July 2010

July 7, 2010

July 24, 2010

Way Too Early in the Morning and by that I mean, it's 1:30 Update

Had a little bit of a melt-down earlier. I finally heard from the director of the program that I want to study for my dissertation. I just glanced at it and read that there were only 7 participants. That won't do. That won't do at all. So I wandered around TJ Maxx saying to myself, "What am I going to do? I have to have 10. What am I going to do?"

I tried very hard to not panic. But it was futile. Left TJ Maxx with three new pairs of panties (two of them are the awesome self-esteem panties (they have inspirational sayings on the elastic bands) about to pass out, headed for the grocery store to make myself feel better. I came home with beer, two pints of ice cream, and a banana pudding. (I have not eaten any of those yet. But it's comforting to know that they're there and I could if I wanted to) When I went to the other grocery store, I bought cheese. Mini-mozzarella balls and brie. They were on sale. I couldn't pass them up. The mozzarella was $1.99 and the wedge of brie was $2.49. They had to be put in my basket and brought home with me. I also bought a turkey breast (it was on sale) and began planning Thanksgiving in July (dinner will be served on Sunday...come on over) Then I went for Thai.

When I got home with the groceries & the best crab rangoons I've had since I moved to Louisville, I actually read the email. Took the time to really read it. At which time I discovered that the seven people were the group that are comfortable with email that she is contacting via that method. The other four members are traditional contacts. I'll have the info on Monday. Hopefully.

So. I had a break-down for no real reason. And I'm well-supplied for the next time I have one, which may be tomorrow. I've got the booze, the sweets, and the cheese. Tomorrow I'll pick up bread and some vodka for the bloody marys. Then I'll be set. The next time I feel panicked, I'll be good to go.

Finished the reading camp today. I think it went well. The kids did evaluations but I didn't read them. Patty read them while I was there and shared a little bit of it. I think that it was a positive experience for them. She told me that they really enjoyed the games we played. I made the decision to have the kids participate in a CPR circle at the beginning of each session. People at my job bitch about CPR, and I guess if you had to plan for it every day, it would get old. But at the same time, I think it's an hour of work. For an entire week of planning. You flip through the activities and you pick and choose. No big deal. Really. I'd much rather plan for CPR than a regular academic course.

My camera arrived yesterday. It's the exact same camera. That's fine, although considering all the headache, they could have perhaps given me a little upgrade. However. I'm good. This means that I now have two batteries for my camera. Somewhere around here somewhere, I have an additional memory card. I already have two 4 gb cards. But there's another one. I just don't know where it is. I've checked the places that I thought it might be. I suppose there are a few other places to check, but...and I suppose that doesn't really matter either. 8 gb is like 1500 pictures. So. I'm good.

It's late. I've got to go to bed. Dissertating tomorrow. And working. Dammit.

July 21, 2010

Evening Update

Still feeling pitiful. So I've decided that drinking is the answer. One and a half martini for the evening. And then I'll go to bed. I swear.

I've gotten permission to begin collecting data for the dissertation. I am now waiting for a list of contact info so I can make those contacts and get going. I'm going to call Jan tomorrow and see if I can get that info from her by this weekend. Get the letters put in the mail on Saturday and then start making phone calls mid-week. Hopefully get to do some interviews next weekend? Or after school next week? I'm getting pretty stressed out about how I'm going to finish this thing in time. I honestly don't know how it's going to work out for me. When I think about all the things that still have to be done.

Which reminds me that I got an email on Monday saying that I didn't have a plan of study on file. I remember doing one of those back in 2006? That was a pain in my ass to get done. So that it's not on file is perplexing. Thank god for Mrs. Doris, though. I forwarded the email to her and she said that she was on top of it, not to worry. I'm going to have to think of something to get her that will express my appreciation.

(and I'll need to think of gifts for my committee members as well. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I'll put Shannon to that task. She's good at such.)

Not happy about work right now. Got some news last night that really pisses me off. I don't know that it's wise for me to say much else about that...other than, if I thought I could get a job at mid-year, I might would go home then. So angry.

I need to start walking with my doggie in the evenings. She needs the exercise, and so do I. I also need to unpack my car. My hip and back are better so I can handle the bending and moving that unpacking the car requires. I guess that's one of the things that I'll do this weekend. In addition to writing that section of my dissertation that needs to be changed.

There was more I wanted to say tonight but I've gotten distracted by other things. One of which is searching for articles related to that section of my dissertation.

Have I mentioned that I want to be home?

July 20, 2010

Evening Update

Have a feel-sorry-for-me night. PMS. Sucks. I am reminded that this is not where I want to be, and I'm more than a little pissed off about work right now. You don't screw with people's money. It's been happening all summer, and I'm fed up. Don't ask me to do anything extra, don't ask me to come in outside of work hours. You've already gotten everything out of me that you're going to get. Very angry about that right now.

Reading camp is going well. Kids are good, and the work that we're doing is giving me some ideas about what we're going to be doing at school this coming year. It's felt good to be in front of kids again. I'll be happy to do that again. I think. I certainly will be happy to not be here.

July 17, 2010

Evening Update

It's funny, I think, how predictable people are. Or perhaps not funny. Pathetic. Call someone on his bullshit, and all of the sudden, it's you with the problem. Not them. You must be pathetic and unhappy...but they're the ones who are spewing hatred. This is the one that really gets me--YOU must be one ugly bitch (and yes, let's predictably attack someone's femininity when we're called on our shit). Let's not talk about the fact that you're the one putting your hatred and offensiveness out there for the world to see.

If my pointing out the fact that you're an ignorant bigot means that I'm a "sad sack" and a "knuckle dragger"...what are you saying about yourself?

A complete lack of awareness.

The same people who think nothing of a racial remark or of a misogynistic one are the same ones who say that if the black people would quit bringing it up, or if women would just get over it, we could get some where in this country. Uh no. If you'd admit that there's a problem, THEN AND ONLY THEN, we could get somewhere.

Some times I really wonder why I want to go back there. Because that's the norm. It's not an isolated incident. I suppose the truth is that it's easy to forget about it when you don't have to deal with it every day. When you hear something that isn't THAT bad, many times it's easy to just let it slide because you don't want to deal with the reaction--you don't want people to say things about you that you hear them saying about others.

I suppose that's why Gary Howard calls it "courageous" practice. Being willing to stand up and be the one to say, "Hey...that's not appropriate. It's not OK. Don't do that around me," take some sort of courage. To withstand the attack that comes your way. To be the ONLY one willing to say it's not right.

Maybe that's what is the saddest part...that it takes courage because there are so few others who are willing to stand with you. That's the thing that's difficult for me. I can take the slings and arrows. Really I can. But when my friends don't stand with me or support me...it's always disappointing. I realize I get myself into the situation. I put myself in places that are uncomfortable. That's all on me. I get it. But still. It's disappointing.

I'm really bothered by this. It's interesting to me that this particular event happened on the heels of a discussion with Shan about racism related to the proposed mosque near ground zero and a discussion with the chiro about racism in general.

