Instant Karma

We all shine on; like the moon, and the stars, and the sun...

Yesterday was an interesting day. Mike called me at work to tell me that he was offered a temporary position working for a company in Columbia Heights doing the same work he had done before. He would be required to work 10 hour days that would begin at 4:00 p.m. The pay is $3 less than what he was making before, and it would be a longer drive for him as well. The other downside to this position is that since he would be required to work 10 hour days, he would not get home until 3 a.m. and possibly not to sleep until 4 a.m. I work at 8:30 a.m. Brody usually gets up at 7:00 a.m. As Brody grows older, he does not like long naps in the morning any longer. I fear that this position will not be the greatest for Mike or our family. Needless to say, I told him to take it. If it does not work, then we will deal with that later. We also do not know if this position will last two weeks, or potentially longer. We need money right now and that is the bottom line.

I also had a doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon and I found out that the child I am carrying is breech. This is not good news at all. I am hoping he will have a change of heart and do a somersault sometime in the near future. He is measuring two-weeks ahead of his size, which is not a surprise at all. I do not need a c-section with this pregnancy because it would require me to be out from work longer than the two weeks I had already anticipated being out for. Since my employer does not have a short-term disability policy, any time I take off for my pregnancy is unpaid (aside from the two weeks I currently have banked in vacation and sick time).

I really wish there was a simple solution to these problems. But, like the song says, I guess we all just have to "shine on".

Still the same

I really like the song, "Still the Same" by Bob Seger (who is incidentally playing at the Xcel Center tonight). It is about a woman who like to play games without holding herself responsible for anything that comes from the game playing. She is a distant person who does not allow herself to become attached to anyone. I think the reason I like it so much is because that person used to be me.

I laugh about a lot of the things that I used to do. I am not sure if it is because I am humored by my previous actions, or if it is just because I cannot think of how else to feel about what I have done in the past. For example, when I was 21, I went to 'Club Hideaway' off of Rice St. with my friend at the time, Laurie, and told her that I could get the next guy who came out of the restroom to kiss me. I don't remember the name of the guy who was the lucky recipient of my kiss, but I do remember that he was wearing a light blue, button-down oxford shirt. I told him that I was getting married the next weekend and all I had wanted to do was know what it was like to kiss another man who was not my husband. He was willing to oblige, as long as I did it in front of his friend. Whatever. I did it and my friend was shocked to say the least. Well, at least I didn't have sex with Steven Pearcy from Ratt in the back of his tour bus like she did.

I need a drink and a cigarette

Last week there was an interesting booklet that was included in the St. Paul paper. It featured recipes for enumerated alcholic drinks and what wine went with which food. I know that this isn't the most important thing I should be thinking about right now, but I cannot help it. I was practically drooling over the recipes for chocolate martinis and margaritas.

I realize that after the birth of my second child that my chances of being able to get drunk are slim to none. Let's face it; no one will want to watch an infant and a one-year-old overnight so mommy can have a few cocktails. That would be like asking someone to undergo unneccessary surgery for the fun of it. Perhaps I am feeling sorry for myself given my current life situation, but this is the prime time for my selfish tendencies to show.

In my recent dreams I dream that I am sitting at a bar with two drinks in front of me and a pack of Marlboro Ultra Lights (box). In the dreams I am able to drink, drink, and drink some more without any repercussions. I also smoke like a chimney in the same dreams. Nice, huh? I think it is rather sad that I am dreaming about alcohol and cigarettes. I should be dreaming about something more realistic, but why? My dreams are a means of escapism. Tonight I will be sure to order another tall Bud Light and smoke another 10 cigarettes.

