The To Do List Final Results

Of my list, this is what actually got done while I was off for the holidays.

• Get a haircut
• Bake Christmas goodies
• Clean out closet
• Organize shoes and purses
• Read at least one book.(I started one)
• Finish editing my book.(I added 2,000 more words)
• Go to Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati with my Mom and sister.
• Put a jigsaw puzzle together.(good winter fun)
• Go to the dog park.(my bad)
• Clean out/organize kitchen desk area.
• Go to Tickled Pink Memorabilia Mall.
• Organize pantry.
• Imbibe, maybe a lot
• Create something in my project room.

Not too bad.

To Dos, not Ta Das

I have one more week of work left and then I am off until January 3, 2012. That is exactly seventeen days off in a row. Pretty cool.

However, I tend to get bored without things to do. So I am making a "To Do" list full of fun and practical things I need or want to do. Let's see how many I actually accomplished come next year.

• Get a haircut
• Bake Christmas goodies
• Clean out closet
• Organize shoes and purses
• Read at least one book.
• Finish editing my book.
• Go to Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati with my Mom and sister.
• Put a jigsaw puzzle together.
• Go to the dog park.
• Clean out/organize kitchen desk area.
• Go to Tickled Pink Memorabilia Mall.
• Organize pantry.
• Imbibe, maybe a lot
• Create something in my project room.

[No Words Can Be Found]

I know I sound like my grandmother or my father-in-law when I whine about the quality of goods being manufactured these days, but seriously folks? We live in such a disposable and wasteful society, and it makes me sad. Very sad.

I wonder if there are quality assurance director jobs anymore, anywhere. Have we outsourced that too? Or just eliminated it altogether?

Sobering Thoughts

A friend of mine lost her husband very unexpectedly in the last year. I have admired her courage and strength to pick up the pieces and try to move forward, if not for her, but for their children. Through it all she has had some humorous moments that help make the less-than humorous moments doable.

Watching her handle the paperwork fiasco of death certificates, banks, and insurance makes me sad and a bit apprehensive. Are we prepared? Do we have the coverage we need? Do we even know where the paperwork is if we are suddenly in her shoes? Do we have enough term life insurance either through work or privately?

I've decided to put together a box. Let's call it the "death box". I want all our paperwork, information, etc. in one spot for whoever is left. I think I will put in banking information (since ours are separate), bill information (someone has to still pay), and maybe even our wishes for the funeral.

Now to have this conversation with the hubby.

Money Trees

I confess. I have depended on credit in some form or another most of my life. But I am still saddened and surprised by the thoughtless efforts people put in to getting cash. "Cash" today stores show up on every street corner like lemonade stands of the 50's and pawn shops are beyond popular, they are now glorified on television shows. Did you know you can now basically "pawn" your car title for cash?

If you were in dire straits,various states allow you to apply for car title loans New Jersey being one. Well, I guess they don't really care if you are in dire straits. I just wish people gave more thought to their actions of today - money-wise and other. Myself included.

Training Schmaining

I sat through a training at work today for webinar/conference call equipment. Can we all say "boring"?

I did wonder though if we ran real meetings in the orderly fashion we run webinars and conference calls - would they be more productive?

The coolest feature was the "Mute All" button. Wouldn't you just die for one of those in a live meeting? When people start talking over each other and get louder and louder....you just press "Mute All" and they go silent. Still animated, but silent.

Position of Power

I wish once in my life I had a job that wielded power. I don't mean that demonic or hateful, just wish I had the opportunity to make some changes. I also don't mean a job like the CEO of AT&T where you are the first one that gets sacked when the stocks go down. That is much more of an ego job. I want a job that gives me the flexibility to change people's lives, even for a moment.

For example, a job with an airline where I can randomly choose who gets upgraded to first class for no reason. It is such a surprise when that happens. Or maybe Room Director Jobs where when you check in they put you in the Presidential Suite because it is available and you have been nice. What a surprise!

It reminds me of that movie "It Could Happen to You", where the cop and the waitress take their lottery winnings and do fun, surprising things for people like free subway tokens and rent Yankee stadium for the little leaguers.

Fantasy Island - maybe that is really what I want.

Great Idea

I went to a baby shower today for a colleague and they did a really cool thing, that was new to me at least.

On the gift table was a basket of empty envelopes and a pen. You were asked to complete one with your  name and address to make the process of sending thank you cards easier for the new mom and dad. Hello? Fantastic idea.

They should do this for weddings too.

Or maybe include the directions in the baby shower invitations when they are sent out so your gift just includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope?

Hijacked

If I were a witch, I would send out a curse...

If I were a Muslim, I would issue a jihad...