I think there's a reckoning coming in this country. The election of a half-black President, increased pressure from illegal immigrants, the terrorist attacks. Add to that some misogyny as women begin to earn more than men during this recession...I get the feeling that it's going to come to a head. It's got to come to a head. All of the ugliness that is boiling up eventually has to find a release. I'm worried about what that will look like when it happens, what it will do to our country in the process and the aftermath. On the other hand, I can't help but feel that we have to go through the fire in order to come out the other side stronger. We're going to have to lay ourselves bare and get honest.

I hold no hope that anything will actually be better when it all goes down, but at least we'll be able to recognize ourselves for who and what we truly are. If we can get to that level of honesty...call ourselves by our true names...it's a step.

The problem for me becomes one of whether I continue to participate and engage with those people or do I move away from them. Is continuing to engage a tacit approval? Can we love people from afar? What is our responsibility? I lean towards walking away because I can't approve but more importantly I don't want that energy in my life. I don't want to be poisoned by that hatred and ignorance.

This is a conversation that I want to have with someone. I want to think through this with another person. I'd like to email Gary Howard, but he's a busy man, and I don't want to bother him with it. TaTa would be a good one to talk to about it, but she's busy getting ready to leave for Haiti...being that change that the world needs.

In other news...it is now my left hip that is killing me, in addition to my lower back. I think that "friction massage" was an incredibly bad idea. I've taken my vitamins for the last week. Next week's are laid out and I have the list of what I will need to buy on Friday. Had a panic attack because earlier in the week I'd bought a new bottle of CoQ10 but couldn't find it. I took out the garbage earlier and I was afraid that I'd thrown that new bottle of pills away. Do you know how expensive that stuff is? *sigh* I then found the bottle, still in the bag, on the couch. What the hell was it doing on the couch.

I'm contemplating going to the lake tomorrow. Taking the book I need to read for tomorrow and just heading out with the doggie. I could pack a lunch in one soft-sided cooler and drinks in the other. But it's an hour down there and back and the gas money. Hmmmmm. On the other hand, I could just go to the pool here. Except I tried that today, and it wasn't open. Who ever heard of not having a pool open on a Saturday afternoon? I suppose I need to get up earlier than 11, though, which means I need to go to bed earlier than 2.

I'm beginning to get really nervous about my dissertation. I still haven't heard anything about IRB approval. I'm running out of time. I suppose that if I haven't heard anything by Monday afternoon, I'll call. I've sent several emails and heard nothing. That is particularly frustrating. I'd like to be able to get some interviews done next week during the mornings while I'm not at work or not teaching a class.

Got some news yesterday that makes me a little sad. It's not unexpected, but it's just...sad. I didn't expect that it would never happen. It didn't hurt to hear the news, but it was...sad. I hope it's the right thing, an I hope that it leads to happiness. We each forge our own paths, doing what we think is best for ourselves and our futures. From the outside looking in, maybe it doesn't appear to be the right thing, but we each have to make those choices for ourselves.

The PA is in Beaumont, TX this weekend. He was going to play in a charity ragball tournament with Bryan. I don't know exactly what ragball is, but OK. I reminded him several times to bring me back a Cowboys shirt. He could even stop by training camp. He said that he wouldn't be buying me any Cowboys crap. I guess that means that I need to buy my own. *grin*

Speaking of buying my own...there are a few things that I need to get ready for the new school year. A black cardigan. A white cardigan. (or shrug type thing) I also need a new pair of brown shoes that will work with most of my clothes. A new pair of black slacks. Maybe a new skirt. I was gonna use a TJ Maxx gift card to buy a dress, but I don't know about a dress. I suppose if I find one for the right price, I could. (I'm gonna use my gift card for a La Creuset French oven. I've been wanting a Dutch oven for awhile, but every time I see one of those things, I think they're too expensive. A gift card doesn't make it quite so bad)

I suppose the other update is that my camera is still not here. I called and talked to Samsung on Friday...the day it was supposed to be shipped to me...and was told that the camera was shipped from the repair facility to the replacement facility on Thursday. By Thursday of this coming week, I should receive a call from the replacement facility with the model number of my new camera as well as a tracking number. I will be writing a letter to Samsung to express my displeasure and to let them know that I've related my experience not only to you, dear readers, but to my facebook family and to a message board. Samsung sucks. Totally and completely sucks. Need to get on writing that letter.

In other news, I keep going back to the questions I had the last time we were here. Interestingly, the chiro and I were talking about relationships, marriages. He is apparently involved in marriage counseling in his church. He sees marriages in trouble from the very beginning because of the level of dishonesty on both partners' parts. I can see where that is a recipe for disaster. I don't know exactly what a marriage is supposed to be, but I can see where dishonesty shouldn't not be a part of it.

I've waited a long time to make this commitment. Dax used to tell me that there was only going to be once, and I really feel that same. I'm only going to do this one. I'm only going to go that route one time. I don't want to invest that much in another person more than once. I've waited this long. There are things about myself that aren't exactly praise worthy and those things haven't come up. But when they do...there can't be any room for hedging of bets. It all has to be out there or accessible.

July 13, 2010

Evening Update

I'm in pain. A lot of pain. Just as my left hip was getting better, my right hip started aching yesterday. I don't usually pay much attention to it because it just is. But this morning when I got out bed, it was killing me. Tonight when I got home from work, I thought I was going to fall down when I used my leg to push off to stand.

And my shoulder hurts with the pain radiating down through my elbow and into my wrist.

I went to the chiro again this afternoon. It didn't help. I have another appointment on Thursday, and then he wants to see me every 4-6 weeks for maintenance. I am wary of asking him about therapy for my arthritis. I think he's a very good chiro when it comes to something he can fix. When it goes beyond his knowledge, I'm not sure so he knows what the hell he's doing.

I'm going to take my narcotic cocktail and hopefully go to bed.

So here's something to think about. Or, rather, I suppose, something I'm thinking about. I'm not married. Obviously. But I see folks around me who are married, and sometimes I'm perplexed by what I see. How much is your marriage supposed to mean to you? How vigilant in protecting that relationship should you be? How close do you keep the relationship? And I don't mean smothering the relationship or your partner. I guess...how far do YOU go to keep your relationship sacred? Do you put yourself in positions that might jeopardize your relationship? Or that pulls you away from your partner? When you see yourself in a perilous position, do you pull back? Or do you rationalize what's going on? Do get watchful and tell yourself that you're in control and won't let it go any further?

I'd like to think that if your marriage was important to you and the person you were with was someone that you made a commitment to, you are hyper-vigilant about your marriage, but I know that to not be the truth. I've had conversations with men who are supposedly devoted to their wives but who are sending pictures of their dicks to other women. I've watched women put themselves in positions that they should have only been in with their partner.

Do you know the moment when you decide to cross a line? Is it a hard line? Or is it a more amorphous thing that creeps up on you?

Just some ramblings induced by pain medication. Pay no mind to me.