The importance of being earnest

I look for jobs for my husband every day. I do this because it is easier for me to search at work during the day than it is for him to try to get on-line from our house (we have dial-up) and try to look while caring for Brody. This morning I found a position that was perfect. Although it was from 8 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., it was the same work my husband had been doing previously. I told him about it and he was interested despite the graveyard hours. Did I mention it was from Sunday to Wednesday? Only four days? Anyway, I sent off his resume and he received a response immediately. He was not pleased that it was located in Coon Rapids (we live in IGH), but he was willing to meet with the HR representative nonetheless.

At noon I received a phone call from my husband at work telling me that the place he was going to was much further than he thought; it was almost in Anoka. He also said that his mother asked him when he was going to get any sleep when he worked until 6:00 a.m., and then I left for work at 8:00 a.m. I told him that I was under the assumption that his parents were still going to help with our daycare situation. He then asked me if I would bring the children (since #2 will be here in less than two months) to his parents' house before I went to work in the morning, and I told him yes. I didn't think it would be that much of an issue for his parents to help us since they told us before that they were more than willing to help us out with whatever we needed. I didn't like the way my husband was presenting this to me; it was as if he was already throwing away the whole notion of working for this company even before he had an interview with them.

About a half an hour ago, I received another phone call from my husband. This time it was more frantic. He asked me what the phone number was to the place he was interviewing at because he could not find it. His interview was at 1:00 and he was calling me at 1:05. I was livid. I asked him why he was calling me now when he had been in the area for at least an hour already. He told me he wasn't there that long, but it didn't make any sense. If he knew it was on the border of Anoka at noon, then why was he calling me at 1:05 wondering where it was? I gave him the number and hung up.

I do not know what to think at this point. I am mad at my mother-in-law for telling my husband she didn't think this was a good position for him. Is she planning on supporting us until my husband finds a job? I doubt it. I am also upset with my husband for throwing away the hope of landing the position before he goes to the interview. I really feel that he shouldn't be picky at this point in time, but he is. For me, it is difficult to understand why he isn't overtly gushing over any position I put before him.

It ain't over till it's over

The saga of the employment position continues. I will try to sum it up as best as possible...

1) Mike attended meeting
2) Employer said Mike is still fired
3) Union rep tells Mike it isn't over until union board votes on position on Wednesday
4) Mike thinks he'll know about job future on Wednesday until he calls union rep again and finds out this is only the preliminary voting to decide if they will appeal Mike being fired by the board
5) Mike finds out mediation process can take 4-9 months
6) Mike calls temporary agencies and cannot find work

Should I continue? I think I won't. This whole thing reminds me of Dante's "Inferno"; but I am not quite sure which "Circle of Hell" this would fall into. Hmmm...too bad I don't have more idle time to ponder that one.

Things could be a lot worse than what they are. This statement is starting to wear on me--kind of like the advice of my in-laws. Did I say that out loud? Well, I guess I did. Perhaps tomorrow will be better; it will be another day.

These days I feel my life is like a river running through...

This morning Cities 97 played one of my most favorite songs ever: "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart. It wasn't just the regular radio version either; it was the extended version that included the piano solo at the beginning. It was nice to have such a treat this cold November morning.

I am beginning to feel more at ease about the fact that my husband is jobless. I haven't cried yet today, so that is a good thing. After tomorrow morning, I will feel even better. Tomorrow will go one of two ways: Mike is offered his job back or he isn't offered his job back. I really hope it is over for good. I feel it is time for us to have a clean break from the whole thing and try to get some normalcy back into our lives. I am doing everything that I can to keep my family secure and that is all I can do. The things that I cannot control or fix are completely out of my hands.

It's always darkest before it goes pitch black

Despair. Isn't it lovely? I am in the midst of complete and total despair. My husband was denied his unemployment benefits yesterday. I had a complete and total breakdown and went into hysterics as I drove home from work yesterday afternoon. Did I mention that I am in my third trimester of my pregnancy? Well, I am. I had no business getting worked up the way I did. It just happened that way.

