Check please!

This phrase could not be more apropos for me than it is today. While thousands of Americans received a "little sumthin sumthin" in their savings/checking account (while I await my own stimulus check), I am more than ready to say "check please" at my workplace and run screaming away on vacation.

I am mentally done. I have finished my tasks and I have no demands that are left undone. My brain is tired of dealing with educated adults who act like uneducated children. The workplace now reminds me of the Willie Wonka Veruca character....."I want it nowwwww Daddy". My brain is tired of the demands of the "Verucas" of this world. It only wants one thing at this point - Napa Valley and all it has to offer.

I have found that two weeks of vacation really recharges me. I know that one week can be nice, but that really is too close to leaving and coming back to really make a significant difference. Two weeks are quite lovely I must say. (as I hear my work phone ringing in the distance) Ugh!

I have not taken more than two weeks off at any time although I can imagine it must be extraordinarily spectacular. I have known people to take a month off in one shot and go to distance lands like Australia and the like. I don't know if I would want to use up all of my vacation in one sitting. No....I would have to have a day here or there (a week) to use later in the year.

So what are your plans for vacation this year? Something phenomenal? Something domestic? Something where you are waited on 24x7 perhaps? (wow....that sounds good even as I type it!)

What does it take for you to scream CHECK PLEASE!!!!!

Sunday morning ramblings

I have begun my day early today thanks to a little fluffy dog named Bailey. That's ok....I had lots of things to accomplish this morning. I am including a few of the highlights or low-lights of the week.

• Now I like oysters but even this story had me feeling a bit overwhelmed and gagging. Just don't know how people do it. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/04/12/1427070-oy-eating-champ-downs-35-dozen-oysters
• Those of you who have been reading this blog may know that a group of friends and myself have allowed ghost hunting to become an interesting hobby. I am not quiting my day job as of yet because it is not a job that will immediately pay you millions (don't think TAPS is making millions yet either). However, it is a very interesting hobby indeed. I have renamed my second blog to incorporate our new team name - Paranormal Investigators of Cincinnati. Check it out!
• Here we are so close to the Pennsylvania Primary and I am still not happy with the way things are going for our Democrats. The campaign fight is getting more bitter and it usually does as the nominees battle it out. However, why is it that the media hypes the bitter fighting as unfair by each candidate? It's not unfair and quite frankly I would think that to clear the air of all issues you would need to hear more of this type of direct critiques otherwise you may appear weak. I still have doubts that Obama can beat McCain and I am not afraid to admit that openly and IN PRINT!
• Has any other state in the nation - other than Ohio - banned smoking in all public places? If so....how is that working out for you? I must admit that going into a bar to listen to a local lesbian band is quite nice without being choked with smoke. Last night we went into a bar which had the No Smoking (with the listed fines attached to it) all over the place but the local rural lesbians were just puffing away. Just love it when the public votes something into law that can't be enforced completely by state officials. Cough cough!

Ok.....enough jabbering.....time for coffee!

Do you believe.......

in ghosts?

Have you ever seen a ghost? Or do you think it is merely a figment of people's imagination?

I am a believer yet I have never seen one. I think the day I do see a ghost I may just drop dead on the spot. :)

Relationships

I have posed this question in my poll but I decided to pose the same question in my blog post just to get an idea of where everyone's head is in regards to whether or not a gay or lesbian relationship would have any more staying power if it were all nice and legal.

Let's think about it for a minute. How many of you were raised in a single parent household after a divorce? I was one of those kids. My parents divorced when I was 14 and I remember all of the good days and the ugly days that surrounded that "event". It was painful for both. It was all about custody issues, child support and alimony issues,who got to live in the house and the sorting through the miscellaneous bits-n-pieces of "who got what".

So my question is to you this evening......if gay and lesbian partnerships were all nice and legal would we take them more seriously or would those relationships still average a 5 year lifespan? If lesbians were dragged through divorce court each time they broke up, would we learn to be more patient and committed to each other because of that?

Lesbian inquiring minds yearn to know..........