I've not heard anything from Dr. Shelley re: my IRB approval. I have my mornings free next week, and I'd like to see if I can get a few interviews in. That reminds me that I need to find my recorder and my transcription machine.

and speaking of having mornings free, there weren't enough registrations in the AM session of the reading camp next week for it to go. There are just enough in the afternoon sessions, though, so I'll be working with 5 kids from 1-4, M-F. This means that I really don't know what I'm going to do with that. If it were a writing camp, I think I could knock it out the park. But reading? When there isn't an option of some literature circles and there's not a central text? I just learned today that we'll be using Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. I went and picked up a copy so I could do a little bit of reading to find if there was a way to use some of those selections as mentor text? I'm thinking of doing something along the lines of "reading from the perspective of the author". I can get some read like a writer stuff in. I may go that direction with it. I don't know.

It's supposed to be hotter than hell here this weekend. The doggie and I might go to the lake. If I'm not doing interviews. We're going to take our little red wagon and the reading/writing I have to do with us. I've got a big cooler. I've got a camp chair. I've got bug spray and sunscreen. I can buy beer. Sounds like the lake is the place for us to be.

July 8, 2010

Evening Update

Spent time on the phone with Samsung again today. It's been a week since my replacement camera has been approved. Now they are waiting to approve shipping it to me, which could take up to 9 business days. I know you're thinking along with me, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Today was business day number 3. It could be July 16 before my replacement camera is shipped to me.

Are you fucking kidding me? I mean really? It takes TWO WEEKS to approve shipment? What the hell kind of business model is that?

SAMSUNG SUCKS! IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING PURCHASING A SAMSUNG PRODUCT, DON'T!! THE PRICE ISN'T WORTH THE SHITTY CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Public service announcement/rant is over. Still pissed.

Worked a little on school work today. If I'm thinking right, things shouldn't be too difficult to get done at least on one front. I am beginning to get an idea about how I'm going to teach this reading camp if it's still on. I need to remember to remind a friend for some more information.

Stevie, Matt's cat, passed on this evening. He's been needing to go for awhile. He's been struggling to eat for the last couple of weeks, and his breathing was labored. Stevie's old...been with him for a long time. It's always hard to lose a friend, though. Peach is getting old, and I worry about having to make that decision about her one day. She stays in that bedroom, away from both the doggie and TSLO, but occasionally she will come out. When I go in to see her, she's still that sweet baby who got me through an incredibly difficult time in my life. She's my girl, and I've had her now for 14 years? I can never remember exactly when we got her. She might be 15. (I don't have a chronicle of my life that I can go back and look at) That's a long time to have a good friend...even though I leave her for extended periods of time.

Hip still hurts but not nearly as bad. Still have an appointment tomorrow that I'm going to keep. Just in case it happens again. I can't be incapacitated for days at a time.

I was thinking this afternoon about all those times when we've screwed up. Any one ever try to cover being called on your shit and then trying to spin it another way? Like what you were called on wasn't really what you meant to say or have happen, it was quite something else entirely and the other person must surely be the one is trying to make an issue. Not you. I can remember being in that situation. The sick feeling of knowing that you've been caught and not knowing exactly how you're going to get yourself out of it. That sick feeling is why I quite getting myself in those situations. Some people take awhile to learn that if you don't want that sick feeling, then you don't open your mouth when you shouldn't. Or some people never get that sick feeling, I guess.

Linked Wonders

Wonderful Images

Wonderous Writing

Teaching Wonders

Wonderful Cooking

Daily Wonderings

July 2010

July 24, 2010

Way Too Early in the Morning and by that I mean, it's 1:30 Update

Had a little bit of a melt-down earlier. I finally heard from the director of the program that I want to study for my dissertation. I just glanced at it and read that there were only 7 participants. That won't do. That won't do at all. So I wandered around TJ Maxx saying to myself, "What am I going to do? I have to have 10. What am I going to do?"

I tried very hard to not panic. But it was futile. Left TJ Maxx with three new pairs of panties (two of them are the awesome self-esteem panties (they have inspirational sayings on the elastic bands) about to pass out, headed for the grocery store to make myself feel better. I came home with beer, two pints of ice cream, and a banana pudding. (I have not eaten any of those yet. But it's comforting to know that they're there and I could if I wanted to) When I went to the other grocery store, I bought cheese. Mini-mozzarella balls and brie. They were on sale. I couldn't pass them up. The mozzarella was $1.99 and the wedge of brie was $2.49. They had to be put in my basket and brought home with me. I also bought a turkey breast (it was on sale) and began planning Thanksgiving in July (dinner will be served on Sunday...come on over) Then I went for Thai.

When I got home with the groceries & the best crab rangoons I've had since I moved to Louisville, I actually read the email. Took the time to really read it. At which time I discovered that the seven people were the group that are comfortable with email that she is contacting via that method. The other four members are traditional contacts. I'll have the info on Monday. Hopefully.

So. I had a break-down for no real reason. And I'm well-supplied for the next time I have one, which may be tomorrow. I've got the booze, the sweets, and the cheese. Tomorrow I'll pick up bread and some vodka for the bloody marys. Then I'll be set. The next time I feel panicked, I'll be good to go.

Finished the reading camp today. I think it went well. The kids did evaluations but I didn't read them. Patty read them while I was there and shared a little bit of it. I think that it was a positive experience for them. She told me that they really enjoyed the games we played. I made the decision to have the kids participate in a CPR circle at the beginning of each session. People at my job bitch about CPR, and I guess if you had to plan for it every day, it would get old. But at the same time, I think it's an hour of work. For an entire week of planning. You flip through the activities and you pick and choose. No big deal. Really. I'd much rather plan for CPR than a regular academic course.

My camera arrived yesterday. It's the exact same camera. That's fine, although considering all the headache, they could have perhaps given me a little upgrade. However. I'm good. This means that I now have two batteries for my camera. Somewhere around here somewhere, I have an additional memory card. I already have two 4 gb cards. But there's another one. I just don't know where it is. I've checked the places that I thought it might be. I suppose there are a few other places to check, but...and I suppose that doesn't really matter either. 8 gb is like 1500 pictures. So. I'm good.

It's late. I've got to go to bed. Dissertating tomorrow. And working. Dammit.

July 21, 2010

Evening Update

Still feeling pitiful. So I've decided that drinking is the answer. One and a half martini for the evening. And then I'll go to bed. I swear.

I've gotten permission to begin collecting data for the dissertation. I am now waiting for a list of contact info so I can make those contacts and get going. I'm going to call Jan tomorrow and see if I can get that info from her by this weekend. Get the letters put in the mail on Saturday and then start making phone calls mid-week. Hopefully get to do some interviews next weekend? Or after school next week? I'm getting pretty stressed out about how I'm going to finish this thing in time. I honestly don't know how it's going to work out for me. When I think about all the things that still have to be done.

