A New Beginning

Alright...I think I am finally satisfied (temporarily) about starting a new blog and the design etc etc.

So, here I sit, on New Year's Eve. I decided to avoid the holidays this year, and live like it's some other time of year. No, no a Scrooge, not bitter, just not such a favorite year, and keep reading, and you'll see it's just good to move on. I don't normally (ever) make resolutions, and while I do reflect, I don't tend to do it in terms of a year, but...why not?

2004 in REVIEW

a few questions

1.What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?

I got the coolest trip to a television show taping--I would have never imagined doing it that way in my wildest dreams!

Baked Christmas cookies with my cousins in Indiana.

tried several wines and liked them.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?

Haven't in the past, considering it now.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No, unless you count my sister, Michelle's dog.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, my sister, Debbie, 42, on Sept 17, and grandma Ward, 83, on Nov 3, who were both diagnosed with cancer about 2 weeks apart in early 2003.

5. What countries did you visit?

Does Chicago count? Oh, no...they just think they're their own state :-P None, dangit!

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?

Several stamps in my passport!

7. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory and why?

September 17, 11:48pm EDT, my brother called to tell me Debbie passed away.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Driving over 24,000 miles?!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Forgetting that a lot of the things that came out of my sister's mouth were the brain tumor, not her.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Just my usual migraines and developed temporary asthma.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

mmm...a car that runs!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Clarissa's...what a wise 15 year-old. (but don't think it doesn't mean we'll stop picking on you!)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled or depressed?

*cringe* most of my family (blood and in-law), including myself, at various times while trying to handle all that was happening.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Definitely, the gas tank!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

When I almost made it to London!

Going to the Larry Kanfer gallery in Champaign.

16. What song will always remind you of 2004?

Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw

17. Compared to this time last year, are you

a) happier or sadder? sadder

b) thinner or fatter? same..maybe thinner by an inch

c) richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Hanging out with friends

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Talking to people in the medical profession.

20. Did you fall in love in 2004?

Thought I might early in the year, but no.

21. How many one night stands?

None

22. What was your favorite program?

Friends ...but it's over.

23. Do you hate anyone that you didn't hate this time last year?

No, hate is too strong of a word.

24. What was the best book you read?

umm...I think the only book I actually read was Lost in Mongolia. Good book though!

25. What was the greatest musical discovery?

More of an in-depth discovery--some of the older unreleased Dan Fogelberg songs.

26. What did you want and get?

Max, the old toy piano, some more frequent flyer miles, a cousin

27. What did you want and not get?

cure for cancer

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

didn't see many until the last couple weeks. The Village was interesting. The Incredibles was really good.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Turned 33, but I don't think I did anything in particular...that was almost a year ago, and how do I remember these things in my advancing years?

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Still being able to pick up the phone and call Debbie.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?

Mostly casual, but did pick a few more business looking clothes. Maybe I'll actually get to wear them!

32. What kept you sane?

Almost daily phone calls with my sister, Michelle or my brother, Allan

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

oh... still Richard Gere and Russell Crowe

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

I've actually become pretty apathetic.

35. Who do you miss?

See number 4...

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Stacey, my cousin, and Cindy, my sister's physical therapist.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004.

Don't hesitate.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

High on this mountain

The clouds down below

I'm feeling so strong and alive

From this rocky perch

I'll continue to search

For the wind

And the snow

And the sky

I want a lover

I want some friends

And i want to live in the sun

And i want to do all the things that i

Never have done.

Sunny bright mornings

And pale moonlit nights

Keep me from feeling alone

Now, i'm learning to fly

And this freedom is like

Nothing that i've ever known

I've seen the bottom

And i've been on top

But mostly i've lived in between

And where do you go

When you get to the end of

Your dream?

--Nether Lands, Dan Fogelberg

I am thinking...

...automakers would save SO much money eliminating turn signals on cars since NO ONE USES THEM!!!

Open letter to businesses who use overseas phonebanks and ones thinking about it

DON'T DO IT!
Ok...so a phone conversation today...

Me: Hi, I opened an account on Monday at your bank, and I am having trouble getting into my online banking.

Mid-Asia sounding operator: Thank you, can I have your name?

[seems to be going ok]

Me: ...spelling my name

MASO: ok...thank you...can I have the last 8 digits of your ATM card?

Me: [long pause] I don't have an ATM card, I just opened the account 3 days ago.

MASO: OK, then , date of birth and address

I recite the numbers

MASO: Ok, I can set you up with an online id and passcode.

Me: We did that on Monday [longer pause] Thank you, I'll go back into the bank and take care of this.

