Stop Right There!

Politics.This is the only time I will speak of politics in my blog,ever.I've never done it before,and I won't do it again.You will soon see why.IRL, I don't discuss politics at all,to the point where,when one sister pissed me off, pressuring me to tell who I voted for in the last presidential election,I told her I didn't vote at all.She had the nerve to yell at me,so I had to remind her where she was and to keep a civil tongue in her mouth.You might not like my opinion,so feel free to skip it. Truly.I will not be offended.I'm giving you ample warning in advance !!!! It'll be a bit of a vent for me today :o)

I hate all politicians above the local level.Do you watch South Park? They recently ran an episode where Stan refused to vote for a new school mascot,because his choices were a turd sandwich and a big douche [if you *don't* watch,I'm not kidding,the mascots were in full costume :o)]
http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/808/

Stan refuses to vote,until he is enlightened....all your life,your only choices will be between a turd sandwich and a big douche so get used to it,and vote.THAT is what I think of the current candidates for President.I live in NY,so I hate Clinton.I felt she bought the office of NY senator,and had no right to do it the way she did it.But...I would have chosen her over Obama,at least she is intelligent and TRIED to define issues and create solutions for them,and didn't "speechify".She had common sense.[I still hate her.]I can't STAND Obama,he's a snobby holier-than-thou false-face whore who will say anything,and I can't STAND that people can't see thru him.McCain and his running mate,-don't get me wrong,I appreciate his service to this country,-but I feel the same way about them,plus they make me worry that frickin politicians will once again try to get into the doctors office,and make medical decisions for women that should be left to a woman and her doctor,and McCain is just as full of it as Obama is.I hear "I hate Fox[News] TV,they can't HANDLE what Obama is dishin' out, and Obama is a God" and I wonder about the sanity of the speaker [a neighbor,and someone I thought was sane and mid-line intelligent,just goes to show you never know]He was Thrilled! Grow Up!!! Give Obama an academy award,but not the Presidency of the United States! And,McCain is no better.And BOTH these jerks believe *I* will believe their campaign speeches! So,they're insulting my intelligence to boot.Well,there ya go.As a middle-aged woman,I hate both candidates,they stand for nothing important to me,and they're both full of hot air and turd :o).I see people who blindly and fanatically follow these politicians as shallow unintelligent people looking for a Messiah,when the power to make change is in their own hands,they just won't own it.As a Mom,I see the political speeches as so much blather,...they remind me of some of the diatribes my young kids would go off on to try and make themselves look innocent of wrong-doing,lots of multi-syllabic words,try to distract me with b.s,rah-rah,my left ASS cheek. I see people cheering these candidates on at their speeches,and I think less of them for it.Sorry,but I do,...if they are so interested in improving the world,maybe they could go out and DO something instead of dressing to the nines,dissecting words not written by the speaker,and applauding empty promises and hot air.And any person,who sees these speeches,and says to me,one of these guys is better than the other,well,I'll know their IQ is a lot lower than I first thought.It's true.I'm sorry!!!You see? As far as politics go,I am an equal-opportunity hater,and come election time,I know my choice will be between a turd sandwich and a big douche.[pardon my french,but honestly those WERE the choices :o)]You know,I never publicly said what my political leanings were before today.It felt good.YAY for me!! I HAVE no political leanings,I'm a registered democrat who votes for whoever the hell looks best for the job,and I wish the U.S would treat other countries the way those countries treat us and visa-versa.:O) Any Mom will tell you,..get rid of all the candidates.Now,take the people who GOT those politicians to where they are today,..the organizers and supporters,the volunteers and campaign managers.....and pick from THOSE people! They can get things done,on time and mostly on budget,and don't feel the need to give a speech each and every time they do.THEY are who I would vote for gladly :o) :o)
So,if you've come this far,I'm amazed!! I have never really spoken like that before,I always shied away from it.I don't want to alienate my family,neighbors or friends over politics,so I don't mention the topic.And hope I haven't offended...but there you go.[cue the violins]"That's what Blogs are for" ......

11 inches,truly!

I have journal envy! My niece T uses Live Journal to blog.They have a lot of nice templates,and you can say what you're listening to,and what your mood is.Only problem is I don't think they have icons for what I'm listening to [men making men noises and high-fiving and laughing at each other] nor the appropriate icon for my mood [pms'ing,holding a glass of wine in one hand and a battle-axe in the other]so I guess I'll stay with blog.com.

