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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Job Observations...

Okay, so I am starting to get back in to the swing of things - working in an office environment again.  It's a small office so really, there are no barriers - everyone can see everyone - and only the bosses have their own offices.  

So in this open-air environment I was hit with blazing clarity the ONE thing that I have not missed while out of work - the smell of someone else's left overs.  Man, oh MAN does that smell LINGER in the office long after lunch time.  Now I have openly admitted to being a food snob so really, I am probably a LOT more sensitive than most to this phenomenon but today I honestly thought I was going to be sick at one point.  

I have no problem walking around my own home/environment with Lysol, hell, I have even Febreezed my own kids!  But I think I am too new to the office environment to Febreeze my new co-workers without them taking offense.  It's just too soon.

I have learned that all of the gals in the office want to eat healthy and so there is a lot of "natural" snacks around (watermelon, granola) but me?  I have my bag of Dove dark chocolate in my drawer and let me tell you, I have made some new fast friends!  I'm all for healthy eating and all that but somewhere around three in the afternoon when time has stopped, you just need a little square of yumminess (or three!) to get you through until five o'clock.  That's just the way it is!

Bottom line is that I am honestly settling in and I think that I really like it there.  Today I had a computer problem and all of the girls were on the phone and my boss was walking by (eating some watermelon!) and I called him over and he sat with me and helped me work it out.  I thought that was mighty nice of him.  I realize I am essentially in the honeymoon phase right now but I really appreciate how slowly they are easing me in to it all.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

The internet is a funny thing...

Okay, so in an ironic twist, remember how I couldn't access this blog and Blogger on my desktop?  Well, now I can but can't on the laptop!  What in the world???

Anyone use Google Chrome?  I tried it and really, I wasn't all that impressed.  I use Mozilla and it sends me updates that it wants me to do.  Well, I found it weird that it was promoting Mozilla 3.6 as the current update but when you went to their homepage, it was all about downloading Mozilla 4!  Why not just have everyone upgrade to Mozilla 4?  The 3.6 did a ton of annoying stuff to my computer so I gladly switched to the 4 and now everything is fine.

Internet Explorer isn't even on my radar anymore.

So I have no idea what is up with Blogger.  It's kind of annoying.  I just want to use the SAME internet on both of my computers and have them do the same thing!  That's not too much to ask, is it?

What do you use?  Any odd behavior on your computer's part lately?
 

Saturday, May 28, 2011

I think it's gonna be okay...

Okay, so here we are at the weekend and I have completed my first three days at work.  I know that it's barely the beginning but I have to say, I think I'm going to like it.

When I got to work yesterday, the owners were setting up for a surprise cookout!  So we had hot dogs and chicken on the grill plus salads and chips!  That was a very nice surprise for sure.  I like all of my co-workers and although the learning process is very slow, I think in time I'll probably understand what the heck I'm doing.  The commute is super easy (less than 5 miles from my house) and the hours are easy (12-5) so for now, it's a great way to ease back in to the workforce.

I have been doing a lot more walking this week but switched it to the Walk Away the Pounds DVD for the week.  I was short on time a couple of days and so it was a quicker walk with the DVD.  I can do 3 miles on the treadmill in an hour but I can also do 3 miles with the DVD in 30 minutes because of the pace.  I don't know why but I just can't go as fast on the tread.  So basically, I did 3 miles a day on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and then yesterday I did 4.  My legs are KILLING me!

I was going to walk today but I slept in until almost noon (and it was glorious) and my legs are just too sore.  I need a day to just not move around too much.  We're supposed to go to a BBQ with the band but it's raining - so basically it's almost 3:00 and I'm still in my jammies!  Honestly, if I had my way, we wouldn't be going anywhere and I'd stay like this all day and just bask in the long weekend.  


So not going to happen...

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Honest answers to snarky questions...

Sometimes it amazes me the things that people will say and do.  It's even worse when someone speaks something out loud that should clearly have stayed in their head.  So without naming names, here are some answers to some crazy stuff that has been asked/said to me in the last month alone...