Also, in another occurance, I've had $60 lingering on my phone bill since August because someone else signed up with eBillIt or something like that for their AOL account, sending it to their phone bill. They conveniently forgot to change their phone number when they disconnected it. For 2 months, I received their bill for their AOL charges. I called the phone number on my bill and talked to an American sounding slacker 20-something who IMMEDIATELY redirected me to another phone number and very EMPHATICALLY assured me that people at THAT number were more capable of handling the situation. I talked to some woman somewhere on the other side of the world who was supposed to take care of getting the charges off of my phone bill. In September or early October, I talked to someone who sounded like they were in the US, and a little older. He apologized profusely...the person I last talked to closed it out incorrectly (SURPRISE!) and they could not pay the phone company directly, but would put in an order for a check to be sent to me and I could pay the phone company. Have I seen the check yet? Last check (early December) I was told it takes 6-8 weeks to arrive. Ok...that means it should be here any day....NOPE...mailbox is still empty!
So, to all you huge corporations out there, glad you're saving the bucks with the overseas labor, enabling you to get those extra profits in such a terrible economy, but your customer service ratings are dropping like the proverbial lead balloon! The least you could do is insist that these people (who are probably pretty intelligent) who are answering the phone do more than follow some flowchart (ie. If customer answers YES go to page 4, if NO, go to page 6.) !!

I really thought I liked winter?

Alright...so I finally made it into my car and drove north on Saturday--and I did so in record time--Orlando to south side of Indy in 13.5 hours. woo!
So...Saturday evening...night...I arrived up in the huge metro of Cowan, IN to join in on the baking of Christmas cookies. I didn't take my atlas, and I kept trying to find my own way there. This added multiple hours onto my record time, bringing me closer to average time to get from FL to that part of the country. When I finally did make it, I got to the railroad tracks sitting alongside my cousin's home with the lights flashing and a train STOPPED. Ok...not a problem...went and walked the dog, pulled out socks and a sweatshirt, and it was still sitting. I went to the car ahead of me (you can do that in such a small town without either party worrying about being attacked) to ask if they knew a way around the train or how long they'd been there....no they didn't, weren't from the town and they'd been there a half hour. I finally used my inboard compass (in me, not the car) and went south, east, north and back west into town and what did I see when I pulled up in front of their house? THE TRAIN HAD LEFT!
OK, so we stayed up until almost 3 am (meaning I was up almost 24 hours at that point). They worked on cookies some more and we chatted a lot. Next morning, up and baking most of the day. I left around 5 pm and drove over to Lafayette, IN to see friends who live 30 miles from me in FL. We never seem to meet up in FL. But, their daughter from TN, who I went to high school with, was in town also, so I got to see her.
FINALLY reached Danville about 11pm (gained an hour) and crashed so I could get up at 6am to drive to Chicago for my first ever Chicago Christmas shopping. OH MY GOD. Y'know how it's called the Windy City? Not an understatement. Windchill had to be -100! We went into Marshall Fields...the big big one downtown. Pretty cool, but way too big for me. Nice food court though. I only bought Frango mints there. YUM! Walked around a little to see buildings with cousins Joy and Carol Ann. Joy left as we started up the Mag. Mile, but Carol Ann lead us up and we started finding stores where I did find things--most importantly and TWO STORY Eddie Bauer! We went into a couple other places and into Water Tower Place, and VOILA! most of my shopping is finished.
The drive home was pretty quiet, although at one point we did have to stop and make sure we were going the right way. In board compass had a minor glitch...was going south when I should have been going east.
Off to finish shopping and getting ready for the return trip to FL.

I survived

Alrighty...Didn't get Travis...'had an emergency'...got Tammy. Still not bad, not traumatic...will go back.
I am supposed to right now be somewheres around the Alabama-Tennessee border. I am on my way home this weekend after schedulers and managers made mistakes. I awoke with a terrible headache and nausea instead. Nothing happened today until about noon. Will try again in the morning so I can bake cookies in Muncie, IN on Sat and shop on Michigan Av. in Chicago on Monday...and maybe in New Orleans with Jennifer on Wednesday....such a traveller!
Oh...got published last week! So it was only at letter to the editor of the Illinois Times in Springfield, IL about my favorite column in that paper. I really need to figure out this site and get back into the html...
Log for 2004...
Dogs acquired: 1
Addresses: 2
Deaths in the family: 2 :'-(
Friends visiting me at WDW (from other parts of the US): 6
Miles driven: >20,000 !!!
So Bridget Jones of me...

Today must be recorded

I must note today's date....it's the first time since about 1997 or 1998 that I am letting someone else cut my hair!--and I am going to a SPA to have it done, even! Haircut at 1 with Travis. Oh...that's a first too...maybe I'll enjoy it more with a guy working on my hair. Next month--no more gray! Also, went to the eye doctor and am getting old...ordered glasses today. Next task...why the heck did my manager open my shift tomorrow without my permission? What did I do that I don't know I did that he's firing me? :-P

I am thinking...

...I really don't want to go to the asbestos awareness meeting at work.

Time for me to fly

REO Speedwagon song of long ago, but it sums it all up. I've wallowed around in Central Florida for almost 8 years and cannot think of anything I've done in the last 3 that is anything OTHER THAN mundane. Time to make strides to leave this place. Since August and the FOUR hurricanes passing through, this place is an upscale war zone. It's really sad to go past large stands of woods and see all the trees still laying around. Homes are still tarped on the rooves and signs are still blown out on businesses and highways. What shall I do? TRAVEL!! ...to be continued at a decent hour.

Listening to...

To The Morning - Dan Fogelberg