I have a dentist appointment this afternoon and my stomach has butterflies the size of bats. I hate going to the dentist more than almost anything and for this reason, I have allowed my teeth to fall into ruin. I absolutely cannot postpone this visit any longer as a back tooth has broken in half. It doesn't hurt but if I ignore it, sooner or later it will begin so I have to bite the bullet (with my remaining teeth) and pay the piper (or in this case the dentist).
This dentist I am going to see is not only a new dentist for me (the office just opened about 2 months ago within a mile of my house) but also a woman. I have never been to a woman dentist before. I don't know her age,or how long she has been a dentist, so I don't know if she has ever faced a patient with the horrible fears like mine. Even taking X-rays scare me. I don't know why I feel this way. I don't remember a particularly terrible experience as a child. I even suffered through braces and having my wisdom teeth pulled so there really is no logical reason, but it does exist and I can't deny the fear.
So I will be as brave as I can be, take a box of kleenix in case of tears,plus my insurance and credit cards. I know there is more than one tooth which requires attention and I think I will have her do whatever it takes (including whatever extractions and bridges are required), with as many appointments it takes to bring all my teeth up to par (I can't believe I just wrote that line).
Please wish me luck as I go face my personal dragon!!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
SOMETIMES I UNDERESTIMATE MY MOOSE SISTERS
Last night our Senior Regent (Women of the Moose name for Chapter president) called a special orientation meeting for as many officers and chairpersons who could attend. 20 women showed up including a couple of past Senior Regents like myself who no longer hold any board position but act as advisors to the Chapter.
Our Senior Regent and Recorder (treasurer who has been a Senior Regent) presented to everyone, member committee lists so that they can contact members and encourage them to visit the lodge. They also encouraged everyone to ask any questions and to give opinions. Boy stuff just spurted out like a water fountain.
So what did we learn. Well first we learned that almost all are as unhappy as I with the direction the Chapter is going. They too are not happy with the gossip, backstabbing and the constant competing. To a women, each new member asked why we can't be more like a family. One of our younger past Senior Regents took the bull by the horns and spoke about the goals of the Chapter, membership (new and retention). She spoke on how the Chapter and each member qualifies for honors and explained to the new members which honors all of us have and what we did to receive them. The entire evening was beyond my belief and I was so excited to be part of it.
The group made plans for future activities, making sure that family activities are covered as well as line dancing, horshoes, cards. They want to do surveys to find out what our members want. We want to have something which appeals to as many members who want to be part of the lodge and chapter. They plan on working with the officers of the men to plan parties and weekend activities.
My energy is renewed and so is my confidence in the future of the Chapter and the lodge. The women I watched last night are energetic and enthusiastic. More important, they love the Chapter and that's what counts the most.
Our Senior Regent and Recorder (treasurer who has been a Senior Regent) presented to everyone, member committee lists so that they can contact members and encourage them to visit the lodge. They also encouraged everyone to ask any questions and to give opinions. Boy stuff just spurted out like a water fountain.
So what did we learn. Well first we learned that almost all are as unhappy as I with the direction the Chapter is going. They too are not happy with the gossip, backstabbing and the constant competing. To a women, each new member asked why we can't be more like a family. One of our younger past Senior Regents took the bull by the horns and spoke about the goals of the Chapter, membership (new and retention). She spoke on how the Chapter and each member qualifies for honors and explained to the new members which honors all of us have and what we did to receive them. The entire evening was beyond my belief and I was so excited to be part of it.
The group made plans for future activities, making sure that family activities are covered as well as line dancing, horshoes, cards. They want to do surveys to find out what our members want. We want to have something which appeals to as many members who want to be part of the lodge and chapter. They plan on working with the officers of the men to plan parties and weekend activities.
My energy is renewed and so is my confidence in the future of the Chapter and the lodge. The women I watched last night are energetic and enthusiastic. More important, they love the Chapter and that's what counts the most.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
My Moose Family Center (lodge)
I originally joined the Moose organization because a friend belonged and asked me to. It was close to my town so I joined. I had no aspirations on being involved in holding office for the first year.