- Yes, I may have "only" worked behind the desk of a store "just" saying hi to people but that doesn't mean that I didn't deserve to have a job for two years!

- You know, my house may be "too small for normal people" but you know what?  I don't see where your big house has made you any happier.

- No, your daughter should NOT be allowed to leave the house looking like that.  

- And you know why my husband just doesn't "go and get a job at Home Depot or Lowes"? BECAUSE THEY"RE NOT HIRING EITHER.

- No, I'm really not impressed with your knew phone/gadget/etc.  I think that people that flaunt that stuff are pretentious and annoying.

- Oh, and really, booking a $4,000 vacation does not allow you to ever utter the phrase "Things are bad for us right now".

- No, I don't think that it's right that you make $750 a week off the books WHILE getting free medical, dental and food stamps.

People really annoy me sometimes...

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

One day down...infinity to go!!

What a day!

First, I had to take Michael to the pediatrician for a booster shot that he needed before they'd let him in to middle school.  On the way to driving him to school, I had to stop and fill up the gas tank.  I got gas for $3.67 a gallon and felt pretty good about it but cannot wait for the big drop in price we've been hearing about!  Next stop was the school where I had to sign the boy in late and give the office proof of his immunization.  Last stop before home was the supermarket to grab some cold cuts and bread so that I could have a nice lunch before starting my first day on the job.

And just a side-note to the little girl working in the deli at the Harris Teeter:  YOU SUCK!  This is like the THIRD freakin time that I have specifically leaned over the counter and politely asked you to cut the darn meat thin and you have essentially ignored me and given me SLABS of meat.  I will never shop in your store again and one more time, YOU SUCK.

Came home and relaxed for two hours, had a sucky lunch thanks to the idiot in the deli department, and then headed out - with a combination of excitement and dread - to my new job.  

Okay, honestly, it's weird.  I have a lot of conflicting emotions about the whole thing.  I mean really, this is not my dream job and while I know that most of us do NOT have our dream jobs, I'm finding it difficult to be excited about the whole thing.  I'm excited about HAVING a job, but this job in particular is just...there.  

So I arrived, me everyone, filled out the 47 pages of required paperwork and then got down to business.  It was all essentially Greek to me.  BUT...I am blessed to have someone training me this week who actually WANTS to see me succeed (unlike the people at that temp job last month) and she is making me a training manual.  I mean a real, honest-to-goodness training manual with screen shots of what I should be seeing on the computer and everything!  God bless her!  I sat with a couple of different people to see what they do and then at the end of the day the president of the company asked me to come in to his office so that I could tell him how my first day went!  I thought that was pretty cool.

It's a relatively short shift (12-5) and so by the time five o'clock rolled around, I was pleasantly surprised that the time had gone by so quickly.  It's a short week and then a long weekend so I'm hopeful that it will continue to go well.  

Now if we could just get Frank working steadily again all would be right with the world...

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

So what's up?

I don't know what in the world is up with Blogger lately but I have not been able to get on to it all day today - from my desktop.  On a lark, I decided to try using my laptop and here I am.  Very, very weird.

I start my new job tomorrow and you know what I realized?  A job is seriously going to cut in to my social life! Smack me, go ahead, I know you want to.  All this time at home has afforded me some amazing friend-time and now that is going to be gone.  Which is not necessarily a bad thing but I am desperately going to miss seeing my friends so freely.  You guys know I love you, though, right?

I went to a BBQ this weekend with the band.  Yes, I actually caved and went to a band function.  So we went, we actually had a good time and although we stayed about two hours longer than I would have liked, it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be.  As a matter of fact, we may do something again this weekend - with the understanding that we not make it an all-day event.  

And speaking of the band, they are actually out tonight playing at an open-mic night!  It is about time!  I mean, it's a non-paying thing and they're going to do it again tomorrow night but it is about time that they are actually taking the leap in to performing in public.  It's kind of a cool thing.  I can't wait to talk to Frank in the morning and hear how it all went!

