Nothing Like New Memory

Long ago, and far away, when I was living in Utah, I had a very old computer. So old in fact, that a tech came out to fix a few bugs and he was surprised that I was still running Windows 98. I had plenty of hard drive to run XP, but he said I would need to buy computer memory before the upgrade to make sure things ran smoothly and that my computer maintained the speed with which it normally ran. I still have that computer, I think it’s around 10 years old now. Still running like a champ.

I need some help

I'll probably end up outing myself with this but I need some help.

I'm looking for some people from my past. People of Colorado. Denver (or the suburbs) thereof.

Wanda Harvey (remarried sometime in the 80s and I don't know her new last name. Husband was a truck driver). Had two kids I knew of: Cynthia (Cindy) Harvey and John (or Jonathan) Harvey. Once married to John Harvey. Lived in or around Denver, CO. I stayed on the family farm some time between 1977 and 1979 while my mom was in jail in Utah. Wanda came to Utah in or about 1982 to visit my mom. That's the last time I saw her.

Doug (or Douglas) Coles. Also formerly of Colorado but I don't know if he was born there, passed through or what. Visited Utah in the 70's sometime to get my mom to sign their divorce papers. Said "it's hot enough to fry and egg in here" to my mom. That's my last recollection. He was not my bio father, but he might know who is. At the very least, he can shed some light for me on my mother.

Virginia or Penny (maiden name Risher). Allegedly sisters of my mom. I believe she had five sisters. I've never met them. These are the only two names I remember. I also believe that the parent's names were Leona and Don or Francis. I'm unsure. I believe the grandparent's name was Ferguson (unsure on spelling).

Anyone know of anyone who might know of these people? I've checked the social security death index and to the best of my knowledge, they're not dead yet.

I miss thin

I’m still searching for the magic mixture of weight loss pills that will melt the fat off my butt and thighs, hips and stomach. So far, not much luck. I have started running on two days a week with my little brother. By running I mean almost jogging three house lengths and then gasping for air while I walk around the rest of the block. I have also cleaned off the tread mill and started using that again. I have two 5 lb weights that I carry while I am on the treadmill. What I wish I could find is a dance class that didn’t cost a fortune. Back in the day, when I danced three times a week, I was thin. I had no butt fat or thigh giggle. I could wear jeans and look good. I could wear a spandex skirt and not wiggle or giggle where I wasn't supposed to.

Geez...I miss thin.

Television

I'm running out of time. You see, I take classes to obtain my master's degree Every. Single. Day. Of. The. Week. I don't get a break. I can handle this though. What is killing me is having to decide what television programs I can live without and which ones I cannot.

I have given up Burn Notice, 24, Damages, The Office, Samantha Who and I cannot remember the others. I cannot live absent NCIS, Saving Grace, The Closer, Desperate Housewives, Medium, The Property Shop. there are others, I cannot remember all of them right now because I'm trying to weed through my tivo'd episodes and get caught up. If I can catch up, I can stay up to date and balance all of my various responsibilities.

Please television program gods, don't start any new good shows for the next 18 months. Thank you.

Marketing 101 - promote thyself

Have you ever considered getting some type of promotional product labeled for your blog? I have but I seem to lack the creativity necessary to take it the next step and send it out to people. I don’t really have a service I offer here, except for my words of wisdom when it comes to all things dogs, kids and marriage. How does one market such things?

In my real life, I work in law. We don’t market. We don’t send token items to people hoping for their business. I have never worked in a firm that did. However, I must admit, I owe much love and affection to the various court reporters out there because those people, they know HOW to market, and WHO to offer up the goodies too. *wink*

Formal Wear Anyone?

Tonight my daughter, who is only 11, has her first ever boy/girl dance. It’s been coined a “valentine’s day dance” and I’m not sure I like the idea that the school is promoting such things. It is one thing to have these dances for the 7th or 8th grades, but 6th grade seems to be starting just a wee bit young for me. I may have a different view if my 6th grader was already 12, but I’ll never know the true answer to that. In the meantime, she was looking through her closet for something appropriate to wear and said to me, “mom, it’s unfair girls have to wear dresses because we have to own so many different kinds.” She made a very good point considering when we’re adults, girls still need many dresses and colors and variety and men only need one tuxedo really.

Question?

Can someone please explain to me why Valentine's Day is a holiday? I've long held it was created by the greeting card/candy companies to increase sales after Christmas.

How close am I?

UniFirst rocks!

