I cracked! I posted on the forum. Just as I sometimes bite my tongue to avoid saying something, I tired of biting my fingers to stop from typing something. I admit to lurking on the forum since my last post on 10/26. There were a few times I nearly posted because I thought I had something to add to the thread and other times a smart-*ss comment came to mind. I resisted as long as I could. I cracked!
Cracked, yes - broken NO! Sitting back and doing (saying) nothing is something I did many years ago and I have struggled with that history for a long time. Staying out of that trap is part of the reason I started this blog in the first place. It has never been easy for me to "put myself out there". Posting on the forum was another step in that effort.
Attending the Blogger Bash on Tuesday was a giant leap in that direction. I am usually leery of social situations where I don't know anyone - old insecurities crop up! I finally convinced myself that fellow bloggers were not total strangers - I knew something of them from their blogs or their posts and I really wanted to actually meet many of them. I am so glad I went, even if I was at the "girl's table". They were some very nice, intelligent, funny, and interesting "girls" if I may say so.
Yes, I cracked. Not to have would have been to be broken.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Success
Accomplished a "first" today! I removed the extension ladder from the garage, extended it high enough to reach the gutters and cleaned the areas that needed it! Maybe I will stop getting water in the basement when it rains and will not get an ice dam this winter. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is to me. In the past, I have paid (or coerced) people to clean the gutters for me or they didn't get cleaned. I could have done that again, but I have a ladder and cleaning the crap out of the gutter and downspout is not rocket science. Whether I could or could not afford to pay someone is not the issue, I do not like to pay people to do what I can do, even if I have never done it before. There is a real sense of accomplishment in tackling a job like that! I even cleaned up the mess.
Monday, October 29, 2007
I Almost Did It
I almost made a post on PeoriaDotCom a bit ago. I almost posted in reference to Halloween Activities. Dream Center Peoria is hosting Fear Factor from 6 to 8:30 PM Wednesday. Food, games, fellowship and prizes. It is being held in the gym at their facility (the old YMCA). Someone posted "notice the civility on the forum now", I wanted to post, "Not civil, boring!" At least to me. Doesn't mean it was to everyone. As I think about it, perhaps "bland" is a better word. I do miss posting and I may again if there is a thread that has any "meat" to it, or if I think I have something useful to add to a topic. I consider myself reasonably intelligent and fairly literate. I have lived long enough to have had a lot of experience - both good and not so good. If I post again, there will most likely be some snide remarks (if a few folks are still around), but that's OK.
I have my own internal conflicts to get past before I can comfortably post again. I am working on it. I wish the forum well. I think it helped a couple of people get some direction on job hunting and to find out what kind of activities were available in the Peoria area. Some of the threads got me thinking about issues - until it seemed to me that there was an impasse and one side started insults toward the other side for their beliefs or opinions. Seems to me that there could have been an agreement to disagree rather than trying to "beat them into submission". I guess politics and religion aren't safe topics. I learned about some interesting blogs and web sites that I didn't know otherwise. Some threads were really fun. I enjoyed the "famous phrases" one. My previous experience with forums have been single issue or work related. Maybe I didn't know what to expect.
I have my own internal conflicts to get past before I can comfortably post again. I am working on it. I wish the forum well. I think it helped a couple of people get some direction on job hunting and to find out what kind of activities were available in the Peoria area. Some of the threads got me thinking about issues - until it seemed to me that there was an impasse and one side started insults toward the other side for their beliefs or opinions. Seems to me that there could have been an agreement to disagree rather than trying to "beat them into submission". I guess politics and religion aren't safe topics. I learned about some interesting blogs and web sites that I didn't know otherwise. Some threads were really fun. I enjoyed the "famous phrases" one. My previous experience with forums have been single issue or work related. Maybe I didn't know what to expect.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
I'm Ready
It is nearly 58 degrees outside and a little more inside the house. I have readied the nest for winter. New jersey knit sheets are on the bed, my favorite blue down comforter rests on top of the sheets. The plastic has been placed on all the windows and the caulking completed in the basement. I just finished reversing the direction on the ceiling fans. I have a $241.66 credit built up at AmerenCILCO (and have not yet paid any this month, but I will). There are a couple more tasks that need to be completed next week. I have new insulation to put around the water pipes and there is a basement window covering that needs to be secured from the outside. If the temperature actually gets to the mid or upper 60's on Tuesday, I may drag out the extension ladder and tackle one area of guttering that tends to back up and has caused ice dams in the past.
Made a trip across the river. Bought a new space heater to take the chill off rather than run the furnace as much. Between electricity and gas prices, you never know which way to go. Also bought new light bulbs for the front porch. The old one still worked, but it was getting dimmer from dirt and dust. I will clean it and use it again later if I need it.
My internal clock was ready for the time change that normally happens the last weekend of October. I didn't fully wake up until about 7:30 this morning. I would have been right on schedule if the clock had "fallen back" as it would have last year. Maybe I will be as ready for the time change next Sunday as I was today!
Made a trip across the river. Bought a new space heater to take the chill off rather than run the furnace as much. Between electricity and gas prices, you never know which way to go. Also bought new light bulbs for the front porch. The old one still worked, but it was getting dimmer from dirt and dust. I will clean it and use it again later if I need it.
My internal clock was ready for the time change that normally happens the last weekend of October. I didn't fully wake up until about 7:30 this morning. I would have been right on schedule if the clock had "fallen back" as it would have last year. Maybe I will be as ready for the time change next Sunday as I was today!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Today's Ramble
I am reusing the title in an effort not to repeat the whole blog entry of 10/14/07. Peoria.com really fell apart. The Bible thumping, ultra-conservatives have hijacked not just a thread, but the entire forum. The "see how great I am" folks have made asinine comments in the middle of serious discussions. Like several others, I have made my last post. Anything that I might post would be discounted anyway.