The lodge I originally joined eventually closed so I transferred to a very new 1 year old and very small lodge in my town. The women's Chapter was even smaller than the lodge and most of the women were involved either as an officer and volunteer. The members who weren't officers were also involved, cooking, serving the dinners and participating in lodge activities. This group of women had the nack of bringing out the best in everyone and within a year I found myself wanting to climb the ladder and contribute more to the women's chapter. I enjoyed this Lodge and Chapter, as well as the Moose Fraternal program concept so much that I achieved all the honors available to a Woman of the Moose member within 7 years. All that time, we were in a 850 sq foot building and if three of us were in the kitchen at the same time, it was too much. If the refrigerator door had to be opened, there was only room for two people. Everyone worked together as a team and more importantly as a family and I found myself having many brothers and sisters. We all shared a common goal to increase the membership and move to larger quarters.
When the lodge was 15 years old (5 years ago) our goal of larger quarters was finally achieved. Our new Moose Family Center (we can now be called a family center because we have a kid's room and playground out back)is beautiful. More than we ever envisioned. Our membership (both the men and women) has increased to around 400 for each.
Gaining so much, we were bound to lose something!! What we have lost is our family closeness. There are 31 flavors of ice cream for a very good reason. Everyone is different. The majority of the new members are not interested in being officers and leading the Chapter into the future. Many do volunteer to work in the kitchen and serve meals - something every lodge needs desperately, but most do not have an interest in the actual Moose program (Mooseheart, our child city in Illinois) or being an officer and without leadership, any Chapter ultimately fails. These new members are also very competetive and rather than acting like a family, they try to outdo each other regarding work in the kitchen, fund raising etc. There are more arguments than there used to be which makes life uncomfortable for the rest of us.
The bottom line - it's just not as much fun as it was. I love my Moose Lodge and Chapter and more than ever, I sure do miss our old 850 sq ft palace.
The lodge I originally joined eventually closed so I transferred to a very new 1 year old and very small lodge in my town. The women's Chapter was even smaller than the lodge and most of the women were involved either as an officer and volunteer. The members who weren't officers were also involved, cooking, serving the dinners and participating in lodge activities. This group of women had the nack of bringing out the best in everyone and within a year I found myself wanting to climb the ladder and contribute more to the women's chapter. I enjoyed this Lodge and Chapter, as well as the Moose Fraternal program concept so much that I achieved all the honors available to a Woman of the Moose member within 7 years. All that time, we were in a 850 sq foot building and if three of us were in the kitchen at the same time, it was too much. If the refrigerator door had to be opened, there was only room for two people. Everyone worked together as a team and more importantly as a family and I found myself having many brothers and sisters. We all shared a common goal to increase the membership and move to larger quarters.
When the lodge was 15 years old (5 years ago) our goal of larger quarters was finally achieved. Our new Moose Family Center (we can now be called a family center because we have a kid's room and playground out back)is beautiful. More than we ever envisioned. Our membership (both the men and women) has increased to around 400 for each.
Gaining so much, we were bound to lose something!! What we have lost is our family closeness. There are 31 flavors of ice cream for a very good reason. Everyone is different. The majority of the new members are not interested in being officers and leading the Chapter into the future. Many do volunteer to work in the kitchen and serve meals - something every lodge needs desperately, but most do not have an interest in the actual Moose program (Mooseheart, our child city in Illinois) or being an officer and without leadership, any Chapter ultimately fails. These new members are also very competetive and rather than acting like a family, they try to outdo each other regarding work in the kitchen, fund raising etc. There are more arguments than there used to be which makes life uncomfortable for the rest of us.
The bottom line - it's just not as much fun as it was. I love my Moose Lodge and Chapter and more than ever, I sure do miss our old 850 sq ft palace.
Monday, May 28, 2007
One can eat and drink what to survive???
I don't know if anyone has seen that show on the Discovery Channel on survival called Man vs Wild. I just found it this weekend and I am completely hooked on it.
This young Englishman who seems to have the credentials for survival having scaled Mount Everest along with many other adventures is dropped by plane into different types of environments with very few tools required for survival except his trusty knife and water canteen. I have watched him survive the jungle (may have been Mexico or one of the other middle America countries, the Rockies in what seemed like late winter, the desert of Africa and somewhere which looked like the Grand Canyon, and a tropical island which seemed far from anywhere. This man is absolutely amazing and the way he makes a fire by rubbing pieces of wood together is almost a miracle but he succeeds every time.
