The dog days of summer!

Blah Blah BLAH!


Today is Saturday, the first day of September. And how did I spend this glorious first day of a 3 day weekend, you might ask? Comatose, crashed, dreaming, napping,resting, sawing logs, sleeping, & snoozing. That's right, I spent it catching up on missed sleep. I didn't go to bed until 6:40 this morning because of some company that is over celebrating the holiday. We watched videos, played on the computer (looking up old pictures,) and talked.

As you probably guessed, I wasn't one of the lucky winners from the mega millions drawing lat night. So, no pony for me. Oh well, it was a fun idea while it lasted. The hospital can breathe a sigh of relief, as the staff of the rehab department will all return this coming Tuesday. We were all planning on giving our 2 week notice if we won.

There was one exciting thing happen today. Today was weigh in day for my diet. I am now 2 lbs away from having lost 40 lbs since January. Yeah me! My mom told me she'd take me to Mackinaw when I reach the 40 lbs lost goal. I celebrated the weight loss by eating some Cheetos. (Salt, fat, and crunch all rolled into an edible form. ) YUMMY! I go on vacation the week after next, so hopefully I can lose those stubborn 2 more lbs by then.

Tomorrow I'm going over to help my mom make salsa and can tomatoes. And maybe run out to the hunting property with my dad and older brother to work on our blinds. Mine really could use a new floor. They cleared some brush out around it last weekend, so I'm not going to be firing through copious amounts of branches and brush this season.

Well, I'm off for tonight. Still really scatterbrained from lack of sleep last night. See ya'll tomorrow.

Observations of a single woman...

If I were living back in the 1800's, I'd be considered an old maid. Well on my way to dotage. (For those who are wondering: dotage = a decline of mental faculties, esp. as associated with old age; senility.) Yes, at the tender age of 30 something, I'd be considered well past my prime. Just because I'm not married.

It's not from lack of interest or effort that I'm still single and searching. I've done the whole online match maker sites, the blind dates, going clubbing, and even going to the church singles group. Everyone of my co-workers, family, and friends are trying to set me up with a guy that they know. Heck, one of my co-workers is even trying to hook me up with one of her patients and another with her ex.

Maybe I'm just being too picky. My standards too high. I'd like the guy to have some sort of intellect, a sense of humor, a job would be nice, and I'd like him to get along with my family. I'm not too picky about his age, though I'd like to stay in the 5 year range either way. (I can do the older woman thing...) As I am a Christian, I'd prefer him to have similar beliefs, but they don't have to be the exact same as mine. I'm not one of those cram my religion down your throat types. And I do draw the line at satan worship. I don't mind if he has children from a previous relationship or even an ex or two. I'd like to have children at some point, so he'd have to be ready to be a parent.

My last few experiences in the dating world have left alot to be desired. There was the possessive jerk, the IRS auditor, and then the "Bad Country Song" guy. "Bad country song?" You might ask. That one only lasted for 2 dates. I'm almost positive that he was gay. (Not that I have a problem with homosexual people, I just don't want to date one.) The first date with him was great, we had a nice dinner at Bennigan's restaurant. A couple days later he called and invited me over to his apartment for dinner.

Date number 2 started innocently enough, I drove to the specified location and knocked on the door. (I noted the ballet slippers stained glass in the window, but thought that he must have a reasonable explanation for that.) After knocking about 10 times with no answer, I went back to my car and called him from my cell phone. Oops, he had told me the wrong apartment number. Ok, now I'm at his apartment and we're making idle chit chat while he finishes cooking dinner. The decor of said apartment consisted of an assortment of taxidermied animals and fish, some animal pelts on the floor, and statues of dead animals. (He's a hunter can you tell?) He goes outside for a smoke and doesn't come back for half an hour. Then as we sit down to eat, he proceeds to say "I don't know how to tell you this; I just don't know where I'm at right now." Ok, Now I'm a bit concerned.... He also tells me that he's totally drunk because he was so uncomfortable about my coming over and again that "He doesn't know where he's at right now." Needless to say that I left right after dinner.