If I were Islamic, I would declare a fatwah...

But because I am an American....I will swear.

$#*!

All this on the people who spend their lives conspiring to steal from and fraud others.

Some of you may have received an email from me declaring my desperation in Wales after being mugged. Never worry - I am home and we are fine. Other than being pissed off.

They not only sent out an email in my name, they hijacked my Facebook account, Yahoo email account, Gmail account, and my blogger account. They changed the passwords so I had no access.

To make matters worse, Yahoo and Facebook treat you like the criminal in trying to prove who you are. I have yet to gain access to either and have no confidence that I will. Google was great. Kudos to them.

In fact, I am changing my primary email account to the Gmail account for future use, whether I get my Yahoo back or not.

So if I had your email address in the past, or you would like me to have it now, please email me at melodyk99 at gmail dot com.

And thank you for all those who called to see if we're okay. In the middle of this huge hassle, it was heartwarming to know so many care.

Slightly Morbid?

When my father passed away, his funeral was nothing reflecting who he really was. Us kids had no contribution to it as my step-mother planned it all and it was more about their life together and less about him as a person. It did spawn conversation between my husband and myself about how we would like to be remembered, what we'd like our funeral to be like, etc. Good conversations.

But how soon is too soon to start official funeral planning? We have no kids, so if we don't do it, some removed family member will have to do it and they are much less likely to know what we want.

Have you started? What are your thoughts? Please share.

What Color Was Yours?

I was watching some sitcom reruns today and some teenagers were going to their junior prom. The dresses were all ruffly and "gone with the wind"-like. It reminded me of my own prom and the dress of the day.

Mine was a silky, floor length, dark mauve color with split open long sleeves showing bare arms.

What was your prom dress like?

New Vice

Since I ordered my new laptop a few months ago, doing my freelance work in the evenings has been easier. I don't have to go down to the office and feel secluded from everything. However, the other side of that benefit is I sit in the living room and watch television while working...and now work takes much longer and I get nothing else done. Even when I am done working, I continue to surf the web.

My new vice is non-productivity. Ever heard of it?

Warms My Heart

...and causes me to tear up.

Ike's story is about much more than one touchdown run



Have you all seen or heard or about this story? Take a minute to read it and watch it. It will remind you that in the midst of all the conflict in the world and darkness in our news, there are still people who care and still youth who will grow up to be a contributing part of our future in a positive way.

Moving, very moving

Take a minute, or three to be exact, and watch this. Warning, grab a tissue.

Here we go again

Maybe it is because of my poor diet lately or lack of time to care for my skin, but my complexion is probably worse than it has ever been. Aaah! It is even itchy, almost rash-like. I suppose the increased stress isn't helping either. Seems I can't win for losing.

Back to the drawing board and back to finding acne treatment products that work.

Time in a Bottle

I need some. Anybody got some. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day lately. I'm doing more freelance than before, which is great and the money is great. But it seems to be taking away from housework time, cooking time and even sleep time. I need to organize my life a little better.

You would think it would be an effective fat burner, but when you don't have time to cook a proper meal, well, you eat junk.

I need a plan.

It is all about perspective

#108r00727

There was a man who one day didn't feel like going to church so he
decided to go hunting instead. He was out in the bush when he was
approached from behind by a bear. He dropped his gun by accident
but didn't bother to pick it up. He ran for his life. Weaving in and
out the trees with the bear on his trail. Curving around a tree he
tripped over its root. He looked up and the bear looked down. The
bear was about to strike at him. He put his hands together and
prayed:

"Dear lord, Please let this bear be a christian."

The bear sat down on its bum and held the mans hands, closed his
eyes and said:

"Dear lord, Thank you for the food that I am about to receive."

AWOL

I apologize for being absent in the blog world for a couple weeks. I don't really have any great excuses, just busy. Busy doing what you ask?

• fighting allergies
• freelance writing
• attending Fork, Cork & Style
• going to the dog park
• family reunion
• day work creeping into night time

I wish I could say things like cleaning house and cooking was part of that list, but huh, no.

Questions, I have questions

I went to a yard sale the other day. Something I don't do very often. Basically because I have enough stuff and yes that is all that is there is stuff.

Anyway, I do often enjoy the weird things you find at yard sales. It makes you want to know the back stories as to how they came to be in possession of these items.

This particular day at the same yard sale was a epson receipt printer for credit cards and a Tupperware bowl (used of course) but with no lid.

In this particular case I get why they have the bowl, I don't get why they are selling just a bowl with no lid.

And I don't get where in one's life they would come to own a credit card receipt printer.

Psychopath

I like this song. Unfortunately I relate to it all too well.