And finally, I have a book review that I did for BlogHer over on their book club site.  It's on the book "A Jane Austen Education" and you can read it HERE.  


Hopefully by tomorrow Blogger will have all of the kinks out and I will be able to post freely from wherever and tell you how my first day back in the working realm went.  Wish me luck!!

                                           

Monday, May 23, 2011

The countdown is on...

Okay, so I start my new job on Wednesday and I feel kind of odd about the whole thing...

I'm not nervous...
I'm not freaking out...
I'm not particularly worried...

It all just...is.

Weird, right?  My friends have all just been awesome - offering to pick up Michael from camp in June and to have him over a couple of afternoons...it's been amazing.  I am very blessed.

I wish I had a better wardrobe.  The office seemed kind of casual but I still wish that I had a little bit more here in my closet that was "work" casual rather than "Stay at home" casual.  Plus, it would also help if I was about ten pounds thinner so that I fit in to most of what was in my closet.

Although, to brag a bit on myself, I am now walking 3 miles a day/4 days a week.  That is a HUGE improvement from my 1 mile a day/twice a week.  So, yeah me!  I wonder if I can drop those ten pounds by Wednesday?  Probably not.

Just another of life's disappointments...

Friday, May 20, 2011

Extreme couponing, pedicures and work...

I have to admit, I've only watched 5 minutes of the Extreme couponing show and it just seemed like WAY too much work for me.  I cut coupons on things that I need and normally buy.  I have a small house.  I'm not going to build an extension on the house or an underground bunker to store extra food that I get by cutting coupons for 40 hours a week.  

On that one 5 minute segment that I saw, the woman they were talking to had a room with $65,000 worth of food in it!  Her daughter-in-law comes over to shop when she needs something.  Honestly, I don't understand how it works because this woman dumped an entire Excedrin display in to her shopping cart and used coupons on them!  Most stores don't allow you to use more than one of the same coupon so how is this possible?  No idea - maybe if I watched beyond that 5 minutes I would but I'm just not that interested.

My local Harris Teeter supermarket did triple coupons this week.  I went, I shopped.  My total on all of my groceries was $96 AFTER using $98 in coupons.  I thought that was pretty sweet and I was very happy with my effort.  But that little effort took me 2 hours to put together.  Way too much time to be surrounded by coupons.

Today, my sweet little Beckah took me for a little girl-time pampering and we got pedicures.  OH...MY...GOD.  It's been 6 hours and I am STILL a limp noodle from all of the pampering.  There was the massage chair, the foot massage, the exfoliating...I mean, it was AMAZING.  I am just beyond grateful and blessed that this sweet girl is in our lives.  Love her!

And...I GOT THE JOB!!!  I know, right!  Who can believe it???  Two freakin years of unemployment and it finally happened!  I start on Wednesday and I have to admit, now that it's happened, I am freaking out.  How am I going to handle being a working mom again?  How am I going to handle my small child starting middle school while I am working?  How in the world am I going to approach getting time off when I need to for school stuff when just starting a job?  It's crazy!!

BUT...crazy or not, I thank GOD for this job coming through.  

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Job Interview...

So I had a job interview yesterday...

Shocking, right?

It was a fluke, really, because I have been so discouraged about our whole lack of employment that I haven't been looking like I should.  I know it doesn't make sense, but it's what I do!  So I found this job on Craigslist and responded and they actually called!

The place is local, it's a freight company looking for part-time office help.  It's five miles from my house, afternoon hours AND the owner of the company is a former homeschool dad whose kids I had taught years ago at the bookstore!  Small world, right?  I don't know if that is going to help me or not but it was kind of a cool connection.

They still have more interviews to do and won't make a decision until the weekend so for now I wait.  It's not a dream job but it's a job so really, I cannot complain.  I've got my fingers crossed...

Monday, May 16, 2011

Coincidence???