I used to care about what was going on in the world, but now I could care a less. I now wonder if I am going to be able to feed my family, if there will be a roof over our heads, if my unborn child will be born premature, etc. I think one can get the jist of what I am speaking of. I have not had my hair cut since June and I am in dire need of a color touch up as well. Do I care? No. These things are petty and will have to wait until other things are taken care of.

My husband seems to think that he will be getting his job back at his former place of employment on Friday. He has a meeting with his union representative and the bitch who authorized his termination. I have always subscribed to the belief that people who do bad onto others will, in turn, have bad things happen to them. Karma; it is a blessed thing.

Practicing politics

I don't want to discuss last night's election results. Instead, I wish to discuss one politican who made a difference to me: Sen. Paul Wellstone. I have a nice narrative that I wish to share...

It was a beautiful summer day at the Minnesota State Fair. I had had my share of Sweet Martha's Cookies and I was ready to go home. As my ex-husband and I began to walk towards the exit of the fair, we saw that a large line had formed in front of us. I asked my ex if he could see what the line was for, and he said it was Sen. Paul Wellstone. I was intrigued and asked my ex to stand in line with me to speak to the Senator. He refused, which is something he usually did when I asked him to do something I wanted to do. I told him that I was going to wait no matter how long it took.

Wellstone made his way through the line; spending time with each person who had stood in line to speak to him. Not once did he glance at his watch or put someone off in order to greet the next person in line. He listened to each and every person who had waited in line to talk to him.

As he got closer, I heard his assistant, Will McLaughlin, tell him that he needed to go because he was late for a radio interview. Wellstone told McLaughlin that he would have to be late because it was more important to talk to the people of Minnesota who had waited in line to speak to him. When he got to me I told him that I was very impressed with the work he had done and that I was planning on voting for him again at the next election. He thanked me and told me that it was important to hear the voices of all those in Minnesota who believed in him and the work he had done.

I know a lot of people were angered by Wellstone's position on same-sex marriages, but that is only one political issue. He was a marvelous individual who died before his work was done. I admit I was angered over the memorial service that turned into a political rally after his passing, but it didn't change the way I felt about him as an individual.

Do on to others as they do on to you

This morning I ordered a medium coffee at McDonalds and I was given a small. Instead of just giving me a medium coffee like I had ordered, the employee at the second window made it a point to reprint my receipt from the first window and hand it to me, stating I had ordered the small. I told her that it wasn't my problem that the order taker hadn't heard me (this store did not have the order show up on a screen in front of you for preapproval) and that she shouldn't be arguing with me because the customer is always right. With that being said, I balled up the second receipt and threw it back in through the drive-thru window.

My son received his 12-month shots today, which also included a blood draw for his hemoglobin. Since he is still at the stage in life in which he cannot have blood drawn from his arm, a lab technician pricked his finger with a needle. Brody was a trooper and did not begin to cry until she had been using his finger as a cow utter for three minutes. I thought the whole process was ridiculous. She told me to put a piece of gauze on his finger to stop the bleeding, which worked for 5 seconds before he started to squirm and almost fall to the floor. I informed the techinician that it was not working and that she needed to give me something else to stop his finger from bleeding. What was her solution? Five gauze pads and a band-aid. I watched her as she tried to put the monsterous clump of gauze together with the band-aid and fasten it to his tiny finger. I told her once again it wasn't working and I grabbed Brody and furiously walked back to the exam room. A nurse then tried to put a bandage on his finger, which worked until he put it into his mouth and proceeded to remove it from his finger. Blood was everywhere and I was fit to be tied. Needless to say, it was not a pleasant visit to the pediatrician's office this morning.

I could keep adding other instances identical to these that occurred last week, but I think I will spare myself the effort of writing those down. I am very upset that people no longer think about the way in which they treat others. I am guilty of this as well. I didn't have to throw the receipt back through the drive-thru window; it only put me on the same level of the McDonalds' employee. I didn't have to drag off my son after the lab tech didn't listen to me; it didn't better the situation.