I'm sure that Mr. Right is out there somewhere and someday I'll meet him and we'll live happily ever after. I just wonder when I'm going to run into him. (With my car or otherwise.) I sit there and watch people that are the totally gross (Sorry, but they are;) and people who are the scum of the earth hook up with significant others and wonder why/how I'm still single. And why do I seem attract all the odd balls? I don't need a romance book heartthrob (though I wouldn't mind one,) I'd be happy with a guy who's breathing and his meeting 3 or 4 out of 5 of my requirements wouldn't hurt.

Well gang, that's all for tonight. It's Friday night and time to hit the meat market for some beefcake! See ya'll tomorrow.

Mega Millions Mania!

By this time tomorrow, you could be reading the blog of a millionaire. If all goes as planned (or at least as well as hoped,) I'll be one of the winners of the latest greatest Mega Millions winners. The jackpot for this drawing is 330 Million. (That's a heck of a lot of zeros!)

Normally, I don't invest alot of $ into these drawings. Especially since there are 12 states involved with the drawing. Each with their own crop of people entering. Besides, I'm never lucky when I try. It's always random. But, stranger things have happened in my life. Who'd have ever thought that I'd win an all inclusive trip for 4 to Club Med, in Florida just for drinking Diet Coke. That was a multi state drawing as well. Heck, I won a Logo wear shirt from a drawing at work today. So, I stuck to my "You can't win if you don't enter" theology. I bought $3 worth of tickets. (Random numbers of course.)

Everyone in the rehab department where I work gave $3. Well, 1 0r 2 people in my department didn't enter, but that's just because they weren't working today. Now we have our 60 entries ready and waiting to be selected as the winning numbers. So, this Friday night at 11:00 p.m., we will all be glued to the TV for the drawing. Marking the numbers that are drawn like insane bingo players. Can you imagine if we did win though. LOL, the hospital would be looking for an entire new rehab staff. (Except for those who didn't get in on the tickets since they weren't working today. Look what that day off would cost them.) If we took the lump sum and divided it among the 20 of us that entered, then we'd all get about 9 million each.

I could do alot with that much $. First I'd pay off all my bills. Then I'd buy myself a new car and new wardrobe. After that I'd make sure that my family was taken care of. New everything for my parents and siblings. College educations for my nieces (and future nieces and nephews.) Then I'd donate some to some charities I support. I'd invest some and see how well I could do on the stock market. And maybe I'd get a pony... I've always wanted a pony! Now watch, We'll end up winning something like $5-20 and it will have cost us more to enter than it pays out. Oh well, life is short enjoy it while you can.

Well gang, I'm of to shower and go to bed early tonight. (Since I'm going to be up late tomorrow winning my millions.) My sunburn is a bit better today. I'm now more medium rare than raw. I found this AWESOME lotion that I'm putting on every couple hours. It's called Aloe Vesta. It's really taken the bite out of the burn. And hopefully with the moisturizer in it, it will keep me from peeling. See yall tomorrow.

Extra Crispy!

We've all done it... Spent a little too much time in the sun and fried the crap out of ourselves. Then we shuffle around all red/pink like a freshly boiled lobster slathered in aloe. We pray that we don't run into that friend who must give you a pat on the back or a big bear hung. We cringe at the very thought of having to wear clothes.

Well, guess what I did today. :) That's it... we have a winner. I am sunburned from head to feet. (I at least kept the most sensitive areas covered, thank God!) My nose could rival Rudolph's. Soon I'll take another cool bath and re slather myself in burn cream. Then I'll pop a pain pill or 2 and go whimper in a corner.

What's sad is that I did this on purpose. I didn't mean to get so burned, but just wanted to start getting my body ready for my upcoming vacation. In which I'll be spending multiple hours out in the sun. I was hoping to build my skin's sun tolerance up by spending a few minutes a day in a tanning booth. See, I have what some doctors have call Photosensitivity (sun allergy.) It's mostly due to some meds that I take on a daily basis. I went to a new tanning salon today, and they must have just replaced their bulbs. Normally, I don't get this burned from it.