What I love most is his knowledge of surviving in any environment. He knows how to locate water in the remotest place, what plants to use for medicine (he had a horrendus cut on his arm from the fall into Africa). How to climb trees over 5 stories tall to get his bearings, mountain cliffs (I assume he learned that before Everest). He can make a raft from most any type of wood he can find, using vines in the jungle, old bicycle tires, and stringy leaves from cactus plants. He can make a shelter from leaves and bark from whatever trees he can find. He can swim in any type of water including rapids and freezing lakes (using his trousers by knotting the legs and blowing them up).
What really blows my mind is the things he will eat to survive. I have watched him eat grubs, termites (high proteen he exclamed), raw trout (he was really starving and cooked some later in a basket of bark, mud and leaves. I watched him eat raw zebra meat in Africa which was left over from a lion kill (he did mention to smell it first and check for magg_ts before trying that little trick. He eats plants, drinks anything he can find from plants, and even squeezed fresh elephant dung to extract what liquid he could get (I can't imagine how that tasted but he did say in his proper English accent that it was quite "Nasty".
I cannot imagine why I am hooked on this show. I am absolutely not a camper (my idea of camping is Motel 6) but I find it very entertaining and the entire concept facinates me. I highly recommend it and would like to know if anyone else has seen this show and what you think of it.
This young Englishman who seems to have the credentials for survival having scaled Mount Everest along with many other adventures is dropped by plane into different types of environments with very few tools required for survival except his trusty knife and water canteen. I have watched him survive the jungle (may have been Mexico or one of the other middle America countries, the Rockies in what seemed like late winter, the desert of Africa and somewhere which looked like the Grand Canyon, and a tropical island which seemed far from anywhere. This man is absolutely amazing and the way he makes a fire by rubbing pieces of wood together is almost a miracle but he succeeds every time.
What I love most is his knowledge of surviving in any environment. He knows how to locate water in the remotest place, what plants to use for medicine (he had a horrendus cut on his arm from the fall into Africa). How to climb trees over 5 stories tall to get his bearings, mountain cliffs (I assume he learned that before Everest). He can make a raft from most any type of wood he can find, using vines in the jungle, old bicycle tires, and stringy leaves from cactus plants. He can make a shelter from leaves and bark from whatever trees he can find. He can swim in any type of water including rapids and freezing lakes (using his trousers by knotting the legs and blowing them up).
What really blows my mind is the things he will eat to survive. I have watched him eat grubs, termites (high proteen he exclamed), raw trout (he was really starving and cooked some later in a basket of bark, mud and leaves. I watched him eat raw zebra meat in Africa which was left over from a lion kill (he did mention to smell it first and check for magg_ts before trying that little trick. He eats plants, drinks anything he can find from plants, and even squeezed fresh elephant dung to extract what liquid he could get (I can't imagine how that tasted but he did say in his proper English accent that it was quite "Nasty".
I cannot imagine why I am hooked on this show. I am absolutely not a camper (my idea of camping is Motel 6) but I find it very entertaining and the entire concept facinates me. I highly recommend it and would like to know if anyone else has seen this show and what you think of it.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
I hope the moose understands.......
I am so frustrated by computers. Yesterday I placed the picture of the moose I purchased for our lodge on my work computer. When I looked at my blog site this morning on my home computer, I realized I had made a couple of spelling mistakes to I went back into the blog edit to correct the spelling.
I assumed that the only thing I had corrected was the spelling but when I went back into my blog site, lo and behold, the moose had disappeared. Obviously I have done something wrong and I am now having trouble putting the moose picture back on my site.
I refuse to give up but it's obviously going to take some practice on my part. I promise he will be back on display as soon as I figure out how to get it done.
I assumed that the only thing I had corrected was the spelling but when I went back into my blog site, lo and behold, the moose had disappeared. Obviously I have done something wrong and I am now having trouble putting the moose picture back on my site.
I refuse to give up but it's obviously going to take some practice on my part. I promise he will be back on display as soon as I figure out how to get it done.
Friday, May 25, 2007
The "Moose"
When I started blogging, my cousin Joan asked what title I wanted. Well I am a buyer and have been for a very long time. My very favorite buy was the moose head for our new Moose Family Center so it seemed logical to use that title. I have been meaning to post the picture to explain the title and even though I have had the picture a couple of months, this is the first chance I have had to add him.