I am not sure what is wrong with my behavior lately, but I really hope this is just a momentary lapse of reasoning.

Saint Brody

Today is "All Saints Day" for the rest of the world, but today, for me, it is known as Brody's birthday.

Here is a recent photo of my sweet baby. I cannot believe that he turns one today. This photo makes me very happy and proud to be a mother.

Brody is always happy and has a very personable demeanor--at least for a one-year old. I love you Brody. Happy 1st Birthday! :)

Beautiful Wrecks

From the dark end of this bar, what a beautiful wreck you are...
I really love Shawn Mullins' music. I have found myself singing this song on enumerated occasions. I just love the ironic title. Would it be considered irony? I think it would. If you are wondering why I am even mentioning something like this, look again at the title of my blog.

So much has happened in the last week. It has been difficult to find time to blog. Here are the events that have taken place:

1) My education has come back to haunt me.
A fellow co-worker was working on a newsletter for one of our resource centers and I mentioned to him that I could take a look at it when he was finished. Well--big mistake. My offer to "look" at it turned into redesigning and editing the whole thing. It took three days. Needless to say, it is a lot better, if not 100% better than it was before. I cannot help but be proud of my work. My former college professors would be proud. Since its completion, the co-worker has brought a brochure to my attention. I think I will wait a week before I make any comments on it.

2) My husband is currently on an "unpaid leave of absence" from work.
Last Thursday, my husband was told that he was being suspended for three days because a fellow co-worker supposedly saw him sleeping on the job. The "sleep" in question was acutally my husband rolling his eyes around behind closed eyes due to pain chips falling into them. My husband has an AWFUL case of sleep apnea, and I really find it difficult to believe that he was sleeping silently in a chair. He goes back to work on Wednesday and I really hope his suspension turns out to be paid for.

3) Shame on me for my baby shower lamentations.
On Saturday night, my father called me and told me that my cousin had delivered her baby four weeks early. He also mentioned that my cousin's daughter had been born with Down Syndrome.
I feel very bad for my cousin because my first pregnancy while I was married to my first husband had been a Trisomy 18 Down Syndrome fetus, which didn't survive past the third month of my pregnancy. I don't know if the shower is going to go on as planned or not. Nonetheless, I feel bad for her and her family.

Aside from these things, all else is on an even keel. We celebrated my son's first birthday with family members yesterday afternoon. He did very well; aside from when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him. He didn't know what to think about that. I will have to post photos when I receive the photo disk.

The etiquette of baby showers

When I was pregnant with my son last year, I registered for gifts at Target. It was a grueling process that caused me to break down and cry while I was selecting items for his registry. I was so overwhelmed by the amount of baby supplies that I began to panic. What if I didn't order the right thing? What should I be ordering? I calmed myself down and began to think rationally. With the help of my husband, he and I were able to finish our registry without incident.

Two weeks ago, I received an invitation to a baby shower for my cousin. I have not seen her for at least two years. The invitation stated that each person who was attending needed to bring a dish to share because "money was tight". I thought this was rather tacky, but given the sense of these family members, it seemed like something they would do. I called my cousin, who was one of the people giving the shower, to see what I could bring to share. I was told that I should bring either spaghetti or lasagna. I was floored. The other items she rattled off were not much different. I asked her if she had the whole meal planned and she said yes. I thought it was very rude to assume that I would be willing to provide enough lasagna or spaghetti for 20 people. I told her I would bring salad--it was not on her "list".

Aside from the food debacle, the gift registry was another story. My cousin has registered for over 150 items, and some items with mass quantities. I am very disgusted that she has requested 12 packages of baby wipes, eight bottles of baby lotion, seven different kinds of formula, and many other things.

I do not know what I should do in regards to the pending baby shower. My instincts tell me that I need to convey to my cousin that she is violating the rule of gifts: they are to be received and not asked for. The whole thing is just rubbing me the wrong way--but what isn't these days?

