends to bring more people out to restaurants and stores. I am getting better, but I honestly think that the registers are programmed not to like me! I'll do fine for like 10 customers, and then suddenly, I'll hit the wrong button. Then, after hitting said button, everything stops working. It's as if an alarm goes off and the screens freeze up. If the people weren't lined up to the door waiting to order their lunch, it wouldn't be a big deal. The managers also seem to disappear when you need them! LOL! But I am enjoying it. I like dealing with people... well, most people. I'm surprised all it takes is a smile sometimes and the customers seem to relax and enjoy the experience of having me (the trainee) wait on them! When an order goes well, I thank them for taking it easy on me. When the computer decides to give me a hard time, I apologize to the customer for having to be my guinea pigs. You can deflect alot of aggravation with a little humor in stressful situations!

This one is also in colored pencil, and it is called "Along A Garden Path".

This is one of my drawing I created using colored pencil. It's called "Hanging Basket".

This is my sweet Dalmatian, Fredo. He always finds the sunspots in front of the patio door!

I have added a link to my birthday book in the right column. If any of you would like to sign my book, Birthday Alarm will notify me of your special day, and I would be happy to send you a birthday e-card!

I just baked some yummy peanut butter cookies! The house smells delicious! I love baking... as it gets closer to the holidays I will do alot more baking.

A friend on one of my Yahoo Groups found a site that gives detailed meanings of names.

For Margaret
Your first name of Margaret makes you a quick thinker, both philosophical and creative. You appreciate music, art, and drama and, if given training, could excel in those fields. Self-consciousness may prevent you from feeling at ease in positions of impromptu expression. Desiring to be free from detail and monotony, you find it difficult to finish what you start if it does not hold your interest. You enjoy reading and the beauties of nature, experiencing peace and relaxation in outdoor activities. A very individual, independent person, you live within your own thoughts. With acquaintances and strangers, you tend to be reticent and reserved. Your friends never know whether they will find you friendly and charming or lost in introspection. When unhappy or disappointed, you can be moody and temperamental, feeling misunderstood and unappreciated. You will go out of your way to help others, and find it difficult to say "no" and mean it. Others impose on your generosity at times. You enjoy sweets and starchy foods. Over-indulgence could cause a weak back, skin conditions or arthritis later in life. The heart and lungs could also be affected at stressful times.

For my hubby Bill
The name of Bill has given you a strong desire for success and all the amenities of affluence. You pursue your undertakings on a grand scale, based on your business acumen and ability to visualize an overall plan. Your enthusiasm, aggressiveness, and salesmanship are often sufficient to bring about fulfillment of your ambitions. However, in the attempt to impress others with the scope of your success, you can over-extend your resources to the point that you have inadequate means to cover your basic expenses. There are times when you would be advised to start in a smaller way, and gradually reach your desired level of success through perseverance, patience, and attention to details. When things are going well, you have a generous, magnanimous nature, ready to offer support and assistance to others. When under stress, you can become overbearing and belittling in your attitude to others, and inclined to express sarcasm and temper. Should you become too inwardly focussed on your own world of personal relationships or material possessions, you could suffer disappointments with those close to you, unfulfilled ideals, or material losses. Health weaknesses centre in the generative organs or appear as general nervous tension.