Every Moose Family Center (or lodge) is required to have at least one moose head. Before we moved into our new lodge 5 years ago, the moose head we had looked like the poor pathetic one from the TV show Northern Exposure. Once we were in our new, beautiful lodge, it was decided that we had to have a moose befitting our new digs.
I went on E-Bay (yes, you can buy moose heads on E-bay) and found this guy. Moose heads are very expensive about $2500.00 each for one like ours (I have no idea why anyone outside of a Moose Lodge would want one but people apparently do) so I watched every day and at the last minute placed our bid. Lo and behold, we won this guy. The people selling him were in Canada. I was born and raised in Canada, so I e-mailed the seller, told him who I was and where I was born and explained that his Moose which I had just purchased would grace a beautiful new Moose Lodge to be seen by many, many people. The seller was overjoyed. While he couldn't reduce the price of the moose, he did split the cost of shipping (it costs $700.00 to ship a moose head from Canada because they weigh a lot. It took 4 guys to hang him) and instead of using the American dollar rate, he used the Canadian dollar (at that time worth about 62 cents) so the cost was reduced further.
That's the story on my blog title. Our beautiful moose (only a Moose member would think it beautiful) has been greeting visitors for 5 years. The best part is the look on a child's face when they see a real moose for the first time. Many a father has raised their child above their heads to pet this moose. This is why our special moose is my very favorite purchase.
Every Moose Family Center (or lodge) is required to have at least one moose head. Before we moved into our new lodge 5 years ago, the moose head we had looked like the poor pathetic one from the TV show Northern Exposure. Once we were in our new, beautiful lodge, it was decided that we had to have a moose befitting our new digs.
I went on E-Bay (yes, you can buy moose heads on E-bay) and found this guy. Moose heads are very expensive about $2500.00 each for one like ours (I have no idea why anyone outside of a Moose Lodge would want one but people apparently do) so I watched every day and at the last minute placed our bid. Lo and behold, we won this guy. The people selling him were in Canada. I was born and raised in Canada, so I e-mailed the seller, told him who I was and where I was born and explained that his Moose which I had just purchased would grace a beautiful new Moose Lodge to be seen by many, many people. The seller was overjoyed. While he couldn't reduce the price of the moose, he did split the cost of shipping (it costs $700.00 to ship a moose head from Canada because they weigh a lot. It took 4 guys to hang him) and instead of using the American dollar rate, he used the Canadian dollar (at that time worth about 62 cents) so the cost was reduced further.
That's the story on my blog title. Our beautiful moose (only a Moose member would think it beautiful) has been greeting visitors for 5 years. The best part is the look on a child's face when they see a real moose for the first time. Many a father has raised their child above their heads to pet this moose. This is why our special moose is my very favorite purchase.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
I need to take what for a tornado alert???
My brother and I will be traveling to visit friends who live in a small town called Bondurant (1800 people) in Iowa in 3 weeks and unlike my cousin Joan who makes lists of what to pack 4 months in advance, I have just begun to consider what to pack.
Spring has hit Iowa with a bang the past two weeks. It's been hot and muggy with rain, thunder and lightening storms. Anyone who knows me well, knows that thunder and lighting scare the poop out of me but I was willing to put up a brave front as long as I have ear plugs and eye covers.
This week, however, I have been informed that there have been tornado warnings. I have never seen a tornado. Canada is definitely not tornado country and southern California has not had rain much less tornados.
So while I am considering what to pack for this trip, I am wondering what does one wear in anticipation of a tornado? The only tornado experience I have seen over and over again is my all time favorite movie starring Dorothy. I would considering packing a bicycle with a basket on the back (in case I come across a small dog). I could pack an ugly hat and a long black dress like Miss Gulch wore. If I could find one, I would pack a little blue and white gingham dress but maybe these things only apply to tornados in Kansas. Maybe the people in Iowa dress differently for tornados. I sure don't want to look like a tourist to the fine people of Bondurant while we are sitting in the tornado shelter.
Oh well, I will just toss whatever fits me into my suitcase and hope I don't shock anyone. Better yet, I will just keep praying for the next 24 days that when I get to Iowa, the tornado Gods will be moving south just in time to begin the hurricane season, and just be grateful that I don't have to wonder what to wear for hurrican alerts.