Ahhh...Freak out (Le-Freak - So Not Chic)

I think I am at my wits end with my pregnancy. I have been freaking out for no real reason at things that are beyond my control. For instance, the following dialogue occurred between my husband and I yesterday afternoon after he purchased gasoline at a Mobil station:

Mike: Hello?
Stacy: What the hell happened at the gas station?
Mike: What do you mean?
Stacy: There are three transactions currently pending on the checking account for the gas station!
Mike: I put the card in first, and it didn't work. I went in and paid for it after I pumped the gas.
Stacy: What the hell?! Now we just filled someone's gas tank up because you prepaid gas and then paid for it a second time. Why don't you pay attention when you do things? Jesus Christ!

At this point my husband hung-up on me and I called him back. He wouldn't answer my call until I called three times in a row.

Stacy: Don't hang up on me ever again. When I call you; answer the phone. I could go into labor or something and I would be trying to deliver my child by myself. Don't do it again.
Mike: Do you want something?
Stacy: YES! What happened that we are now being charged three times for the gas? You are going to have to go back there and figure it out. If it goes against the checking account overnight, we will have charges over $96.
Mike: I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow.
Stacy: Tomorrow isn't good enough.
Mike: It is going to have to be because I am going to be late for work.

That was the end of the conversation because I hung up the phone on my husband. This morning I called the bank and discovered that we were not charged three times for the gasoline. There was only one charge for $32.

Stacy: I owe you an apology. There was only one charge for the gasoline.
Mike: I cannot hear you.
Stacy: I said I was sorry. Only one charge is pending right now.
Mike: You need to quit freaking out over stupid things.

He was right; I was freaking out for no real reason. If the charge happened three times, then I would have to take care of it AFTER it happened.

This isn't the only episode I have had lately. I have been jumping the gun continuously. When in the hell am I going to have this child? Not soon enough.

Things I think about for no particular reason

1) Why did Charlton Heston play a Mexican in the film "Touch of Evil"?

2) Why did Tony Curtis play American Indian, Ira Hayes, in the film "The Outsider"?

3) Why is Sally Kirkland always photographed at the Academy Awards? Why is she important?

4) Why do people think that Humphrey Bogart is one of the best actors of all time?

5) Why does The Gap use old footage of Audrey Hepburn dancing to AC/DCs' "Back in Black" in one of their commercials? It is really stupid.

6) Why can't I find a copy of the film version of "An American Tragedy", directed by Josef von Sternberg?

7) Why is Brian DePalma considered to be a great director when he really isn't?

8) Why hasn't a film been made about Irving Thalberg?

9) Why hasn't Martin Scorsese won a Best Director Oscar?

10) Jennifer Aniston cannot act. Why is she continually placed in starring film roles?

Why I love my job

Last night when I picked up my son from my in-laws' house he had hives and welts all over his face and could barely see out of his eyes. The night before last he had hives and welts, but at least he could see. My in-laws have two dogs that are never bathed or groomed. Since we don't have any pets at home, I have come to the conclusion that this is why my son has the problems he does. He is allergic to dogs (well at least unkempt dogs).

We have been lucky; my husband and I. For almost a year we have not had to pay for the cost of day care. I work in the morning and my husband works at night. It is hard when you only see your spouse for roughly two out of 120 hours during the working week. It has brought new meaning to the term "working for the weekend".

When I told my supervisor about my plight with the dogs and how I was over-wrought with fear over acquiring day care for my son (and unborn son), she told me that whatever I needed to do was fine with her. If I wanted to come in early in order to leave early, that was fine with her. I told her that I did not want to take advantage of the situation and she told me that I wasn't and she knew I would never do that.

I must have done something right to have found a job like mine. I really must have.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself

This is a quote from the Bible. I believe it is in the Book of Matthew, but I am not sure of the chapter or verse. I think it is in the fifth chapter. I don't believe my title is the exact quote, but it is pretty much the theme of the day.