Which reminds me that I got an email on Monday saying that I didn't have a plan of study on file. I remember doing one of those back in 2006? That was a pain in my ass to get done. So that it's not on file is perplexing. Thank god for Mrs. Doris, though. I forwarded the email to her and she said that she was on top of it, not to worry. I'm going to have to think of something to get her that will express my appreciation.

(and I'll need to think of gifts for my committee members as well. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I'll put Shannon to that task. She's good at such.)

Not happy about work right now. Got some news last night that really pisses me off. I don't know that it's wise for me to say much else about that...other than, if I thought I could get a job at mid-year, I might would go home then. So angry.

I need to start walking with my doggie in the evenings. She needs the exercise, and so do I. I also need to unpack my car. My hip and back are better so I can handle the bending and moving that unpacking the car requires. I guess that's one of the things that I'll do this weekend. In addition to writing that section of my dissertation that needs to be changed.

There was more I wanted to say tonight but I've gotten distracted by other things. One of which is searching for articles related to that section of my dissertation.

Have I mentioned that I want to be home?

July 20, 2010

Evening Update

Have a feel-sorry-for-me night. PMS. Sucks. I am reminded that this is not where I want to be, and I'm more than a little pissed off about work right now. You don't screw with people's money. It's been happening all summer, and I'm fed up. Don't ask me to do anything extra, don't ask me to come in outside of work hours. You've already gotten everything out of me that you're going to get. Very angry about that right now.

Reading camp is going well. Kids are good, and the work that we're doing is giving me some ideas about what we're going to be doing at school this coming year. It's felt good to be in front of kids again. I'll be happy to do that again. I think. I certainly will be happy to not be here.

July 17, 2010

Evening Update

It's funny, I think, how predictable people are. Or perhaps not funny. Pathetic. Call someone on his bullshit, and all of the sudden, it's you with the problem. Not them. You must be pathetic and unhappy...but they're the ones who are spewing hatred. This is the one that really gets me--YOU must be one ugly bitch (and yes, let's predictably attack someone's femininity when we're called on our shit). Let's not talk about the fact that you're the one putting your hatred and offensiveness out there for the world to see.

If my pointing out the fact that you're an ignorant bigot means that I'm a "sad sack" and a "knuckle dragger"...what are you saying about yourself?

A complete lack of awareness.

The same people who think nothing of a racial remark or of a misogynistic one are the same ones who say that if the black people would quit bringing it up, or if women would just get over it, we could get some where in this country. Uh no. If you'd admit that there's a problem, THEN AND ONLY THEN, we could get somewhere.

Some times I really wonder why I want to go back there. Because that's the norm. It's not an isolated incident. I suppose the truth is that it's easy to forget about it when you don't have to deal with it every day. When you hear something that isn't THAT bad, many times it's easy to just let it slide because you don't want to deal with the reaction--you don't want people to say things about you that you hear them saying about others.

I suppose that's why Gary Howard calls it "courageous" practice. Being willing to stand up and be the one to say, "Hey...that's not appropriate. It's not OK. Don't do that around me," take some sort of courage. To withstand the attack that comes your way. To be the ONLY one willing to say it's not right.

Maybe that's what is the saddest part...that it takes courage because there are so few others who are willing to stand with you. That's the thing that's difficult for me. I can take the slings and arrows. Really I can. But when my friends don't stand with me or support me...it's always disappointing. I realize I get myself into the situation. I put myself in places that are uncomfortable. That's all on me. I get it. But still. It's disappointing.

I'm really bothered by this. It's interesting to me that this particular event happened on the heels of a discussion with Shan about racism related to the proposed mosque near ground zero and a discussion with the chiro about racism in general.

I think there's a reckoning coming in this country. The election of a half-black President, increased pressure from illegal immigrants, the terrorist attacks. Add to that some misogyny as women begin to earn more than men during this recession...I get the feeling that it's going to come to a head. It's got to come to a head. All of the ugliness that is boiling up eventually has to find a release. I'm worried about what that will look like when it happens, what it will do to our country in the process and the aftermath. On the other hand, I can't help but feel that we have to go through the fire in order to come out the other side stronger. We're going to have to lay ourselves bare and get honest.

I hold no hope that anything will actually be better when it all goes down, but at least we'll be able to recognize ourselves for who and what we truly are. If we can get to that level of honesty...call ourselves by our true names...it's a step.

The problem for me becomes one of whether I continue to participate and engage with those people or do I move away from them. Is continuing to engage a tacit approval? Can we love people from afar? What is our responsibility? I lean towards walking away because I can't approve but more importantly I don't want that energy in my life. I don't want to be poisoned by that hatred and ignorance.

This is a conversation that I want to have with someone. I want to think through this with another person. I'd like to email Gary Howard, but he's a busy man, and I don't want to bother him with it. TaTa would be a good one to talk to about it, but she's busy getting ready to leave for Haiti...being that change that the world needs.

In other news...it is now my left hip that is killing me, in addition to my lower back. I think that "friction massage" was an incredibly bad idea. I've taken my vitamins for the last week. Next week's are laid out and I have the list of what I will need to buy on Friday. Had a panic attack because earlier in the week I'd bought a new bottle of CoQ10 but couldn't find it. I took out the garbage earlier and I was afraid that I'd thrown that new bottle of pills away. Do you know how expensive that stuff is? *sigh* I then found the bottle, still in the bag, on the couch. What the hell was it doing on the couch.

I'm contemplating going to the lake tomorrow. Taking the book I need to read for tomorrow and just heading out with the doggie. I could pack a lunch in one soft-sided cooler and drinks in the other. But it's an hour down there and back and the gas money. Hmmmmm. On the other hand, I could just go to the pool here. Except I tried that today, and it wasn't open. Who ever heard of not having a pool open on a Saturday afternoon? I suppose I need to get up earlier than 11, though, which means I need to go to bed earlier than 2.

I'm beginning to get really nervous about my dissertation. I still haven't heard anything about IRB approval. I'm running out of time. I suppose that if I haven't heard anything by Monday afternoon, I'll call. I've sent several emails and heard nothing. That is particularly frustrating. I'd like to be able to get some interviews done next week during the mornings while I'm not at work or not teaching a class.

Got some news yesterday that makes me a little sad. It's not unexpected, but it's just...sad. I didn't expect that it would never happen. It didn't hurt to hear the news, but it was...sad. I hope it's the right thing, an I hope that it leads to happiness. We each forge our own paths, doing what we think is best for ourselves and our futures. From the outside looking in, maybe it doesn't appear to be the right thing, but we each have to make those choices for ourselves.