Spring has hit Iowa with a bang the past two weeks. It's been hot and muggy with rain, thunder and lightening storms. Anyone who knows me well, knows that thunder and lighting scare the poop out of me but I was willing to put up a brave front as long as I have ear plugs and eye covers.
This week, however, I have been informed that there have been tornado warnings. I have never seen a tornado. Canada is definitely not tornado country and southern California has not had rain much less tornados.
So while I am considering what to pack for this trip, I am wondering what does one wear in anticipation of a tornado? The only tornado experience I have seen over and over again is my all time favorite movie starring Dorothy. I would considering packing a bicycle with a basket on the back (in case I come across a small dog). I could pack an ugly hat and a long black dress like Miss Gulch wore. If I could find one, I would pack a little blue and white gingham dress but maybe these things only apply to tornados in Kansas. Maybe the people in Iowa dress differently for tornados. I sure don't want to look like a tourist to the fine people of Bondurant while we are sitting in the tornado shelter.
Oh well, I will just toss whatever fits me into my suitcase and hope I don't shock anyone. Better yet, I will just keep praying for the next 24 days that when I get to Iowa, the tornado Gods will be moving south just in time to begin the hurricane season, and just be grateful that I don't have to wonder what to wear for hurrican alerts.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
I am going to retire when??
When I changed jobs in 1968 I received a notice from my new employer indicating I would qualify for social security upon my 65th birthday, the date would be July 1, 2008. In 1968, 2008 was 40 years away and I remember thinking it would take forever. Forever went by too fast. I am now one month short of 64 years old.
Over the years, I have received confirmation of the July 1, 2008 retirement date which basically I ignored since there was nothing to do but wait. When I turned 62, I received an "official" letter from Social Security indicating I was now legally qualified to apply. The letter gave me 3 different dollar amounts for certain ages. A smaller amount for 62, a middle amount for 65 and the top amount for 70. I decided to wait until I was 65 years old to retire for the middle amount (this montly allotment is fixed for life unless the Government gives the senior a living increase).
Over the past 2 years I have been receiving notices from Social Security every 6 months. Each notice not only reduces the dollar amount I will be eligible to receive but more important increases the time I must qualify. It's gone from age 65 to 65 and 3 months, to 65 and 6 months. This week I received another notice. Not only has the dollar amount I am eligible to receive decreased a little more but most important, my age of retirement has now gone up to 66. Instead of qualifying for the middle dollar amount in July 2008, I must now wait until July 2009.
I am not an accounting whiz but looking ahead based on all the notices I have received the past 2 years, I can envision the dollar amount continuing to decrease as the age of retirement increases. I am thinking my retirement age could be 70 by the time I officially reach 65 in July of 2008. This is very frustrating to me having worked all these years only to realize that the social security carrot the Government has been promising me keeps moving farther and farther away. I have also begun to worry about there being enough money in the pot to even last my lifetime.
Is this what I have worked all these years for? It's very frustrating to have had a goal all these years only to watch my plans move further and further out. I am ready to retire now. I have been ready for retirement for 20 years at least and I really resent the Government taunting me with a new retirement date every 6 months.
So I am back to my first question. I am going to retire when????
Over the years, I have received confirmation of the July 1, 2008 retirement date which basically I ignored since there was nothing to do but wait. When I turned 62, I received an "official" letter from Social Security indicating I was now legally qualified to apply. The letter gave me 3 different dollar amounts for certain ages. A smaller amount for 62, a middle amount for 65 and the top amount for 70. I decided to wait until I was 65 years old to retire for the middle amount (this montly allotment is fixed for life unless the Government gives the senior a living increase).
Over the past 2 years I have been receiving notices from Social Security every 6 months. Each notice not only reduces the dollar amount I will be eligible to receive but more important increases the time I must qualify. It's gone from age 65 to 65 and 3 months, to 65 and 6 months. This week I received another notice. Not only has the dollar amount I am eligible to receive decreased a little more but most important, my age of retirement has now gone up to 66. Instead of qualifying for the middle dollar amount in July 2008, I must now wait until July 2009.