Otherwise, I survived the week away from work. That is a strange way to view "vacation". I miss it when I am not there. One more week to go. Birthday has come and gone. I am a year closer to retirement. Not sure how I will handle that. I really think I will end up finding a job somewhere else to fill my time and wallet! Got the word today that Social Security has the lowest COL increase in several years - 2.3% I think it was. Right now, it looks like I could make it with the 20% cut that early retirement would mean. I may just quit after the first of the year and go job hunting. Who knows what will happen in the next few years. As long as I remain healthy, I will most likely work to supplement SS and pension funds. It is either work or volunteer at the animal shelter. The only problem with PAWS is that I would want to bring most of them home - especially all the large, long haired cats. I really do not want to be the neighborhood "crazy cat lady".
Got calls from both of the kids yesterday. Brian is fine other than sore muscles from chopping fire wood. His wife has a sinus infection and the little one is recovering from a cold. Otherwise all is well. Angie has selected a "favorite toy" from those received for her 2nd birthday. You never know what a little one will really like!!
Leah wrote her letter of resignation. The boss was not around much, so she ended up leaving it in his "in-box" and leaving a message on his cell phone. She finds it hard to quit. She enjoyed her co-workers and the work wasn't bad, but the opportunity to work with The Sphinx Organization was just too good to pass up. This will probably be the biggest challenge she has ever faced as far as employment goes, but also the most rewarding in the long run.
The kids are really too old to be called kids, but no matter how old they are (or I am) they will always be "my kids". Great kids at that!
Otherwise, I survived the week away from work. That is a strange way to view "vacation". I miss it when I am not there. One more week to go. Birthday has come and gone. I am a year closer to retirement. Not sure how I will handle that. I really think I will end up finding a job somewhere else to fill my time and wallet! Got the word today that Social Security has the lowest COL increase in several years - 2.3% I think it was. Right now, it looks like I could make it with the 20% cut that early retirement would mean. I may just quit after the first of the year and go job hunting. Who knows what will happen in the next few years. As long as I remain healthy, I will most likely work to supplement SS and pension funds. It is either work or volunteer at the animal shelter. The only problem with PAWS is that I would want to bring most of them home - especially all the large, long haired cats. I really do not want to be the neighborhood "crazy cat lady".
Got calls from both of the kids yesterday. Brian is fine other than sore muscles from chopping fire wood. His wife has a sinus infection and the little one is recovering from a cold. Otherwise all is well. Angie has selected a "favorite toy" from those received for her 2nd birthday. You never know what a little one will really like!!
Leah wrote her letter of resignation. The boss was not around much, so she ended up leaving it in his "in-box" and leaving a message on his cell phone. She finds it hard to quit. She enjoyed her co-workers and the work wasn't bad, but the opportunity to work with The Sphinx Organization was just too good to pass up. This will probably be the biggest challenge she has ever faced as far as employment goes, but also the most rewarding in the long run.
The kids are really too old to be called kids, but no matter how old they are (or I am) they will always be "my kids". Great kids at that!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Day Four
I am scheduled to be off work next week too! Don't know if I can do it or not. I see to be trying to eat my way through these days off! Don't have this problem at work, but this is terrible. Will try to get back to normal with the food tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Day Two
Time off - day two! The car went in for a minor repair this morning. The darn little scoop on the front of the car hits curb stops and drags on my driveway when I make a left turn into it. It was beginning to sag. It is back in place now, but unless I take it really slow, it still drags on the driveway! Right turns only, I guess. From there, it was off to get an oil change and tire rotation. Two more oil changes and then it is time for one of those service appointments that cost big bucks - at least it sounds like big bucks to me.
Back home to watch lesson 13 of the class I have to take for work. There are 16 sessions in all and then the test that has to be taken by 11/28. There are a couple of them I want to watch again before test time.
Then to the yard for a little outside time. Mowed the front yard. Glad I have a mulching mower. It eliminates the need to rake a lot of the leaves - of course there isn't much front yard left since I have planted flowers in most of it. Did gather up enough leaves to fill one landscape waste bag. Had to go out back and cut up a fallen branch from a hated elm tree. Have to go back out with the pruning saw to finish the job where the limb was too big for the pruner. Have to make sure the bundles are tied well, not over five feet long and weigh less than 50 pounds! Don't want to piss Waste Management off!
Watching a little of CNN's coverage of the fires in California! Such devastation. My heart goes out to the people in the way of the fire and those who have lost everything.
Guess I will gather up the scissors, twine and pruning saw so I can finish the task I started earlier. I would rather procrastinate, but I will finish the job I started. This time!
Back home to watch lesson 13 of the class I have to take for work. There are 16 sessions in all and then the test that has to be taken by 11/28. There are a couple of them I want to watch again before test time.
Then to the yard for a little outside time. Mowed the front yard. Glad I have a mulching mower. It eliminates the need to rake a lot of the leaves - of course there isn't much front yard left since I have planted flowers in most of it. Did gather up enough leaves to fill one landscape waste bag. Had to go out back and cut up a fallen branch from a hated elm tree. Have to go back out with the pruning saw to finish the job where the limb was too big for the pruner. Have to make sure the bundles are tied well, not over five feet long and weigh less than 50 pounds! Don't want to piss Waste Management off!
Watching a little of CNN's coverage of the fires in California! Such devastation. My heart goes out to the people in the way of the fire and those who have lost everything.
Guess I will gather up the scissors, twine and pruning saw so I can finish the task I started earlier. I would rather procrastinate, but I will finish the job I started. This time!
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