The PA is in Beaumont, TX this weekend. He was going to play in a charity ragball tournament with Bryan. I don't know exactly what ragball is, but OK. I reminded him several times to bring me back a Cowboys shirt. He could even stop by training camp. He said that he wouldn't be buying me any Cowboys crap. I guess that means that I need to buy my own. *grin*

Speaking of buying my own...there are a few things that I need to get ready for the new school year. A black cardigan. A white cardigan. (or shrug type thing) I also need a new pair of brown shoes that will work with most of my clothes. A new pair of black slacks. Maybe a new skirt. I was gonna use a TJ Maxx gift card to buy a dress, but I don't know about a dress. I suppose if I find one for the right price, I could. (I'm gonna use my gift card for a La Creuset French oven. I've been wanting a Dutch oven for awhile, but every time I see one of those things, I think they're too expensive. A gift card doesn't make it quite so bad)

I suppose the other update is that my camera is still not here. I called and talked to Samsung on Friday...the day it was supposed to be shipped to me...and was told that the camera was shipped from the repair facility to the replacement facility on Thursday. By Thursday of this coming week, I should receive a call from the replacement facility with the model number of my new camera as well as a tracking number. I will be writing a letter to Samsung to express my displeasure and to let them know that I've related my experience not only to you, dear readers, but to my facebook family and to a message board. Samsung sucks. Totally and completely sucks. Need to get on writing that letter.

In other news, I keep going back to the questions I had the last time we were here. Interestingly, the chiro and I were talking about relationships, marriages. He is apparently involved in marriage counseling in his church. He sees marriages in trouble from the very beginning because of the level of dishonesty on both partners' parts. I can see where that is a recipe for disaster. I don't know exactly what a marriage is supposed to be, but I can see where dishonesty shouldn't not be a part of it.

I've waited a long time to make this commitment. Dax used to tell me that there was only going to be once, and I really feel that same. I'm only going to do this one. I'm only going to go that route one time. I don't want to invest that much in another person more than once. I've waited this long. There are things about myself that aren't exactly praise worthy and those things haven't come up. But when they do...there can't be any room for hedging of bets. It all has to be out there or accessible.

July 13, 2010

Evening Update

I'm in pain. A lot of pain. Just as my left hip was getting better, my right hip started aching yesterday. I don't usually pay much attention to it because it just is. But this morning when I got out bed, it was killing me. Tonight when I got home from work, I thought I was going to fall down when I used my leg to push off to stand.

And my shoulder hurts with the pain radiating down through my elbow and into my wrist.

I went to the chiro again this afternoon. It didn't help. I have another appointment on Thursday, and then he wants to see me every 4-6 weeks for maintenance. I am wary of asking him about therapy for my arthritis. I think he's a very good chiro when it comes to something he can fix. When it goes beyond his knowledge, I'm not sure so he knows what the hell he's doing.

I'm going to take my narcotic cocktail and hopefully go to bed.

So here's something to think about. Or, rather, I suppose, something I'm thinking about. I'm not married. Obviously. But I see folks around me who are married, and sometimes I'm perplexed by what I see. How much is your marriage supposed to mean to you? How vigilant in protecting that relationship should you be? How close do you keep the relationship? And I don't mean smothering the relationship or your partner. I guess...how far do YOU go to keep your relationship sacred? Do you put yourself in positions that might jeopardize your relationship? Or that pulls you away from your partner? When you see yourself in a perilous position, do you pull back? Or do you rationalize what's going on? Do get watchful and tell yourself that you're in control and won't let it go any further?

I'd like to think that if your marriage was important to you and the person you were with was someone that you made a commitment to, you are hyper-vigilant about your marriage, but I know that to not be the truth. I've had conversations with men who are supposedly devoted to their wives but who are sending pictures of their dicks to other women. I've watched women put themselves in positions that they should have only been in with their partner.

Do you know the moment when you decide to cross a line? Is it a hard line? Or is it a more amorphous thing that creeps up on you?

Just some ramblings induced by pain medication. Pay no mind to me.

I've not heard anything from Dr. Shelley re: my IRB approval. I have my mornings free next week, and I'd like to see if I can get a few interviews in. That reminds me that I need to find my recorder and my transcription machine.

and speaking of having mornings free, there weren't enough registrations in the AM session of the reading camp next week for it to go. There are just enough in the afternoon sessions, though, so I'll be working with 5 kids from 1-4, M-F. This means that I really don't know what I'm going to do with that. If it were a writing camp, I think I could knock it out the park. But reading? When there isn't an option of some literature circles and there's not a central text? I just learned today that we'll be using Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. I went and picked up a copy so I could do a little bit of reading to find if there was a way to use some of those selections as mentor text? I'm thinking of doing something along the lines of "reading from the perspective of the author". I can get some read like a writer stuff in. I may go that direction with it. I don't know.

It's supposed to be hotter than hell here this weekend. The doggie and I might go to the lake. If I'm not doing interviews. We're going to take our little red wagon and the reading/writing I have to do with us. I've got a big cooler. I've got a camp chair. I've got bug spray and sunscreen. I can buy beer. Sounds like the lake is the place for us to be.

July 8, 2010

Evening Update

Spent time on the phone with Samsung again today. It's been a week since my replacement camera has been approved. Now they are waiting to approve shipping it to me, which could take up to 9 business days. I know you're thinking along with me, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT? Today was business day number 3. It could be July 16 before my replacement camera is shipped to me.

Are you fucking kidding me? I mean really? It takes TWO WEEKS to approve shipment? What the hell kind of business model is that?

SAMSUNG SUCKS! IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING PURCHASING A SAMSUNG PRODUCT, DON'T!! THE PRICE ISN'T WORTH THE SHITTY CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Public service announcement/rant is over. Still pissed.

Worked a little on school work today. If I'm thinking right, things shouldn't be too difficult to get done at least on one front. I am beginning to get an idea about how I'm going to teach this reading camp if it's still on. I need to remember to remind a friend for some more information.

Stevie, Matt's cat, passed on this evening. He's been needing to go for awhile. He's been struggling to eat for the last couple of weeks, and his breathing was labored. Stevie's old...been with him for a long time. It's always hard to lose a friend, though. Peach is getting old, and I worry about having to make that decision about her one day. She stays in that bedroom, away from both the doggie and TSLO, but occasionally she will come out. When I go in to see her, she's still that sweet baby who got me through an incredibly difficult time in my life. She's my girl, and I've had her now for 14 years? I can never remember exactly when we got her. She might be 15. (I don't have a chronicle of my life that I can go back and look at) That's a long time to have a good friend...even though I leave her for extended periods of time.

Hip still hurts but not nearly as bad. Still have an appointment tomorrow that I'm going to keep. Just in case it happens again. I can't be incapacitated for days at a time.

I was thinking this afternoon about all those times when we've screwed up. Any one ever try to cover being called on your shit and then trying to spin it another way? Like what you were called on wasn't really what you meant to say or have happen, it was quite something else entirely and the other person must surely be the one is trying to make an issue. Not you. I can remember being in that situation. The sick feeling of knowing that you've been caught and not knowing exactly how you're going to get yourself out of it. That sick feeling is why I quite getting myself in those situations. Some people take awhile to learn that if you don't want that sick feeling, then you don't open your mouth when you shouldn't. Or some people never get that sick feeling, I guess.