I am not an accounting whiz but looking ahead based on all the notices I have received the past 2 years, I can envision the dollar amount continuing to decrease as the age of retirement increases. I am thinking my retirement age could be 70 by the time I officially reach 65 in July of 2008. This is very frustrating to me having worked all these years only to realize that the social security carrot the Government has been promising me keeps moving farther and farther away. I have also begun to worry about there being enough money in the pot to even last my lifetime.
Is this what I have worked all these years for? It's very frustrating to have had a goal all these years only to watch my plans move further and further out. I am ready to retire now. I have been ready for retirement for 20 years at least and I really resent the Government taunting me with a new retirement date every 6 months.
So I am back to my first question. I am going to retire when????
Monday, May 21, 2007
Did I wish it or????
co-buyer fell over the weekend and broke the ring and little fingers on her right hand trying to catch herself. I know I wasn't thinking very good thoughts about her last week, and I am wondering if my evil thinking/wishing caused this.
I sure hope I don't have that much power, but if I do, I must find a way to transfer it into positive vibes so that I can win the lottery and retire.
Maybe if I can retire and I am out of here, she will be safe!!!!
I sure hope I don't have that much power, but if I do, I must find a way to transfer it into positive vibes so that I can win the lottery and retire.
Maybe if I can retire and I am out of here, she will be safe!!!!
Friday, May 18, 2007
If She Insists on helping......
In my last blog, I was angry because my co-buyer was doing my job and it frustrated me because I am constantly listening to her complaining to our boss that she has too much work. Of course, this is a woman who has no friends or life for that matter so she starts work early, works late and sometimes works Saturdays.
It's now 4 hours later and I have cooled off. I have realized that being angry doesn't get me anywhere because no matter what, nothing will change (I know this because it's been the same way between us for almost 4 years). Instead of being angry with her, I have decided to just feel sorry for her. I have a great life, wonderful family, super friends and being involved in the Moose organizations keeps me busy most evenings and weekends. I am a very lucky person as compared to my poor pathetic co-buyer who is married to this company because she is a lonely woman.
Now I feel better. I still have to be here 2 more years until I retire but knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel in such a short time, makes putting up with her more bearable.
It's now 4 hours later and I have cooled off. I have realized that being angry doesn't get me anywhere because no matter what, nothing will change (I know this because it's been the same way between us for almost 4 years). Instead of being angry with her, I have decided to just feel sorry for her. I have a great life, wonderful family, super friends and being involved in the Moose organizations keeps me busy most evenings and weekends. I am a very lucky person as compared to my poor pathetic co-buyer who is married to this company because she is a lonely woman.
Now I feel better. I still have to be here 2 more years until I retire but knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel in such a short time, makes putting up with her more bearable.
How Not To Be A Co-Worker
I am so angry here at the office, I can spit and since there is no one here I can talk about it to, I have decided this is blog is a great place to vent.
I am a buyer of components for computer products. There are 3 other buyers. All have been assigned specific commodities to purchase and we are supposed to be the only one who buys the products assigned to us.
One of my co-buyers is an "alpha" buyer. This means she has decided she is much better than the rest of us. She has specifically singled me out as prey. I don't know why but from the day I walked into this company almost 4 years ago, she has treated me like trash (if she treats me at all which is rare). I can count on one hand the times she has been nice, and usually the only time she talks to me at all is to find a way to make sure it's a critical comment. I have no idea why she feels this way and since I only have 2 years of work time left, I almost don't care.
Unfortunately, our immediate boss thinks this woman is a saint and why shouldn't he. She has no friends nor does she have a life outside this company. She comes in early and stays late, and any work related thing he asks of her, she is more than willing to take the time to do. Our VP knows this and he also knows how this buyer feels about me. He and I have worked together before so I try not to use him as ammunitation or a sounding board. I would change jobs but outside of my co-buyer's attitude, it's a pretty good place to work and I really only have 2 years left until retirement.
Now the reason I am furious. I received an E-mail report this morning indicating how some buys were made. When I looked at the sheet, lo and behold, they were my products but I hadn't placed these specific order numbers. SHE had!! Not only that, but I had purchased on Monday per a request from one of the other buyers so obviously SHE never checked that. SHE just decided to order my components either because SHE doesn't have anything else to do (which would be strange because SHE is always complaining about how much work SHE has)or perish the thought, SHE wanted to help me out (NAH). I am so frustrated but there is absolutely no one I can complain to outside of the VP and that would make me sound like a whiner. I intent to keep the paperwork as proof in case my boss decides to question my work ethics. I can show him that I don't have to buy because SHE does it for me.