This has been making the rounds on Facebook and it makes me giggle each and every time!  Do you suppose they all watched the movie beforehand?

Sunday, May 15, 2011

How Rude!

Yesterday I put myself in "hopeful author" mode and went to a meeting of the local chapter of Romance Writers of America.  I am a "fan" of them on Facebook but not an official chapter member.  Basically, you have to join the National chapter ($100 a year) in order to join the local ($25 a year).  There has been no room in the budget for that.

So I chose this particular meeting because there was an agent speaking who used to be a senior editor at Harlequin for 17 years and for the last 2 1/2 years, she's been out of there and doing the agent thing for some big literary agency.  I was intrigued, I knew her name and reputation and really wanted to hear what she had to say.

It would have been nice if I could have.


The room was full.  It wasn't a big room - two meeting rooms in one of the largest libraries in Raleigh - but there was easily 50 people in there and all seats were full.  Two seats down from me sits a woman who is a fairly well-known author (who shall remain nameless) in the romance genre.  I know her name but have never read any of her books.  Well, she proceeded to speak most of the time.  Sure, she asked some questions or commented on what was being discussed but when she had nothing to say that was beneficial to the Q&A that was going on, she was speaking to the woman behind her (loudly) or shaking the ice in her cup!


Are you kidding me??  


I wanted to tell her to shut it (or at least glare at her with angry eyes to convey my message) but instead nearly fell out of my chair as I leaned in to the aisle so that I could hear the discussion a little bit better.  It wasn't a pretty sight.  


So I learned a LOT from the discussion that was going on and learned that my chances are good at getting a book deal from this contest (Yippee!) and I learned that some writers are just rude and self-absorbed.  And no, it wasn't just the loud author, there was another one roaming around who had made cupcakes and little sweet bite-size stuff for the meeting and she walked around and only offered them to the members, not the visitors.  How do I know?  Because I was sitting near a couple of other visitors like myself and she walked by us all SEVERAL times and only seemed to approach those that she knew.  Made you feel welcome, right?


I had gone to one other meeting with this group like two years ago and found them to be a little "clique-ish" and rude.  This time that title was reserved to a chosen few.  There were plenty there who were very friendly and pleasant and all in all I was glad that I went. 


Now if I could just get some sort of confirmation/rejection letter in the mail I could move on with my life...

 

Saturday, May 14, 2011

I might as well write something...

For those of you keeping track, it has been exactly one month since I mailed in my requested first three chapters of my manuscript.  Since that time I have made myself crazy with all of the "what if's" and everyone else's "what if's".  

Waiting is a frustrating thing.  I think I would have been fine because most editors will tell you that the turn around time is usually 1-3 months.  That means I am still right on track.  BUT...I had talked to one author who was in the same position I was six years ago and she got a response in TEN DAYS.  Had I not known that little tidbit of information, I would be fine. 

But I'm not.

I'm frustrated.

And annoyed with myself for being frustrated.

I know that every scenario is different.  There is a part of me that wants to contact the other finalists and see if they've heard anything but I don't know how professional that would be.  Part of me wants to question every author on Facebook who writes for this publisher to see what they think and if they'd consider snooping around for me.  I don't think that would be very professional either.

So I am stuck sitting and waiting.  I probably wouldn't feel it so much if I actually had a job to go to that required my leaving the house every day.  But alas, I do not.  

Sigh...

Friday, May 13, 2011

Hats, Health and what the Hell!

Okay, some of you have asked but I am going to tell you, there will be no pictures of the hair.  It's dark.  It's very dark.  I've washed it several times to no avail.  I'm thinking of going out and buying a hat.  Frank says it looks good and that it looks like the color of my hair (my natural color) from when we met.  I don't believe him.  Plus, with the extra weight I am carrying and my pale complexion, well, lets just say that the dark hair is "emphasizing" the roundness of my face.

And I don't like it.