July 7, 2010

Evening Update

I've been completely worthless today. I can't do that again tomorrow. There is way too much for me to get done. My first day back in the Bluegrass was filled with catching up. On sleep apparently. Went to the post office and then to the grocery. I might make a blueberry cobbler here in a minute. Or I might wait until tomorrow. After I read and get to work on my lessons. Or plans for this stupid reading camp I'm going to be teaching in a week. Or I assume I'll be teaching it in a week. I haven't had any information come through from Bellarmine. I suppose I could send an email next week to see if it's still on. For my financial health I hope it is but I'm really not looking forward to it. If it were a writing camp, I'd have a ton of things to do with them, but since they're not reading the same book, I'm not sure exactly what to do. I kind of think that I want to do something with poetry. I know the course doesn't have that focus, but I know that in my school, poetry got short-shrift. As I get older, I'm more interested in poetry. It's still not my favorite thing in the world but I do enjoy it and find it more interesting as I get older.

Speaking of which on the way back to Kentucky yesterday, I listened to an interesting piece about Emily Dickinson. If you're interested, or in case you missed it yesterday, you can listen to it here.

So I suppose I should kinda recap my last excursion?

The biggest thing about our vacation was that we had a good time. I was worried about it but then again I'm always worried about such things. When people come to visit, I'm worried that they won't enjoy their stay, that we won't do enough things that are fun. It's kinda funny because when I go places and visit with friends, I don't care what we do. I'm just enjoying the time I get to spend with them. I suppose that I need to remember that when I'm planning things. It's hard though. Particularly when people come a long way for things.

We spent Thursday night outside of St. Louis and then went to the Budweiser brewery on Friday. Matt really wanted to go there and since I'd never been, it was fun. I wish we'd had time to go up in the Arch. I know....cheezy, but I've never done that either. They were all booked, though. I suppose I could make that a day trip from here. I have some peeps in St. Louis. Could see them.

Anyway, we got to the campsite and got things set up Friday night. The Irish pub that I'd been so excited about in Weston turned out to be not so great. Or at least the restaurant. We never made it to the pub. We were both tired and a bit disheartened after dinner. I tried a pepper beer and couldn't drink it. The server wasn't attentive enough to see that I wasn't drinking it, and she charged us for it anyway.

I can hear you all saying, "A pepper beer? Really? How dumb are you?" I know, I know, I know. I enjoy a bit of heat, though, and the beer had potential. If they'd done something subtle, with just a hint of pepper, it would have been good. Instead, the intense pepper flavor hit you first and there was a finish of beer. By pepper I mean jalapeno and serranos. If they'd just scored the peppers (one--not both of them) and let that soak in the beer for awhile, it would have been good. As it was, like biting into a pepper. Not enjoyable at all.

The food was just OK. I think that was worst part of it. Combined with the fact that there was no AC in the restaurant. I'm sure that if we'd gone to the pub, which is supposed to consist of two limestone vaults underground, we would have been cool. However, the pub only served sandwiches and nachos. We wanted real food. Should have gone to the pub.

Matt did OK with camping, and he said that he would go with me again as long as it wasn't in the heat of summer. I can totally go with that. LOL! We had an electric site, which means that we had a couple of fans strung up. The first night we didn't have a particularly good set-up, but I needed a sheet around 2 in the morning because I was chilly. The second night, we got my little fan, which had been ridiculed for its size, rigged up to blow down on us while the box fan was set on the cooler outside the tent so it could blow in on us. That was much better. Night three I needed a blanket...not just a sheet. We cooked breakfast each morning and played scrabble every night. Not a bad way to spend time together.

The ball game was disappointing as we lost, but just to be there was enough for me. I told Matt for me, the feeling would be like him going to a Saints game at the Dome. JUST LIKE THAT! I was so excited. Grinning ear to ear and on the verge of tears. Silly I know. I may not follow closely but I love that game, that stadium, and that team. It would have been even better if they would have won but it is enough that we took the series. We should have gone to the game on Sunday. It would have been a standing room only ticket, and it would have been hard on Matt's feet which gave him problems all weekend. To see that victory would have been awesome. Just that I got to go was enough, though.

We saw the Heart of America's Shakespeare Festival's production of King Richard III. Neither one of us had ever seen the play, but we enjoyed it. We didn't have the fullest experience that we could have because we'd gotten a late lunch and didn't bring any food or drink in with us. We didn't know if we take a cooler as big as mine in, but we looked around and saw people with coolers just as large. The play was long (2.5-3 hours total) and had some very slow parts but I was surprised at how funny parts of it were. It's a history play but could have almost been studied as a comedy. Next summer when I'm home, Matt and I need to check out the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, although I just looked at it and it appears that they don't do productions of Shakespeare during the summer. Interesting. He likes the theater, although he says he prefers musicals.

We stopped to see GrandSner on the way home. I think we stayed about 2.5 hours. She looked good but is as always tired. I get the feeling that if she doesn't give up, she could live quite awhile...and that's a good thing. When we talked she said she hadn't heard from Uncle Steve in quite awhile. That reminds me that I need to call more often than I do. I've started. Called her yesterday on the way back to Louisville, and I'll give her a call this weekend. I think a couple of calls a week are feasible. Long distance is cheap and while life gets busy, I can make time to do it. I think she deserves at least that.

We had a decent fourth of July. Matt and I stopped at the fireworks store at M and 44. In all of my life, I'd never stopped in there. It was pretty cool. They showed video previews of all the fireworks. Matt got one big one and then bought me a kick ass fountain. It was AWESOME. If you ever see a Man in the Moon fountain, get it! Worth every penny!

There was a wedding shower in conjunction with the fourth of July festivities. Supposedly given jointly by Beth and a couple of Matt's friends. I think all I have to say about it is that while I enjoy a drink and the occasional other things, at some point you have to grow up. You get yourself together. And that's all I'm going to say about that before I get myself in trouble.

I've figured out how to make really good King cakes. I think I could have a little bit of a cottage industry going on come Mardi Gras time. My king cakes were much better than Paul's, which is some what of a standard in south Mississippi. Not quite as good as Randazzo's, but close. Moist and flavorful. I know this coming Mardi Gras I'll have to over-night a few to people. One to Shan, one to the Sner. I really one to do that one with a nutella filling. Yummy!

In other news, I think the downstairs neighbor has moved out! When I was back in June, I kind of got the feeling he was gone, but I noticed all the blinds were open last night when we got back. I peered through the windows this afternoon while the doggie and I were walking, and all of the rooms are empty. I think it's safe to say he's gone. Now of course, the devil you know is better than the one you don't, and the next person that moves in could make the jeeter look like an angel. In the meantime, though, I will just rejoice in the fact that he's gone.

Morning Update

I need to get better at updating this. Put it on my daily to-do list or something. I spent so much time elsewhere (like Facebook) that I forget to leave myself enough time to write here.

Cobbler and I are back in Kentucky. It was really hard to leave Mississippi yesterday. It always is, though. Who would have ever thought that I'd be saying that? Funny the twists and turns that your life take, huh?