Well I feel a little better but not much. Only 2 years left. I wonder if anyone will notice that I have started making marks on the wall as the days go by?
I am a buyer of components for computer products. There are 3 other buyers. All have been assigned specific commodities to purchase and we are supposed to be the only one who buys the products assigned to us.
One of my co-buyers is an "alpha" buyer. This means she has decided she is much better than the rest of us. She has specifically singled me out as prey. I don't know why but from the day I walked into this company almost 4 years ago, she has treated me like trash (if she treats me at all which is rare). I can count on one hand the times she has been nice, and usually the only time she talks to me at all is to find a way to make sure it's a critical comment. I have no idea why she feels this way and since I only have 2 years of work time left, I almost don't care.
Unfortunately, our immediate boss thinks this woman is a saint and why shouldn't he. She has no friends nor does she have a life outside this company. She comes in early and stays late, and any work related thing he asks of her, she is more than willing to take the time to do. Our VP knows this and he also knows how this buyer feels about me. He and I have worked together before so I try not to use him as ammunitation or a sounding board. I would change jobs but outside of my co-buyer's attitude, it's a pretty good place to work and I really only have 2 years left until retirement.
Now the reason I am furious. I received an E-mail report this morning indicating how some buys were made. When I looked at the sheet, lo and behold, they were my products but I hadn't placed these specific order numbers. SHE had!! Not only that, but I had purchased on Monday per a request from one of the other buyers so obviously SHE never checked that. SHE just decided to order my components either because SHE doesn't have anything else to do (which would be strange because SHE is always complaining about how much work SHE has)or perish the thought, SHE wanted to help me out (NAH). I am so frustrated but there is absolutely no one I can complain to outside of the VP and that would make me sound like a whiner. I intent to keep the paperwork as proof in case my boss decides to question my work ethics. I can show him that I don't have to buy because SHE does it for me.
Well I feel a little better but not much. Only 2 years left. I wonder if anyone will notice that I have started making marks on the wall as the days go by?
Monday, May 14, 2007
A feast for my eyes but not my stomach
Yesterday at our Moose Lodge, the men put on a feast for the Ladies. All women entering the hall received a long stemmed rose and a poem about motherhood on a beautiful card. It was agreed that every female member of the lodge plus their mothers even if they were not members would eat for free. Husbands, fathers and kids paid to eat.
There was plenty of food including omlettes (with crab meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, onions etc) plus plain scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns, bagels with cream cheese and lox, olives and to top it off, strawberry shortcake with homemade whipped cream (one of our Lodge brothers saw Martha Stewart make it on her show and followed her receipe) with both the strawberries and whipped cream piled high to almost overflowing in two huge (20") silver bowls. Everything was perfectly displayed to attract the most attention.
I walked past all the food and realized that none of it appealed to me which means my stomach bypass is still holding strong. I had half a bagel with a little cream cheese and a couple of slices of lox. In the past I might have been sad because I couldn't try everything, but to the contrary, I was very pleased that my by pass surgery over a year ago achieved it's purpose even though my lodge brothers and sisters felt bad for both John who had the surgery in January and me. Everyone who walked by kept trying to give us food but we both chuckled and waved them off.
Ok, so if the food didn't turn me on - what did? The guys did. All 15 of them were dressed in white shirts and black pants. Perfectly spiffy as we used to say. The officer who was seating everyone and pouring the champagne was even wearing his tuxedo. Boy these guys sure clean up nice. I made sure to personally tell each lodge brother not only how wonderful they made mothers day for all of us but especially how handsome each one looked. The grins alone were worth it. I love these guys. I have known most since we formed this lodge 17 years ago. They and their wives and kids are all like close family members. Seeing them all dressed up for us really warmed my heart. I may not have craved any of the food but at least my eyes had the chance to feast on how handsome our guys looked.
There was plenty of food including omlettes (with crab meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, onions etc) plus plain scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns, bagels with cream cheese and lox, olives and to top it off, strawberry shortcake with homemade whipped cream (one of our Lodge brothers saw Martha Stewart make it on her show and followed her receipe) with both the strawberries and whipped cream piled high to almost overflowing in two huge (20") silver bowls. Everything was perfectly displayed to attract the most attention.