Katie Reider

Some of you may have read my blog posting in May 2007 about a great local musician Katie Reider. I know that some of you may have your own local favorite musicians so you can appreciate it when I say that Katie certainly has something unique to offer the music industry. I have met Katie on occasion at some of her venues and while I don't know her personally she is truly one of the sweetest and most receptive musicians that I have ever met. Her music has a certain "something" that strikes a cord in everyone. Perhaps it is her personality and her music that makes her a very charming package.

Well.....in the last year we found out that Katie is suffering from a Myofibroblastic Inflammation tumor in her head and face. Yeah.....sounds scary to me too. I have been reading her not so frequent postings on her myspace page and while she has been soooo positive you fear for her as she struggles through this medical fiasco. My heart really does ache for her as she and her family - partner and two small children - cope with the day to day struggles that this tumor has brought into their lives. You have to ask the familiar question - why her?

A website has been established to show her how much she is supported and loved by her fans. It is called 500,000 hits in 365 days. It is a site to unite fans, musicians, family and friends behind Katie as she faces this ongoing battle.

If you do nothing else after reading my blog today, please make one stop at the 500,000 website in support of Katie. Stop by her myspace page (link in 2nd paragraph) and listen to the four songs that she has on her page. This is truly a talented individual who has the ability to reach out and connect with many people.

To purchase Katie Reiders music, specifically her latest CD, Simplicity, please visit this Amazon link below or find her on iTunes.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m/002-1598707-7425642?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Katie+Reider

IKEA. If You Buy It, You Must Build It.

Rita hates to shop.

But extend the offer to include taking a handsome 1 year-old there as part of his birthday celebration and she's on board.

So we went yesterday afternoon. I'm no fool. Access to both SUV and extra hands to carry the flat-but-heavy boxes? Score.

Four lesbians, one child, one stroller, one cart, a diaper bag, assorted toys, cereal bits, sippy cups. The list. And a pencil.

Uh, 'scuse me for a sec. She needs a hammer.

Okay. Crisis averted.

So we started in the showroom and children's section. Mom and son loved the brightly colored room options -- pre-shopping for his big boy bed to come and wonderful storage options for his own personal Toys R Us section.

Robin found some new bedroom furniture she liked.

I lingered a bit in the work space area. Choosing four different styles/combinations before settling on my new Gustav desk and cabinet.

Rita and Robin were entertained through most of this by the little man -- he'd scored a plush soccer ball and was quite content developing his hand/eye coordination. Or maybe it was the fun of tossing the ball and watching three lesbians scramble for it...

So after an hour or so on the showroom floor, we go downstairs.

I was a bit concerned. Rita kept looking at the map and mumbling something about any store requiring a map is just too big.

But mom and baby were just getting started.

Storage items. Kitchenware. Plastic cups. Sheets. Doggie dishes.

By this time, I've left Rita sitting on a pile of door mats near the checkouts, looking troubled. She was no longer humming Abba tunes and seemed to be reliving her trip through the maze to meet me in Aisle 10, bin 23. "I went left, then right, then saw what seemed to be an open route, then left... like a rat in a maze."

About 2.5 hours after walking in, we checked out -- all in all, an effiecient trip. We all bought one or more items. Even the non-shopper.

And now it's Sunday. I tried to discourage beginning the 'build'. It's 60 degrees and sunny. But we're underway.

Bailey is supervising.

Obama poll

For those of you have been visiting my site, you may have seen my poll ----------------->

on the right side of the screen. As a result of my recent postings about the possible political upheaval that could result if Obama wins the nomination I decided to just take a little random sample of my blog visitors to see if it held any merit.

Today is the last day that this particular poll will run. The results thus far have been surprising to me since it comes close to what I was expecting. If Barack Obama would win the nomination tomorrow and not include Hillary on his ticket: 42% of you said you would would vote for him, 28% of you said you would not vote for him and 28% of you said you were not sure.

I intentionally left a John McCain choice off of this poll since I wanted to gather feedback in regards to the Democratic powerhouses only. This is the last day of the poll so if you would like to add your vote to it - feel free. While the results on my poll are small, it does provide some insight to what most Americans are feeling right now.