Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Why oh why must some shiggity always be going on every vacation Monday?! Guess who called bright and early at 8:59? A car salesman informing me that I've been pre-approved for a loan. No shit?! I already knew that because I made the application myself online, not them. Now why is it he could not figure this out on Saturday afternoon? If they are complaining about not being able to speak to a human being on the weekend, they should stop selling cars on the weekend.
I asked the caller for the terms and interest rate and he said he did not know. What the "f" are you calling me for then?

Getting armoured for some bullshit, I called the lending institution to find out the interest rate and after speaking to someone I declare was in another country, I got a headache. He finally told me that the dealer has the interest rate information. Ain't that some shiggity. They are playing pass the BS. I am getting dressed and going to pick up my dirty Dodge Charger and bounce to my errands for the day. Let them stew! I am in no mood for bullshit sales tactics this early in the week!

Moviegoer Shot

Thanks to "The Secret" and "Morning Coach", I watch very little news but I do stay informed. As I scrolled today's news stories online, I was drawn into the headlines about a "Moviegoer Shot In The Movie Theater For Being Too Noisy". I automatically drew conclusions and knew what happened. My thoughts were confirmed. The man was shot for being too noisy. I understand. After you have paid your hard-earned money to enjoy a movie on the big screen, you expect people to shut up and watch the movie. Instead, they talk to each other, open their phones constantly to check for missed calls and even the nerve answer their cell phones and hold conversations! The thing that gets me the most are the people who keep the blue tooth on and flashing throughout the movie. That irritates me. I never managed to miss sitting behind a neon blue blinking light that distracts me from enjoying and concentrating on the movie. If not that, there is always a coughing hacker sitting in my area. I can just feel the germs landing on my neck. Yuck. If you are a hacker, please take a cough suppressant before going to the movie or getting on a plane!

I don't want to shoot or get shot in the movies so I wait for the DVD and watch at home!

Oh Boy!

Went after-Christmas shopping! I did not go crazy. Just picked up a few essentials in Hancock Fabrics. We only made right turns and parked in less populated zones. It was a cinch getting around.

Arrived back home to await the call that my car was ready. I had dropped it off for an oil change. I got out of the car and noticed a huge red liquid blob on the garage floor. It could not have come from my husband's rental car. It was directly where my Dodge Charger is usually parked! Oh Boy! First thing hubby asked was "Did you hit something?" No! A transmission leak??? I called the Service Department to alert them. It was still under warranty and just a year old. It was later confirmed that my car had a small transmission leak. I don't do leaky cars! My mind instantly went to "Trade It Now!"

We went to pick up the car but it was not ready. We browsed the car lot. Since buying my Charger, I really missed my Chevrolet Trailblazer. I'm used to hauling stuff. When buying bolts of fabric, I never had to worry about storage. The Charger is not a hauling stuff kinda car. I looked at the Dodge Nitro. There were only 2 in stock. I would prefer a black one but the red one was fully loaded and had the sunroof. It always worked out like that.

The salesman asked if we needed help. I told him that I was just waiting for my car to be serviced but if he could give me a sweet deal, I'd drive one off the lot today.

I don't know why I always end up in a car dealer's office when I'm hungry. It does speed up the process though when I threaten to faint or throw up from hunger. We worked out a great deal even though I was "upside down" on my Charger. What the hell does that really mean and how does that really factor into the new loan? I drove the Nitro home. It had some cool bells and whistles. It was also Inferno Red!

I'm still in the process of deciding whether to keep it. I have until Monday. I was not happy with the final terms. We signed a contract Friday but when we went back Saturday, they must have realized how sweet of a deal we'd gotten and decided to ask for money down and all that. I refused. Instead of "new car" smell, I was starting to smell Car Dealer Scam 101 ! I told them to bring my keys to my Charger. They were not figuring on that happening. The finance guy's office smelled of garlic so bad that I guess he'd seen "Twilight" and was afraid of Vampires. We tried to leave several times and the General Manager came out. I hate buying a new car. If I had known I was going to buy a car, I would have followed my own rule of advice: go with a pre-approved loan like I always do but I was caught a little off guard this time. I wasn't overly serious about purchasing a car that day.

They begged me to take the Nitro home and to keep it until Monday. They even said they'd give me an extra $1000 if I got it financed through my credit union. I guess this bailout shit ain't no joke. I should have taken their paper work and told them I'd think about it but to bring my car around. But I kept the Nitro just to test it out. I have since been approved by both my bank and another lending institution. Ha! I may just take them their car back and my check to another dealer! I don't play games when it comes to my money. Or, I may make them sweat as if I don't want their car. I see they added an extended $995 warranty that I did not ask for. It is going to come off. They have no idea who they are dealing with. I don't really need a new car!