I got all of my test results back from Dr. Killpatient and basically I have been overmedicated.  Let me explain.  I requested a higher dosage of my thyroid medicine than I needed and for a long time, no one questioned it.  Well, when the good doc called with my bloodwork results and said he was lowering my dosage a LOT, I was like "No way!" But after a lengthy discussion, my utter disbelief, then thinking of finding a new doctor because clearly THIS guy was a quack, and finally doing some internet research, it turns out the quack was right.  All of my symptoms were signs of overmedication.

Who knew?

So my anemia is gone, my Vitamin D levels are fine, we are working with a new dosage of thyroid meds, he gave me a scrip for my acid reflux/potential ulcer AND...an anti-depressant.  I was not overly thrilled with the last one but really, since starting it, I am seeing a difference.  Since all of these little changes, I am sleeping better, feeling better and have actually had the energy to walk on the treadmill every day this week and even upped my endurance!  That's right, my 22 minute mile is now a 19 minute mile!  In a week!  

Now that I am feeling a little bit better, there was only one last thing to address.  Frank's snoring.  Let me rephrase that, the trainwreck that I sleep next to who has now added kickboxing to his nighttime sleep regime.  

Hands off, ladies, he's mine.

So we talked today and he has FINALLY agreed to let me make an appointment for him to see the doctor and see what we can do about getting him to sleep quietly like a normal person.

Now if only we both had jobs, life would almost be perfect...

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Honestly, I've been doing this for 24 years!

Okay, so I started going gray when I was VERY young - like early 20's.  I started coloring my hair, though, when I was around 18.  You know, highlights, Sun-In, that kind of thing.  I'm not fussy or particular about the brand of hair color that I use, I normally grab what's on sale and am fine with it.

Until now.

I got a coupon for a well-known brand of hair coloring.  They have a new formula and a new "foam" way of doing it.  Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to combine bottle A with bottle B and then shake.  It doesn't take a college degree to squeeze the bottle and put the foam in your hand.

Apparently it all does.

Can I just say that my bathroom looks like a crime scene right now?  There are spots EVERYWHERE!!  And you know what?  They don't come off easily at all!  I can only imagine what the hell it's going to do to my hair!  I'm waiting to rinse it all out right now but at this rate I should never have to color my hair again!  And while yes, that might be cool, I have no idea what this color is going to even look like!

Wish me luck!!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Too much TV time...

We have regular cable TV.  Well, I mean we HAD regular cable TV.  You know, not quite basic, not quite deluxe; we were happily in the middle.  Two weeks ago we switched to digital cable and I have to tell you, I need to find a job soon because there is WAY too much stuff on the TV for me to watch.  Add that to the Netflix on the Wii and my already extensive DVD collection and I may never leave home again!

Nick got me "Tangled" on DVD for Mother's Day (because NO ONE would go and see it in the movies with me!) and I LOVED it.  If you have not seen it yet and you are a Disney movie fan, watch it!  Even if you don't have any little girls, you have to see it.  It's a wonderful movie and the first Disney one that I have enjoyed in a long time.

I got "The Love Boat" on DVD from Netflix over the weekend, season one.  Now that is a classic TV show.  It was a little more risque than I remembered but in a silly kind of way.  It was nice to sit back and watch something old that was from my childhood.  Which brings me back to the digital cable because we have recently caught episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Get Smart" on one of the channels.  Those are classics that we love, too.

The only problem with all of these options is that it takes FOREVER to decide on what to watch when we all sit down to watch something!  Well, that and the fact that the darn remote for the whole thing is so big and complicated that I still can't figure it all out.  Damn I'm old!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Well that was pleasant...

So I went to the doctor this morning for my thyroid bloodwork and follow up.  I had a bone to pick with the good doc because he had lowered my dosage the last time (6 months ago) and my body has been out of whack ever since.  We're talking and he's asking all kinds of questions and I'm telling him what my symptoms are, one of which was weight gain, and he tells me "You know, upping your thyroid med dosage isn't going to have you losing 40 pounds over night!"