Believe it or not, this is a good thing. (Remind me I said that later!) I'd rather "suffer" now then when I'm on vacation hanging around with my friends and hopefully some good looking men. I don't want to the the ghostly white person in all of the pictures that I know are going to be taken. (I can see it now... "Insert Red Wings player's name here, seen here with ghostly apparition ... News at 11.")

Well gang, time to go mix up another baking soda bath to soothe this sunburned beast. See yall next time.

Love always, Joelle (Aka: Extra Crispy!)

Built Ford Tough!

I dive a zippy teal 2 door Ford Escort ZX2. It's like a Timex watch. "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking." That poor car has been to h - e - double hockey sticks and back so many times it's amazing.

I got it used, so who knows what all happened to it before I got it. In the 4 years that I've driven it, I've put it through more "tests" than the Ford Motor Company could ever dream of. This car is the very definition of Built Ford Tough.

There was the time that I winged the post of my car port. (Large scratch on the back of the passenger side.) The time I was rear ended during an ice storm. (The idiot took out the entire back bumper, the trunk, and caved in the entire passenger front end when she pushed me into the curb at 30 MPH.) And most notably, the time that I went head to head with a snow plow. (Opened up the drivers side like a can opener on a sardine can.) That little 2 door spitfire kept me protected from harm in all of those accidents. The only time I was hurt was when I was rear ended. And that was only because I'm so dang short that I have to sit directly under the steering wheel. I hit my knee on the steering wheel and sprained some ligaments.

It's not perfect, by any means. It leaks anti freeze (stupid pot hole,) the wiper fluid sprays over top of the car on one side, and the check engine light keeps going on and off for no reason. (I took it to the dealership and they checked it out.) But over all, you couldn't ask for a better car. And as an added bonus, it gets amazing mileage.

Have you driven a Ford lately? I have and I love it!

Migraine Monday

UGH! I had another migraine last night. Hence the early post this morning. It started with the smell of toast (aura) yesterday morning and went steadily downhill from there.

So, last night instead of writing here, I was on the couch in the dark with an ice pack after taking meds. I don't get them often but boy do they creep up. Usually when my blood sugar gets too low. Or in cases of high stress. Though last night's is a mystery to me since I had eaten throughout the day and wasn't too stressed out from work.

Oh well, life goes on. The world doesn't stop because the little demons are tap dancing in my skull with anvils. Though I wish it might sometimes. So, I'm off to work this morning with the rem nets of a headache. Much like a hang over. Looks like I'll spring and drown it in caffeine this morning. Too bad I'm allergic to chocolate, I'm told its a natural pain killer.

See ya'll tonight!

I'm going to pump you up...

Ok, we've all done it. Pumped the gas nozzle trying to get an exact dollar amount. Attempting to beat the gas pump gremlin at his own game and then losing as the .01 cent pops up at the last minute.

Since I was running on fumes, I had to get gas tonight if I intended to get to work tomorrow morning. My apartment is right next to 2 gas stations, so it wasn't like I had to go far to get it. And the price is fairly reasonable due to the "Waring" between the 2 stations. I decided to get $20 worth of gas, thinking that that would be enough to get me through most of the week. (I work 2 miles from where I live.) And if the prices go down by Wednesday, I still have room to top it off at the cheaper price.

I stood there pumping the gas watching as the pump neared the $20 mark. When it got to $19.75, I started the single pumps to round it up to an even $20. $19.80.... $19.92.. $19.98... One more pump to go.... And them BAM, $20.01. It's like those skill games you see at the arcade. If you can get the flashing light to stop at the marked space, then you get a "fantastic" prize. My reflexes aren't that good, unfortunately.

So, the gas pump gremlin wins again. Maybe next time I'll try the other gas station and hit the elusive jackpot of an even $20.