Hobby Table

Being on vacation has allowed me time to clean my office that's been screaming for some organization. I've been fearful that Niecey Nash and The Clean House team would find me. But I'm safe now. Hubby bought me a much needed Hobby Table which has been a great addition to my workspace. I cannot believe how much I used to slump over my old table to cut fabric and patterns. This one works perfectly and it folds down when not in use.

I should soon be creating more fabulous creations! I'll be sure to post pix.

Light Christmas

We had a great Christmas. We went to his niece's house but I still cooked a small Christmas dinner of Roasted Chicken, dressing, green beans and corn. I made my infamous banana pudding. I actually scooped some out of the one I made for my in-laws!!! They did not miss it! This is always my entry ticket into whosoever house we're eating. As usual, it was gone in 30 minutes! They have tried to pry the recipe from me since it first debut but I refuse to budge. It is top secret. One of the guests told me that "This is the best banana pudding I've ever had in my life. in my whole entire life!" I was flattered. But I get that every time someone new samples it. I forgot to take pictures. By the time I thought about it, it was all gone!

Oh No She Didn't!

By now, we have all seen Beyonce’s, I mean "Sasha's" video for "Single Ladies: Put A Ring On It"! I was huffing and puffing watching those in-shape Chicas! Note to self: go work out!!! A gym membership is now on my Christmas list.

As I was strolling in an undisclosed location, i.e. work. LOL. I saw a woman wearing Dereon jeans who should not have been. Anyone on this planet knows what Beyonce’/Sasha is famous for: her derriere. In my opinion, Dereon jeans are only for women with a derriere! If you ain't pulling some junk, don't put your junk in Dereon jeans! Now, let me get dressed!

Too Hot To Handle

Hmmm . . .maybe someone can help me. I love a Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato every now and then but prior to that, I was not a coffee drinker. Sure, my grandparents would wake up at 5:30 and drink their morning coffee on the porch. They would sit and talk, he in a straight chair and she in her rocker. The two would sit for at least an hour talking and taking coffee refills. I wondered what was so magical about coffee. I tried coffee back then and just did not get it: it was too hot! I would always burn my tongue and cold coffee was not so good. What is the point?

I've been told that coffee gives a jolt for the morning. People meet for "A Cup of Joe". Perhaps it's not really about the coffee as much as the conversation while drinking the coffee. My grandparents must have been on to something.

My occasional Caramel Macchiato I love because it is sweet and creamy and has a good flavor at a less than piping hot factor. Perhaps for me, coffee is just too hot to handle. I'll stick to my Bee Pollen granules for an energy pickup.

Better Late Than Never

It is December 14 and I'm just putting up the Christmas tree! I was not quite "bah humbug" but just not so merry. Been very busy and kinda unfocused. But today, I was in the middle of a sewing project and decided to drag the tree from the storage room.

I had forgotten how many new decorations I scored at the end of last Christmas season! It was like Christmas opening the boxes to reveal my treasures. I don't think I have a big enough tree to put all the glass ornaments I bought at deep discounts! Maybe this year, I'll buy another tree!

One thing I learned today, when putting up an artificial tree, wear clothes! I mean I wasn't nude but my arms were out and got all scratched up! Could that be the sign of my needing to buy a live tree? I want that fresh, pine Christmas scent. I guess for now it'll have to come from Pine-Sol and the scented pine cones I bought. As soon as I clean the mess, I'll take and post pictures.

Love 'n Berries & Apples

I'm happily married but I have a new love.

I was perfectly content with my pink Motorola Razor until. . .

It all started innocently enough. I was sitting in the parking lot of the Shell gas station, addressing postcards on Election Day. I'm a sucker for history sometimes but I digress. I needed the address of my high school history teachers. I remember thinking, "If only I had a Blackberry". I could whip it out and find the addresses without having to call other people to look in the phone book for me. I made up my mind that I would make a change.

I had a meeting that Wednesday afternoon so that day was shot. But Thursday, I went to the AT&T store and there he was: the Blackberry and on sale! I was excited about all of the adventures we'd have. When I got to work Friday, another co-worker had also gone phone shopping the night before! She got an Apple iPhone.

I took my Blackberry home for the weekend to get acquainted with it. I got a headache! Especially after seeing how easy the iPhone looked. I do not read instructions until after the fact.

On Monday, I took the Blackberry back and got the Apple iPhone! It has been love ever since. So much so, that even my husband has gotten an iPhone! And he can talk on a soup can and string! Whether you like berries or apples, just get some fruit and be happy!

The Secrets of Former Shopper

Holiday Shopping is in full effect. I do not like getting in the midst of it unless I cannot avoid it like getting gas or running the the store for a few items.

How does one like me make due during this shopping season? I've learned a few tricks of the trade to make my life normal.