There's a lot to catch up on. I kinda hate those kitchen-sink posts, though. Hmmmmm...how to work around that?

While I think about it, have I told you that I will never, never, never buy another Samsung product again? I'm so infuriated with them that I'm going to send a letter to their customer service department, not that I think it will make a lick of difference in the long run, but just because I'm so infuriated.

On June 6, I called them about my two-month old camera. It wasn't accepting the memory card and it wasn't ejecting it either. I broke countless fingernails. The person I talked to that day said that it sounded like a warranty repair and they sent me a UPS shipping label. I sent the camera to them on June 7. According to UPS, they received it at their service facility on June 10. I called on the 15th to find out what was going on when I could expect to hear something. I got the distinct impression at that point that they didn't really know where my camera was, which turned out to be true, but more on that later. I was told that they had received the camera and that they should have it fixed or replaced within 7 to 14 business days.

I called them again on June 22. The person I talked to that day told me that they were waiting on a part, which should come in the next day and my camera would be shipped back to me within a couple of days. Great! Excited me! I wouldn't have it in time for my vacation, but I would have it for the fourth of July. I gave them the address at Gumbo Acres to ship it to. Matt and I left on vacation, and I didn't think about the camera.

Got back from vacation and was mildly surprised to find that the camera had not been sent back to me. So I called on June 29. At that time I was told that they were still waiting on the part and my camera had not been fixed yet. That's about the time that I got pissed again. When it was clear that the person in India couldn't give me the answers I wanted, I asked to be transferred to someone higher up the ladder, which just happens to be Executive Customer Relations (ECR). Supposedly the highest level of customer service that Samsung offers.

The woman I spoke to couldn't get ahold of the service center. Supposedly tried several times. Later that day, she called me back to tell me that in 4 hours time, she still was unable to make contact with the the service center. Riiiiight.

I called the next day and spoke with Trevor in ECR. Surprisingly, he was able to immediately get in contact with the service center. Funny how that works, huh? After several back and forth conversations, which were always preceded by, "Can I put you on hold for 2-3 minutes?" that turned in to more like 3-5 minutes, he told me that my camera had been approved for replacement but I hadn't sent it in within the 7 day window and now that process had to be started all over again, taking 11-12 BUSINESS days.

That's when I got even more pissed. Might have raised my voice a little. I did not swear, but I was incredibly angry. Recall I called on June 6. They received my camera on June 10. What 7 day window? Yeah...they didn't know where my camera was. I told Trevor that since customer service had repeatedly lied to me (that they had my camera, that my camera would be sent to me), they'd had my camera for the 7-14 business they claimed it would take to fix it, and more importantly because they'd screwed up, there had to be some mechanism in place for them to immediately rectify their mistake. According to Trevor, there wasn't...there was a procedure they had to follow.

At that time I asked to speak with Trevor's supervisor. He told me that there was no one higher and that no one would be able to tell me anything different. He, however, transferred me to his supervisor Joshua. He tried to give me the same line of crap, but he did call the service center and then called me later that afternoon to tell me that the replacement had been approved. Yeah. Whatever.

I called yesterday while I was driving home and while the replacement has been approved, neither they nor the service center know when that will be shipped out. If it's been approved, why in the hell hasn't it been shipped? What's the damn hold-up? Makes me very cranky. Very, very cranky.

Going to write a letter, but in the meantime, I've posted it on my facebook and elsewhere so that people know that Samsung has terrible customer service. I will never buy a Samsung product again.

Last Updated July 24, 2010

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Evening Update

I've been completely worthless today. I can't do that again tomorrow. There is way too much for me to get done. My first day back in the Bluegrass was filled with catching up. On sleep apparently. Went to the post office and then to the grocery. I might make a blueberry cobbler here in a minute. Or I might wait until tomorrow. After I read and get to work on my lessons. Or plans for this stupid reading camp I'm going to be teaching in a week. Or I assume I'll be teaching it in a week. I haven't had any information come through from Bellarmine. I suppose I could send an email next week to see if it's still on. For my financial health I hope it is but I'm really not looking forward to it. If it were a writing camp, I'd have a ton of things to do with them, but since they're not reading the same book, I'm not sure exactly what to do. I kind of think that I want to do something with poetry. I know the course doesn't have that focus, but I know that in my school, poetry got short-shrift. As I get older, I'm more interested in poetry. It's still not my favorite thing in the world but I do enjoy it and find it more interesting as I get older.

Speaking of which on the way back to Kentucky yesterday, I listened to an interesting piece about Emily Dickinson. If you're interested, or in case you missed it yesterday, you can listen to it here.

So I suppose I should kinda recap my last excursion?

The biggest thing about our vacation was that we had a good time. I was worried about it but then again I'm always worried about such things. When people come to visit, I'm worried that they won't enjoy their stay, that we won't do enough things that are fun. It's kinda funny because when I go places and visit with friends, I don't care what we do. I'm just enjoying the time I get to spend with them. I suppose that I need to remember that when I'm planning things. It's hard though. Particularly when people come a long way for things.

We spent Thursday night outside of St. Louis and then went to the Budweiser brewery on Friday. Matt really wanted to go there and since I'd never been, it was fun. I wish we'd had time to go up in the Arch. I know....cheezy, but I've never done that either. They were all booked, though. I suppose I could make that a day trip from here. I have some peeps in St. Louis. Could see them.

Anyway, we got to the campsite and got things set up Friday night. The Irish pub that I'd been so excited about in Weston turned out to be not so great. Or at least the restaurant. We never made it to the pub. We were both tired and a bit disheartened after dinner. I tried a pepper beer and couldn't drink it. The server wasn't attentive enough to see that I wasn't drinking it, and she charged us for it anyway.

I can hear you all saying, "A pepper beer? Really? How dumb are you?" I know, I know, I know. I enjoy a bit of heat, though, and the beer had potential. If they'd done something subtle, with just a hint of pepper, it would have been good. Instead, the intense pepper flavor hit you first and there was a finish of beer. By pepper I mean jalapeno and serranos. If they'd just scored the peppers (one--not both of them) and let that soak in the beer for awhile, it would have been good. As it was, like biting into a pepper. Not enjoyable at all.

The food was just OK. I think that was worst part of it. Combined with the fact that there was no AC in the restaurant. I'm sure that if we'd gone to the pub, which is supposed to consist of two limestone vaults underground, we would have been cool. However, the pub only served sandwiches and nachos. We wanted real food. Should have gone to the pub.

Matt did OK with camping, and he said that he would go with me again as long as it wasn't in the heat of summer. I can totally go with that. LOL! We had an electric site, which means that we had a couple of fans strung up. The first night we didn't have a particularly good set-up, but I needed a sheet around 2 in the morning because I was chilly. The second night, we got my little fan, which had been ridiculed for its size, rigged up to blow down on us while the box fan was set on the cooler outside the tent so it could blow in on us. That was much better. Night three I needed a blanket...not just a sheet. We cooked breakfast each morning and played scrabble every night. Not a bad way to spend time together.