Last night (or technically this morning) my husband came home from work and told me that his supervisor told him that a group of investors from Europe had visited their site and were interested in buying the company. When I heard this, I immediately began to cry. Last year, when I first found out I was pregnant with my son, my husband lost his job shortly thereafter. I endured three months of complete and total stress by being the household breadwinner. When I heard his news about the current situation, I couldn't help but think of what had happened before.

My husband is more optimistic than I am. God bless him. I try to be an optimist, but I am really a pessimist at heart. Who cares if the glass is half full or half empty? It is going to shatter when it drops to the floor anyway.

I stopped crying and realized that there was nothing that could be done about it. If he lost his job; he lost his job. There is nothing he can do to prevent it from happening. It is not his fault. I tend to worry about the intricate details of the whole picture: What about health insurance? What about paying the bills on time? What about income when I am on maternity leave? These were all things that I immediately thought about when he told me the news. Yes, I also have a tendency to overreact as well.

Since last night I have had the chance to think about what would happen if he lost his job (which is the worst case scenario). It would not be the end of the world if it happened. Things would just have to change a bit. I guess I shouldn't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself.

Wake me up when January ends

In two weeks I will be in the third trimester of my pregnancy--my final pregnancy. I am ready for the end at any time. My monthly check-up was today and I had gained six pounds since last month. My OB questioned this and I told her I had been retaining fluid. After poking my leg with her finger, she agreed with me. I did not receive a prescription for this; only told to watch my sodium intake. I don't know about the rest of you out in "Blogland", but trying to eliminated sodium completely from your diet is like trying not to drink any liquids. Pretty asinine if you ask me.

I also found out that I will be taking a glucose screening test at my next visit, which informs one if they have gestational diabetes or not. Last year I failed the test when I was pregnant with my son. The reason I failed it was because I had eaten a Caramello bar before I went to my appointment that afternoon. I was told that food had no effect on what you eat during the test. I guess that statement was incorrect. I had to take the three-hour test a week later, which ultimately came back negative. I have purposely made my appoinment for the first thing in the morning. I am not going to make it more difficult than it has to be.

When the similarites are too great

I love reading the Bulletin Board in the Pioneer Press. Here was a posting that caught my eye today:

Our times
In Search of a Pseudonym: "In the modern office environment, you will be worked until you are dead. In my small group of co-workers and companions, one carried a workload substantially higher than that of any of her coworkers, while reporting to an evil boss who undermined her every effort and degraded her at every turn, despite the fact that she was well-liked and well-respected by everyone else who worked with her; this continued until she voluntarily took early retirement. Since then, her blood pressure is down, her mood is up, and her weight is down. It's an amazing thing.
"Another co-worker is working 12-hour days and every weekend, trying to keep up with her workload and trying to cover for her incompetent coworkers and employees, all the while also trying to take care of her ailing, elderly mother, and somehow to also have a life.
"A friend is consistently working 60-to-80-hour weeks, and weekends, and when he says anything to his boss, his boss tells him to just do it.
"Of these three I mention, two are salaried, so no matter how much they work, they do not get paid more.
"Within my department, we have sent up the white flag to indicate that we are severely overcapacity and are drowning here. The response? We can set meetings over the lunch hour, earlier in the morning, and later in the evening. So this means that instead of the built-in 10-hour day that I already have, I can work more, but they will give us lunch. Then when they book us through lunch, it is like a reward.
"What is the point of it? I can see the people around me ready to snap. I can see them asking for help … nay, begging for it. I can see how you get held back if you do finally snap. And I can see people getting fired around me if they are not willing or able to live with this insanity.
"It is not just my employer, either. I hear the same stories from several places around town. What happened? How did the expectation go from 40 hours per week with benefits and vacation to 60 hours per week of double- and triple-booking, losing your vacation, never taking a lunch, and still slipping behind on the workload? How did the expectation become that you will never, ever be caught up, no matter how much you give?
"And you dare not complain about it, or you will be labeled a malcontent and made to suffer for it."
BULLETIN BOARD SAYS: We have no answers for you, Pseudonym — but, of course, we are willing (perhaps eager) to hear anyone else's answers … or anyone else's workplace horror stories.