1. Make Right Turns Only!
Though it is the season of giving, trying to make a left turn across traffic will warrant someone giving you something alright, probably the finger! So, try to avoid left turns, especially those without a lane and a traffic control signal with an arrow. Even if it means driving down and making a block to turn around, make right turns only.

2. Walmart Parking Secret Revealed!
I probably should not give this away until January but I will reveal it now. Don't get caught up in the hoopla of trying to park close to the entrance doors. Unless you have a special blue sticker, park as far away from the main chaos as possible. I like to park in the Lawn and Garden center. I can find a good park, rush right in, get my few items, return to the L&G center to pay, and I am out of Walmart in 10 minutes. I tried this last Saturday. I needed a curtain rod and some three ring binders. I followed my own advice and it worked.

3. Skip Work!
Skip work to get some off peak shopping done. You can scoot in and out without the weekend rush.

4. Get Gas!
I used to gas my car religiously on Sunday and everybody else had the same idea: gas up for the week. I started gassing up on Saturday evening and the lines are nonexistent.

5. Browse It! Get It!
If all else fails, get online, browse it, order it and let the delivery man bring it! Works for me!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Does anyone else get tired of running over to somebody else's house to eat when you've got your own meal at home? Well, this year we stayed home. I cooked a small meal and enjoyed a stress free holiday. I cooked Turkey, Dressing, Giblet Gravy, Potato Salad, Green Beans (not pictured), Sweet Potato Pies, Hummingbird Cake and Hawaiian Sweet Rolls! Delicious! I slept late, ate earlier and actually watched and heard the television. It was wonderful. Sounds like Christmas may be a repeat!

TV Overload

Over the holiday, my husband and I watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". I love all Charlie Brown specials except the one about the Mayflower or Pilgrims or whatever it was. There is always phone calls between my aunt Laura and us when a Charlie Brown special is on. Who needs TiVo when you have Laura? Anyhoo, we were watching the show and really tripped out with ole Chuck serving his friends a Thanksgiving Dinner consisting of toast, popcorn and candy! Peppermint Patty complained and they end up going to somebody's Grandma's house. I suppose Snoopy and Woodstock could not go so they had their own dinner: a roasted turkey and all the trimmings. When Snoopy unveils the beautiful bird, Woodstock jumps for joy. Why would a bird rejoice at eating a fellow fowl?

TV One ran a Good Times marathon. You know I love Good Times! We have come to the conclusion that "James" was probably having a secret affair with "Willona"! Why else would they hate each so much? Ever notice how she always just walked into the Evans' apartment without knocking? Why would she wear all those sexy clothes around Florida's husband? When you watch the episodes, you'll see it too! LOL

Twist Out

Black Friday | Cyber Monday

If you know me from around the web, you will know I love to shop online. I thought that I would never get into online shopping. I like instant gratification. But as I learned to be patient, I gave it a try. After a few times, I grew to love it. There were no lines, I did not waste time and precious gas running about town looking for stuff. I just browsed, read a few reviews, placed my order and waited for the delivery man to drop it off!

How did I first find my way to online shopping? It was during one particularly busy holiday season in 2002. My aunt had died in May and those first holidays without her were miserable. My family decided to keep the tradition of pulling names on Thanksgiving for Christmas in tact. With my person's name in pocket, I hit the streets on Black Friday to get some bargains. Child, there were people everywhere. The streets and malls were crowded with people looking for a bargain. Traffic snarled, people were rude and would not let you merge, I got the heebie jeebies. My aunt Libbey and her husband went to Wal-Mart for a computer for their daughters and were nearly crushed to death! I said no more, never again. I turned my buggy around the first chance I got, went home to the warmth of my house, and logged on! I've been logged on ever since. I'm glad that lesson was learned because I am not a morning person anyway!

Check For Feet Please!

Thanksgiving was great. Got some time off from work and caught up on some rest! I did cook. Kept it pretty simple: Turkey and Dressing with giblet gravy, potato salad, green beans, sweet potato pie and hummingbird cake. I'll post some pix soon.

Decided to go visit my Grandmother on Friday since I spent Thanksgiving at my house. On the way down for the 3 hour trip, I had an interesting experience.

I always stop at a certain gas station for fillups and restroom breaks: the Pilot Truck Stop in Winona. Can you believe that a woman walked into the stall on me! OMG!

Is it just me or do we all check for feet before entering a CLOSED bathroom stall in a public restroom? Not my fault that the lock was broken. Kinda hard to balance in there and hold the door too! I think she was more embarrased than I. To make matters worse, there was no one else in the whole darn 5 stall joint but us! Why did she pick my stall to break into? Back at the wash basin, she apologized profusely. I told her that she had exposed my greatest fear in life: public nudity!