I walked past all the food and realized that none of it appealed to me which means my stomach bypass is still holding strong. I had half a bagel with a little cream cheese and a couple of slices of lox. In the past I might have been sad because I couldn't try everything, but to the contrary, I was very pleased that my by pass surgery over a year ago achieved it's purpose even though my lodge brothers and sisters felt bad for both John who had the surgery in January and me. Everyone who walked by kept trying to give us food but we both chuckled and waved them off.
Ok, so if the food didn't turn me on - what did? The guys did. All 15 of them were dressed in white shirts and black pants. Perfectly spiffy as we used to say. The officer who was seating everyone and pouring the champagne was even wearing his tuxedo. Boy these guys sure clean up nice. I made sure to personally tell each lodge brother not only how wonderful they made mothers day for all of us but especially how handsome each one looked. The grins alone were worth it. I love these guys. I have known most since we formed this lodge 17 years ago. They and their wives and kids are all like close family members. Seeing them all dressed up for us really warmed my heart. I may not have craved any of the food but at least my eyes had the chance to feast on how handsome our guys looked.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BRUDDER
Tomorrow, May 11th is my brother's birthday. He is 2 years and 9 months younger than me. I don't remember a lot from that year, except one thing. Well, to be honest, it's not his birth I remember but the excitement of getting a new "grown" up bed (obviously because the new kid coming in was taking the crib). I had the same bed for 18 years until I left home and moved to California. When my parents moved here years later, I was upset that my mom sold the bed before they left Montreal, and to this day, I wish I knew who bought it. I would love to buy it back but, unfortunately my mom never told me who bought it and now it's too late.
I don't remember ever being jealous like some children are when there are new siblings. One of the reasons I would love to have the bed back is right down the middle of the large headboard there is a long scratch. When we were about 9 and 6, Frank and I were playing war on the bed and I scratched the line to show his side and mine. I remember getting my first spanking for that one. Frank was the disobedient child and most of the future attention was given to him. While he was in high school, my mom spent more time at the school than he did. He was too busy hustling pool games for money. While I was the one smoking in my teens, my dad automatically assumed it was Frank. The kid never finked on me. When we were kids, Frank was the one who cooked breakfast for us each morning so that my mom could sleep in. He is still an excellent cook. We were close as kids and 60 years later, we are close as adults even though we live 3000 miles apart, and Frank travels for his employer most of the year.
Next month, both of us will be in Iowa looking at property. In a couple of years, we will be living close together again and I can't wait. He is still the kid I grew up with. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious but always loving. He was my aunt's favorite and still is. My cousins and I think it's because he is the only male cousin, but it's more than that. It's his friendly, mischevious side everyone loves. and even though his hair is grey, he still has the heart of that little sneaky kid.
So happy 61st bro. Thanks for getting me that new bed 61 years ago, thanks for taking dad's flack about smoking and most of all, thanks for just being the super brother you are.
I don't remember ever being jealous like some children are when there are new siblings. One of the reasons I would love to have the bed back is right down the middle of the large headboard there is a long scratch. When we were about 9 and 6, Frank and I were playing war on the bed and I scratched the line to show his side and mine. I remember getting my first spanking for that one. Frank was the disobedient child and most of the future attention was given to him. While he was in high school, my mom spent more time at the school than he did. He was too busy hustling pool games for money. While I was the one smoking in my teens, my dad automatically assumed it was Frank. The kid never finked on me. When we were kids, Frank was the one who cooked breakfast for us each morning so that my mom could sleep in. He is still an excellent cook. We were close as kids and 60 years later, we are close as adults even though we live 3000 miles apart, and Frank travels for his employer most of the year.
Next month, both of us will be in Iowa looking at property. In a couple of years, we will be living close together again and I can't wait. He is still the kid I grew up with. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious but always loving. He was my aunt's favorite and still is. My cousins and I think it's because he is the only male cousin, but it's more than that. It's his friendly, mischevious side everyone loves. and even though his hair is grey, he still has the heart of that little sneaky kid.
So happy 61st bro. Thanks for getting me that new bed 61 years ago, thanks for taking dad's flack about smoking and most of all, thanks for just being the super brother you are.
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