I remember way back in the day when I worked in retail sales. I worked for a major chain of convenience stores. I wore a really hideous uniform. I mean, think back to the ugly 80s of burnt orange, green, yellow and reds. U G L Y. They were not just ugly, they were also itchy and scratchy polyester and we had to wash them ourselves. I still am not entirely sure but I remember how cranky we all were when we would take our uniform home to wash it, then forget we had taken it home and by the time we got to work, we had to wear some stinky, dirty spare uniform we had hanging in the back.

My husband wears a uniform. It seems he always has. First when he worked for the tire recapping job. They provided his uniforms and had them cleaned and pressed and pretty each week. Now, he works in corrections and it is up to me wash and press and make his uniforms pretty. That kinda sucks. Well, not kinda. It does.

Why are the industries so few and far between who have their uniforms cleaned and pressed and delivered weekly? Why couldn’t we have that? Certainly industrial equipment is better than pressing a uniform crease than I am. One thing is for sure, if things ever go south in law, and I am forced to go back to work in an industry that requires workwear, it had better be a place that offers decent clothing, non-polyester, something with a sense of style and something that is delivered. Something like UniFirst offers.

I'm having a hard time here

Do you know how hard it is to type with a twenty pound do either sprawled across your lap like a cat or leaning into your arm because she's afraid the guy next to you will drop a crumb or some other tasty morsel and she will miss out on a taste of delicious people food?

Well, let me tell you, it's hard. Typing on my lap top is already hard because I use an ergo keyboard on the big computer and at work so typing on this mini keyboard is rough. A little dog who thinks she's the only one who lives here and that I exist merely to serve her, well, that makes it even harder.

I want to walk on my treadmill and surf the net too

Speaking of office furniture, I was considering a wall mount computer monitor but I haven’t decided that I want one that it really large. Instead, I started looking at Rackmount monitor as a potential solution because I can mount that to my treadmill and use my lap top while I’m getting in some exercise at the same time. It’s win win for me. I read a study where some people had their computers either mounted to or powered by a treadmill. The people using them lost something like five pounds a week in the beginning just from the additional physical work it takes to walk on a treadmill. It isn’t even walking fast, just a quick enough pace that the user can still type and walk at the same time.

I think this might be the new degree of ditz, rather than walking and chewing gum at the same time, we’ll be measured by our ability to walk and type at the same time.

I want my own office, with my own furniture

Now that I’ve entered the masters program to gain my degree, I have been playing the what if game with myself. What if I go to law school. What if I go on to get my doctorate in Psychology. What if I get so good at what I do that I can become my own boss and work from home. Then I could be home when the kids get home. I could have my own office where the children Are. Not. Allowed. I could. And then, I could fill it with the office furniture that I want. Not the ultra conservative, modern crap I have in my office now. Ick and Eww don’t even begin to convey how I feel about my current office furniture. Serious.

I love him...

I love my husband.  I love that he is who he is and that he does what he does. 

I love seeing him and smelling him and hearing his voice and I love love love it when he makes me laugh.

I love that he works nights too.  Well, not really love the night working part, but for right now, while I'm in school again, it gives me a chance to do my school thing after the kids are in bed and before he gets home at 11:00 p.m.  His days off are Wednesday and Thursday. 

I have a HUGE paper due Monday.  HUGE in that I am collaborating with other students who are, oh, less than bright.  I'm mega nervous about said paper.

I have some other homework that I put off until tonight so I could do it after the kids are in bed, before husband gets home. 

The husband took a personal day today.  He wants to have a movie night.  He's killing me.  I love him, but he's killing me.

Being a Grown Up Blows Sometimes

I've started school again, pursuing a Master's program in Psychology.  Go ME! 

 

However, this intense schedule of work, family, home work, sleep, rinse, repeat has seriously, S E R I O U S L Y cut into my television watching time.

 

Do you know what I had to do?  I had to decide between 24 and NCIS!  I know.  Hard.

 

In the end, NCIS won out.  I deleted all four episodes of this season's 24.  I almost cried.  My hands were shaking.  My finger hovered over the delete button. 

 

I just don't have time for all these wonderful people to be in my life for the next 18 months.  I've already given up Nip/Tuck, Damages, Samantha Who and now 24.  I'm not sure what will get cut next. 

 

Desperate Housewives

Brothers & Sisters

NCIS

The Closer

Saving Grace

Medium

Ice Road Truckers

Deadliest Catch

 

It's like I'm chopping out a little piece of my heart each time.

Being a grown up blows.