Excuse me, Dr. Snarky, I did not think that it did, but thanks for your super bedside manner.

Next he had to draw blood.  Usually the nurse comes in and does it but she wasn't in yet and I was a little concerned with how he was wheeling around the room on his chair and not really paying too close of attention to what he was doing but okay, he's a doctor.  He's looking at my arm and can't find a vein.  I told him that I have difficult veins and he says "I never miss".

He did today.

Several times.

Until I cried.

Seriously.

He had no luck with the first arm, then attacked the other one and then DUG THE NEEDLE AROUND until I cried.  REALLY???  Then he found a vein on the TOP of my hand where it meets my wrist, poses my hand in this incredibly awkward position and then jabs me again.  The band aid factory reported quarterly profits after this appointment!

Basically, he didn't want to engage in a discussion about raising my thyroid med dosage until after the blood work comes back.  I'm still anemic, I still have a vitamin D deficiency and on top of that, I'm depressed.

Gee, I wonder why?


Now I have to wait for him to call with my results and PRAY that he is going to listen to my pleas and put my dosage back to where it was before.  And hopefully my arms and veins will be healed before I have to go back again in six months to do this all again!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Codeword: Cake

I am very in tune with my family.  When I food shop, I have everyone on my mind and purchase the things that they like.  When I am out and about and shopping for things other than food, and I see something that I think one of them would like, I buy it.  I know all of my husband and children's favorite snacks and treats.

No one seems to know mine or even THINK about them!

Now, I know that this is mainly my fault because I don't come out and SAY directly what I want.  For example, Frank was out tonight on an estimate and he called when he was on his way home.  So we're talking and I'm like "Hey, do you need to stop for gas or cigarettes or anything?"  This is CLASSIC code for "Stop at a store, I want a snack"  or at least I THOUGHT it was.  So he came home, empty handed, and when I was like "Where's dessert?" he said "What are you talking about?"

Clearly the communication line has broken down.  

I bought a lovely marble cake the other day for all of us.  I got a slice, Michael got a slice, Frank ate the rest.  I think that on that fact alone he should have gone out and gotten more cake!  I just really, really, REALLY want some cake right now and he won't go back out and get any!  Even AFTER I explained my cake "hint" to him...REPEATEDLY!

Okay, okay...it's just cake...not like I'm on medication and need it to survive but...the way I'm feeling right now cake would go a long way to making me a happier person.

It's a problem...I'm dealing...

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

What does a successful marriage look like?

I know I have discussed this topic several times over the last three years but every once in a while the topic comes up and it just BURNS me so I need to come here and vent...

What constitutes a good marriage?  Is it money?  Good careers?  Is it the kind of gifts that you give/get one another?  Is it the car you drive?  The house you live in?  Does it involve the kind of relationship you both have with your in-laws?  How successful/smart your children are?  Is it based on your credit rating?  Your looks?  

Sadly, these things are what most people look at when gossiping about whether or not a couple has a good marriage.  Did you notice what was missing from this list?  

Love.

Remember that?

I did not marry a career.  I did not marry a car.  I did not marry a house, a ring or an education.  I married a MAN.  A man who LOVES me and who I LOVE.  You would be amazed at how many people look at me like I have two heads when I talk about our 22 years together because once they look beyond me and see my slightly older vehicle and my small, two bedroom house and the fact that my husband has a job that involves physical labor and isn't steady well...clearly I've married wrongly.  I mean, how could I possibly be considered to be in a successful marriage when I don't have all of the "stuff" that the general population equates with being happy and successful?

Guess what, people?  Shit breaks, looks go...at the end of the day can you sit with your spouse and have a conversation that involves actually CARING about what they have to say?  How they're feeling?  Sadly, many people cannot.