My good friend L. let me borrow a wonderful book she put together about her mother. Tomorrow, she is driving alone (though she is bringing her little dog Benji) to New England to see her Mother for what may possibly be the last time. Her Mother is in hospice care now, and it is only a matter of time. L. had a wonderful idea to transcribe the letters her mother wrote when she was 17 and ventured to California without her family. I have started to read the letters, and skimmed through other parts of the book. It is full of the hopes and dreams of a young woman. L.'s daughter J. interviewed her grandmother in more lucid times, and the result is a very interesting portrait of her life. I hope L. realizes what a treasure this book is. She has made copies to give to her family members as memorials after her Mother passes. There will be a day when the longing for her Mother will become so great, and she will be able to open this book and visit with her Mother. I am actually envious of this. I wish I had thought of it before my Mother died. She had so many stories (my Dad did too---) ...all that knowledge is lost forever. There is no one left to tell the stories of their past. Sometimes I get so afraid that I will forget the important memories. I carry a small notebook around where ever I go, and jot down important things that pop into my head. Just the other day, I was at dinner with Bill, and a memory came into my head. I stopped what I was doing and wrote it down. I remembered when I was a teenager... I used to get horrible cramps during "that time of the month." The cramps were so bad, I couldn't go to school that first day. My Mom would brew coffee, and bring a cup to me with a shot of whiskey in it. Some people may be shocked at that, but it wasn't alot of whiskey... it doesn't take much to flavor a small cup of coffee! It was just her way to comfort me... she felt so bad that I felt so horrible, that she would do little things like that... she would say she wished she could take the pain away. When I thought of this, I had to write it down... I don't want to ever forget. I'm so afraid of losing that connection to my parents...

I just realized that I may be forgetting what my Dad's voice sounded like. I thought of a mini cassette recorder that I had when I lived at home. I had recorded my father's voice while he talked to Pete, my brother. Pete inherited the house after my Mom died, and he has been working on cleaning it out... he will move in once the estate is settled. I just talked to him on the Instant Messenger, and asked if he saw the recorder when he was going through the cabinet in the kitchen where I kept it. He said he didn't see it. I'm so saddened by this! It was the only thing I had with Dad's voice. Pete said everything in those cabinets was thrown away. My heart is broken.

I forgot to comment on Bill's happiness when his team, the Anaheim Angels eliminated the New York Yankees from the play-offs. I also forgot to mention that my brother Pete's favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals won their series too. There is a conflict of interest here, I think! I'm not a baseball fan, but I am being "forced" to be the messenger between these two grown men. Pete says the Cardinals have a dead man on their side. Bill says that there is a cowboy on the Angels side (Gene Autry, maybe?). I am hoping that the two teams meet in the World Series, and Bill and Pete can battle it out themselves!

I spent a very enjoyable day with my good friend L. We had met for lunch and then spent the afternoon together. We went to Center City Allentown, to the plaza next to the Baum School of Art to see Leonardo da Vinci's "Il Cavallo" (The Horse"). I'll have a photo on site soon... I forgot my camera, but L. brought hers. I was amazed at this 12 foot high bronze sculpture of an anatomically correct horse! It was also amazing that the original design for this horse was originally designed by Leonardo da Vinci! You could actually see the marks from the sculpting tools used to create it. The mane of the horse was so highly detailed, it looked real! We walked along the windows for the studios of the art school, and I became melancholy for my days at art school. I loved the feeling, the hushed concentration, in my painting class. I loved the ideas and critiques in my book illustration class. There is so much more I want to know about art. I don't know how to sculpt yet, nor do I know how to do an intaglio print. It's kind of like life... you should never stop learning and experiencing things. I should sign up for a class.

I ate dinner at L.'s house, as we had a class at the community college. It was a class on how to make Mediterranean hor d'ouevres, and we were very excited about it. A chef from a very good area restaurant was the teacher. As we were leaving for class and I was getting into my car, my pants ripped! I was so embarrassed! They were an old pair of pants... one of my most comfortable... but they weren't threadbare! UGH! I sat there thinking about what I was going to do. I didn't have enough time to run home to change. I brought my jacket with me this morning... not really sure why because it really wasn't that cool that you'd need a jacket. Well, I guess there was a reason, and that was to wrap the jacket around my waist to hide the tear. Plus, I realized that L. would not laugh at me, and if the people in the class did, I really wouldn't care because I don't know them and probably would never see them again. So I was ready to get through the night. We arrived at the college, and walked into the building to look for our class. When we found the room, we walked in and were surprised to find that we were the only ones there. Our teacher greeted us, and gave us the bad news. He was cancelling the class because he became ill and has a fever. He rescheduled it for later this month. We were very disappointed, but I did hope the guy felt better soon! It is strange... how things happen, maybe for a reason! I didn't have to worry about moving about in class with a big hole in my pants!

Quote of the Day

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." - Ralph Waldo Emerson