If you don't already, please check for feet in the bathroom stalls! LOL!

REM

I overslept for work this morning. My husband was calling me at the standard 7:30 and I was still sleep! I took a look at the cable box and realized that I had lost all sense of time. I am so ready for Thanksgiving break that I guess I got caught up in the moment. How sleep was I? I was so sleep that Thanksgiving dinner had been prepared and eaten, the turkey salad already made and the Christmas tree had been put up! I was in the REM of sleep. It was raining outside and I always sleep better when it's raining. Unfortunately, today was not Saturday! I managed to get to work only 20 minutes late. Go figure.

Obamania!

I have officially been diagnosed with Obamania! The crazy thing is that I did not have it during the campaign! I guess that was my defense mechanism. Now that it is real, I have lost it! I recently ordered a life-size Obama cut-out. It was supposed to be for my Grandmother but I think I may keep it for myself! He is kinda scary at times when I'm walking down the hallway and have forgotten that he was here! I don't think Granny needs that scare. Anything to keep the cut-out right? I know.

Make A List & Check It Twice. . .for Thanksgiving???

I managed to leave work early for a Wednesday, faculty meeting day, because the things they were going over had absolutely nothing to do with me. I bounced! I decided to stop in the grocery store to pick up something quick to eat for the night. Once inside, I realized that Thanksgiving Eve is exactly one week away! I'd better get my ingredients while I was in the store and it was not crowded.

What will I cook? I am not planning to go home so it will be just my husband and me. Hmmm. . . Turkey or Chicken? Turkey. Patti Labelle's Cookbook is my Thanksgiving Bible every year so I have to fix her potato salad and her "Over The Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese". What are the ingredients I thought to myself. Then I remembered that I had just upgraded my cell phone to the iPhone and was saved! I ended up getting just about everything I needed and felt pretty good. Why is it as soon as I was in the car and was driving away from the store that I remembered that I would need chicken stock and cream of mushroom soup for my giblet gravy?! I did remember to get the onions (red & white), bell peppers, celery and all that for the meal and for the Turkey Salad afterwards. But why did I forget the Hellman's Mayonnaise and the mustard?

I should be able to zip back into the store in the next couple days to pick up the left behind items!

My advice to everyone: Make a list and check it twice, yes, for Thanksgiving!

~Peace

I'm a Victim of TOO

When I wake up in the mornings and on the morning commute, I listen to The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Thursday morning, Tom was talking about the Guyana Tragedy that took place 30 years ago. I remember it and remember watching the made for TV movie. Even as a child, I wondered why those people could not see what I could plainly see about Jim Jones and I was only watching him on TV. I have razor sharp wit and a tongue that will slice you shreds if you want to battle verbally. And my people radar can sum you up in a brief scan. Nobody could ever pull anything over on me. . .

How does one become a victim? I could have never imagined paying for things that should be free: water, air, dirt. I have bought countless cases of bottled water when I have a perfectly good free flowing facet; if my tire is low, I have no problem pulling up to the gas station and paying 50 cents for a squirt of air. I won't even mention the tiny parcel my house sits on. . . I remember riding in somebody's Cutlass back in the day and can still recall the sticker: "Ass, Gas or Grass, Nobody Rides Free"! Ha!

But back to the Guyana Tragedy. Until I read the new book one of the surviving followers has written, I can only imagine how someone can gain control over thousands of people's minds and free will. There has to be a high level of trust and an unhealthy need for acceptance involved. I have never been able to blindly trust anyone. I am soooo not a morning person but I gotta listen to Tom Joyner every morning or my day is not right. Oprah cannot list enough books or favorite things for me to buy and Obama has me scouring the earth for November 5 newspapers, t-shirts, ringtones, bumper stickers and yard signs and the election is over!

Oh my, could I be a victim TOO: Tom Oprah Obama!

Request for President Barack Obama

Now that Barack Obama has been elected, it's time to face the issues: how to resurrect the ailing economy, unemployment, homelessness due to foreclosures, disgusted educators who are sick of the No Child Left Behind Act, stem cell research, global warming, foreign policy and much more. I thought that I had better put my concerns out front right here and now. Besides, I am sure this issue affects his very own hometown, Chicago. Why are there 10 wieners in a pack and only 8 hot dog buns? There needs to be some kind of hearing and a standard needs to be set. Chicagoland is famous for their hot dogs and I know hot dog pushers agree with me. What do I prefer: Given the state of the economy, I could go with decreasing the number of hot dogs from 10 to 8. What do you think? I'll add a poll over to the left to get your answers.

Also, Mr. President, you might also want to replace the Bears' QB, Rex Grossman, with my favorite, Steve McNair.

Happy Hot Dogging!