The ball game was disappointing as we lost, but just to be there was enough for me. I told Matt for me, the feeling would be like him going to a Saints game at the Dome. JUST LIKE THAT! I was so excited. Grinning ear to ear and on the verge of tears. Silly I know. I may not follow closely but I love that game, that stadium, and that team. It would have been even better if they would have won but it is enough that we took the series. We should have gone to the game on Sunday. It would have been a standing room only ticket, and it would have been hard on Matt's feet which gave him problems all weekend. To see that victory would have been awesome. Just that I got to go was enough, though.

We saw the Heart of America's Shakespeare Festival's production of King Richard III. Neither one of us had ever seen the play, but we enjoyed it. We didn't have the fullest experience that we could have because we'd gotten a late lunch and didn't bring any food or drink in with us. We didn't know if we take a cooler as big as mine in, but we looked around and saw people with coolers just as large. The play was long (2.5-3 hours total) and had some very slow parts but I was surprised at how funny parts of it were. It's a history play but could have almost been studied as a comedy. Next summer when I'm home, Matt and I need to check out the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, although I just looked at it and it appears that they don't do productions of Shakespeare during the summer. Interesting. He likes the theater, although he says he prefers musicals.

We stopped to see GrandSner on the way home. I think we stayed about 2.5 hours. She looked good but is as always tired. I get the feeling that if she doesn't give up, she could live quite awhile...and that's a good thing. When we talked she said she hadn't heard from Uncle Steve in quite awhile. That reminds me that I need to call more often than I do. I've started. Called her yesterday on the way back to Louisville, and I'll give her a call this weekend. I think a couple of calls a week are feasible. Long distance is cheap and while life gets busy, I can make time to do it. I think she deserves at least that.

We had a decent fourth of July. Matt and I stopped at the fireworks store at M and 44. In all of my life, I'd never stopped in there. It was pretty cool. They showed video previews of all the fireworks. Matt got one big one and then bought me a kick ass fountain. It was AWESOME. If you ever see a Man in the Moon fountain, get it! Worth every penny!

There was a wedding shower in conjunction with the fourth of July festivities. Supposedly given jointly by Beth and a couple of Matt's friends. I think all I have to say about it is that while I enjoy a drink and the occasional other things, at some point you have to grow up. You get yourself together. And that's all I'm going to say about that before I get myself in trouble.

I've figured out how to make really good King cakes. I think I could have a little bit of a cottage industry going on come Mardi Gras time. My king cakes were much better than Paul's, which is some what of a standard in south Mississippi. Not quite as good as Randazzo's, but close. Moist and flavorful. I know this coming Mardi Gras I'll have to over-night a few to people. One to Shan, one to the Sner. I really one to do that one with a nutella filling. Yummy!

In other news, I think the downstairs neighbor has moved out! When I was back in June, I kind of got the feeling he was gone, but I noticed all the blinds were open last night when we got back. I peered through the windows this afternoon while the doggie and I were walking, and all of the rooms are empty. I think it's safe to say he's gone. Now of course, the devil you know is better than the one you don't, and the next person that moves in could make the jeeter look like an angel. In the meantime, though, I will just rejoice in the fact that he's gone.

Morning Update

I need to get better at updating this. Put it on my daily to-do list or something. I spent so much time elsewhere (like Facebook) that I forget to leave myself enough time to write here.

Cobbler and I are back in Kentucky. It was really hard to leave Mississippi yesterday. It always is, though. Who would have ever thought that I'd be saying that? Funny the twists and turns that your life take, huh?

There's a lot to catch up on. I kinda hate those kitchen-sink posts, though. Hmmmmm...how to work around that?

While I think about it, have I told you that I will never, never, never buy another Samsung product again? I'm so infuriated with them that I'm going to send a letter to their customer service department, not that I think it will make a lick of difference in the long run, but just because I'm so infuriated.

On June 6, I called them about my two-month old camera. It wasn't accepting the memory card and it wasn't ejecting it either. I broke countless fingernails. The person I talked to that day said that it sounded like a warranty repair and they sent me a UPS shipping label. I sent the camera to them on June 7. According to UPS, they received it at their service facility on June 10. I called on the 15th to find out what was going on when I could expect to hear something. I got the distinct impression at that point that they didn't really know where my camera was, which turned out to be true, but more on that later. I was told that they had received the camera and that they should have it fixed or replaced within 7 to 14 business days.

I called them again on June 22. The person I talked to that day told me that they were waiting on a part, which should come in the next day and my camera would be shipped back to me within a couple of days. Great! Excited me! I wouldn't have it in time for my vacation, but I would have it for the fourth of July. I gave them the address at Gumbo Acres to ship it to. Matt and I left on vacation, and I didn't think about the camera.

Got back from vacation and was mildly surprised to find that the camera had not been sent back to me. So I called on June 29. At that time I was told that they were still waiting on the part and my camera had not been fixed yet. That's about the time that I got pissed again. When it was clear that the person in India couldn't give me the answers I wanted, I asked to be transferred to someone higher up the ladder, which just happens to be Executive Customer Relations (ECR). Supposedly the highest level of customer service that Samsung offers.

The woman I spoke to couldn't get ahold of the service center. Supposedly tried several times. Later that day, she called me back to tell me that in 4 hours time, she still was unable to make contact with the the service center. Riiiiight.

I called the next day and spoke with Trevor in ECR. Surprisingly, he was able to immediately get in contact with the service center. Funny how that works, huh? After several back and forth conversations, which were always preceded by, "Can I put you on hold for 2-3 minutes?" that turned in to more like 3-5 minutes, he told me that my camera had been approved for replacement but I hadn't sent it in within the 7 day window and now that process had to be started all over again, taking 11-12 BUSINESS days.

That's when I got even more pissed. Might have raised my voice a little. I did not swear, but I was incredibly angry. Recall I called on June 6. They received my camera on June 10. What 7 day window? Yeah...they didn't know where my camera was. I told Trevor that since customer service had repeatedly lied to me (that they had my camera, that my camera would be sent to me), they'd had my camera for the 7-14 business they claimed it would take to fix it, and more importantly because they'd screwed up, there had to be some mechanism in place for them to immediately rectify their mistake. According to Trevor, there wasn't...there was a procedure they had to follow.

At that time I asked to speak with Trevor's supervisor. He told me that there was no one higher and that no one would be able to tell me anything different. He, however, transferred me to his supervisor Joshua. He tried to give me the same line of crap, but he did call the service center and then called me later that afternoon to tell me that the replacement had been approved. Yeah. Whatever.

I called yesterday while I was driving home and while the replacement has been approved, neither they nor the service center know when that will be shipped out. If it's been approved, why in the hell hasn't it been shipped? What's the damn hold-up? Makes me very cranky. Very, very cranky.

Going to write a letter, but in the meantime, I've posted it on my facebook and elsewhere so that people know that Samsung has terrible customer service. I will never buy a Samsung product again.