This was too reminiscent of the place I used to work. Here is what I wrote to the Bulletin Board:

I just finished reading Pseudonym’s work horror story, and I could not help but wonder if the three people he/she mentioned were employed by my previous employer on Wabasha Street? The similarities were too great.
Last year when I was pregnant with my first child, I was working 10-12 hour days during my last trimester. I was so overworked that I developed hypertension and had to be put on bed rest a month and a half before my child was due. At no time before being put on bed rest had it been suggested that I cut back in my hours or workload. The stress I had endured was overwhelming. Needless to say, I am no longer working for that organization on Wabasha Street. I am currently due with my second child, and guess what?! I don’t have any hypertension issues to speak of; I am now entering my third trimester of my pregnancy and I have never felt better.
Perhaps I should be applauding my former employer for making me endure nine months of sheer hell while I was pregnant. Without having that experience, I would not be in the place that I am now. Thanks, Bulletin Board.
-Brody’s Mom in Inver Grove Heights

I had to say something. I just had to.

The soundtrack of your life

I love how different songs can bring back memories of the past. For instance, when I met my husband Mike at a keg party (a long story, which is actually pretty cool), I remember constantly hearing a song by Wheat; "I Met A Girl". I think the chorus to the song is great, it is:
I met a girl I'd like to know better, but I'm already with someone.
I met my husband while I was still technically married, even though we had been "divorced" long before that.

When I used to play trivia with my girl, Ntrudr at BW3s, I consistently played two songs by Outkast on the jukebox; "Hey Ya!" and "Ms. Jackson". Those songs remind me of the fun I used to have with her when I had so much sadness in my life. I swear I was living in the bottom of a Miller Lite keg.

When I was a teenager, I use to write song titles in my journals to remind me of what songs were popular during the spring, summer, autumn and winter during my jr. high and high school years. I know that I was really obsessed with "Sowing the Seeds of Love" by Tears for Fears when I was a Freshman; "Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol, which came out the summer before my Sophomore year; "I Touch Myself" by the Divinyls, which reminds me of my Jr. Prom; "Crush Me" by the Dave Matthews Band, which reminds me of when I left my first fiance and went to live on my own; "Cannonball"by Damien Rice reminds me of when I came to the realization that above anything else in life, I needed to make myself happy. What a wonderful song!

I really think I need to get an IPOD or an MP3 player so I can listen to a lot of the songs I no longer hear on a regular basis.

Don't ever buy the extended warranty - Part II

Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from Signet Financial Corporation in Vacaville, California, informing me that I was not entitled to a refund of my extended warranty because I had utilized it on 2/14/03. I found this to be ridiculous. The only time I had used it was when I had brought it in to have the stalling of the engine checked out. They did not find anything wrong with the vehicle when I brought it in; nor did they replace any parts--well, I guess there was a brake light out, which would have cost $3 at most.

Today I called Inver Grove Ford and finaly spoke to someone who wasn't chewing gum in my ear or speaking in a "sing-song" voice, who told me that I had received a rental car while my car was being serviced, which would have caused the warranty to be utilized. He told me he would send a copy of the work order to me via fax. I have not seen it yet, and I am not going to hold my breath either.

I am outraged by this. OUTRAGED! Since when does a $3 repair surmount to exhausting a $2K warranty refund? Bullshit. That is what this whole thing is; bullshit. DO NOT EVER BUY A VEHICLE FROM INVER GROVE FORD IN INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN. DO NOT EVER PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR A VEHICLE EITHER!