Just this past weekend this subject came up - it doesn't matter with who - and I was disgusted because our names came up along with another couple and a sort of "comparison" as to who has the better marriage.  So here's me and Frank.  Together for 22 years FAITHFULLY, married for 20, we have two amazing kids who are happy and well behaved (most of the time) and love the Lord.  The other couple are not married but should they ever, this will be a third and a fourth marriage for them.  Their kids (from previous marriages) are all a mess.  Neither person in this particular relationship is even divorced from their previous spouse and yet they live together.  That part I really don't care about too much because Frank and I lived together before we were married, as well.  BUT...because they live in a nice home, drive new cars and make a lot of money, THEY are the ones with the better "marriage".  Yes, people consider them to be married.

Really???

I am sick and tired of being looked at like we are some sort of freaks because we do not aspire to put ourselves in debt so that we can look better to others or impress the Joneses.  I don't care what they think.  I know plenty of people who have all that there is to have and they are still miserable people.  I don't have a whole lot of anything and while yes, I have my days where everything sucks, the only thing that stays a constant is my love for my husband.  

Yes, I know that I have complained about him being home a lot in the last year but that is normal.  He is an amazing human being who loves me unconditionally, he doesn't cheat, he's not abusive, he's not doing drugs and he's not some freak trying to get me to do things against my will.  Believe me when I say that there are a LOT of people that I know that cannot say the same thing.

And what's funny about the people in this circumstance that are making the observation and spreading their stupidity?  DIVORCED MULTIPLE TIMES.  You wouldn't know a good marriage if it hit you in the head so do the world a favor and shut it!  

Now, I'm going to go and snuggle with my husband and thank God for the marriage that He has blessed me with.

Monday, May 2, 2011

I'm not political, but...

So I'm watching "Last Cake Standing" last night while playing around on the computer.  Yes, I have no trouble multi-tasking.  It had been a good night, reality TV-wise; I caved and watched "The Amazing Race" and cheered LOUDLY when the Goth couple left and then on the cake show, the chef I liked the least went home.

I was feeling pretty good, happy even and somewhere around 10:30 I was on Facebook when all hell seemed to break loose.  Osama Bin Laden was dead.  I wasn't sure if I was reading all of the messages right so I turned on Fox News and there was Geraldo, laughing and cheering as he read the report.  A little unprofessional but we'll let that one slide.  

So I tune in for a bit and then start surfing the other news channels (to find a "real" news anchor who wasn't bouncing in their seat) and make sure that what was being said was true.  It appeared to be.  The story broke that this mission had happened a week ago and NOW they have confirmation that it was, indeed, Osama Bin Laden.  GREAT!  Three cheers for our military!  Three cheers for USA!

And then there was this morning...

According to the news this morning, this all happened YESTERDAY and in that short time, we got DNA confirmation AND buried him at sea per HIS religion!  I'm sorry, but this all just seems a little too...weird to me.  For several reasons.  First, when the hell did this happen?  Last week?  Yesterday?  As far as I had ever heard, DNA testing was not like a pregnancy test.  You have to WAIT for the results - for more than a day.  

NEXT up that really burned me, perhaps more than anything, was that we showed this man respect by following his religious beliefs and burying him within 24 hours!  Really???  Because, if memory servers, there were over 2,000 people on September 11th that didn't wish to be buried in a pile of rubble in the remains of the Twin Towers!  Why did our government allow this to happen?  Why was a known TERRORIST granted this decency?

AND, while we're at it...Mr. Obama?  You had NOTHING to do with this!  You were not scoping out the area.  You did not FIND this location yourself.  You may have given the order but do NOT take credit away from our troops who did all of the work and what a coincidence that you happen to have this happen (and take all of the credit) just as your re-election campaign starts and most of the country is not finding favor with you.  

Interesting...

Are we going to see Bin Laden's body?  I mean, we saw Elvis in the casket, we saw John Lennon in the morgue, we've seen JFK's autopsy photos, and Sadaam after the hanging, why haven't any pictures been released of Bin Laden's body just so that we can cheer a little louder?  

It all seems a little weird to me and just more proof that even while we as a country are celebrating this morning, that our government's behavior is just a little off...