PLAN B!! PLAN B !! Didn't I *tell* you the appliance mass exodus was starting??Well,the men got the first [yeah,the first,read on] new tv hooked up with no problem.We have to wait until tues to go switch out the cable boxes for hi-def boxes,and in the meantime,the picture SUCKS.It kinda makes me motion sick.I highly recommend that you do NOT watch tv on a hi-def tv without a hi-def cable box to go with it.So,first tv goes in ok.The men go to move the old living room tv upstairs,and all hell broke loose,no one realized how damn heavy the sucker is [it's huge]and the house is tiny,I don't think they'll be able to get it upstairs,and it sure as hell won't fit where the old upstairs one [the possessed one] is now.So,we need a new tv,but will be damned if we charge it.So,Plan B.Half the money came from my backup-budget,I transferred it to savings today,and Steve will actually go and get the second tv tomorrow morning and pay the other half from his backup-budget..[Also,the living room tv is the same year and same brand as the upstairs tv,and have already shown signs of possession,so we don't feel too bad about replacing it.]Quite the unexpected slap in the wallets,but we won't need to buy a new TV when we move.[5 mikes and 2 tv's in one summer.Vundoobah!]
Oh,and one more thing....I can't post my updated Amaryllis day 9 pic,'cause the camera froze up my puter and the desktop.I'm [read:Steve] working on it,and hope to post a pic tomorrow,it's 11 inches today :o) I SWEAR !! :o)

UPDATE ! Here it is,Steve yelled atthe camera and the puter and made them work! I bow to his expertise :o) :O) A day 9 amaryllis pic :o)

TV's and cables and wires,oh MY :o)

Well,I applied for another job this morning... very close to home.But the guy who interviewed me was not enthusiastic,he said it's very hard on your hands,and I'd get bored.He was one of those so-intelligent-his-head-isn't-in-the-room-with-us guys,so I interrupted him and said,Hey !!I raised three kids to adulthood and didn't murder any of them,I can do ANY thing!! That shocked him into a laugh,so at least he'll remember me :o) I told my loopie sistahs about it ,and they suggest that I report to work tues.,and the guy will think he hired me and forgot.THAT'S friendship !!This is getting played.Oh,so I guess you can tell I didn't take the retail job :o) Steve says I should stay home until we move,then get a job where ever we go.Nice guy! :O) But I'll keep trying. I don't wish anyone bad,but if a lot of people around here would need computer help,I wouldn't have this problem!

We're not a "keeping up with the joneses" type of couple,but I do get psyched when we get new technology,or at least the latest version of it.Tonight Steve will be hooking up the new lcd tv in the living room,and we'll move the living room tv upstairs to take the place of the possessed tv [it turns itself on and off all by itself,and about scared the HELL of of me again this morning,I almost thru a shoe thru at a window.Try 'splainin THAT to Steve!]Tony and Steve are unwrapping it and Tony is saying "Oh,that looks easy as hell to install Dad,no prob!" so I think I'll mosey into the kitchen,get me a drink,and sit back and watch the show :O)I'm kinda kidding...there is nothing Steve can't install,it's a personal pleasure of his.Damn he looks handsome down there,cables to the left and right of him,and a big grin on his face :o) [cue the violins :o)]

And before I go,2 lil pics for the day.Evidently,Sprint is a dick [my apologies to dicks everywhere]but my phone isn't receiving pics.I have to go to the sprint website to see the pics the kids send me.Pic one,is Boo babysitting last night :o) Here is her babysit-ee:[I LOVE the look on the poodles face,looks just like a kid with no patience left for adult crap :O)]

And here is Stevie....I sent soup kits up for both kids,h/m chicken broth and stuff to put in it.Stevie made sure to let me know he actually made the soup:
I get a big kick out of the pics,I'm really happy they keep in touch,and I have evidence they're alive and well...and eating soup :o)

Shopping

Not too much to say tonight...Steve and Tony are out getting a microwave and a tv :o)You women will like this....I just had an UNINTERRUPTED bubble bath :O) I called the guys and asked where there were,they were supposed to 1)to go BJ's 2) pick up a mike and a tv,and Steve knows what he's buying already 3) buy them and 4) bring those puppies home.They're still looking at things @@In my experience,my men are Much worse at shopping than I am.Pick it out,pick it up pay.Done.Not the men,they're afraid the best thing in the world hit the shelf between the time they left home and the time they got to the store :O) :o) I guess that's a man thing :o)
Oh,and Steve has informed me that I *ain't* getting a CTS Predator,evidently we're not rich enough to pay for the speeding tickets he's convinced I'll get if I get my hands on one [In my defense,I have NEVER gotten a ticket,not even a parking ticket.NEVER.I say that speaks volumes,Steve says I know where the cops are,and wait until we move,I'll be getting tickets left and right.Buzzkill .][That's what you get for letting someone make all the automotive decisions,just because they're crazy smart in that area,and it's the one area they're always right in] AH ! They're home :o)

Microwave the 5th

Busy day today.And Boo and Tony are sick,some kinda strep thing.Stevie came home to do his laundry today, and he agreed to take a care package and our microwave up to Boo,have to get her the homemade chicken soup so she can get better.I didn't know Boo didn't have a mike,and I can't have my Boo up there without microwave popcorn!!So,we'll be getting our 5th microwave this month,[only this one won't be due to arcing, sparking or explosion,yay for us]not exactly the type of record I was looking to set,that's just too damn funny :o) Here's my pic of the day...Stevie brought about 3 loads of laundry to do.He brought the first load in....in a dresser drawer.Then he folded it up and put it back in the drawer to take home.I about bust a gut laughing at this piece of ingenuity,he honestly didn't see what was so funny:

Hey,at least he's *doing* laundry,right? :o)

I kept forgetting to tidy up my blog,I hope you like the new colors,-if you don't,have a drink,...they'll grow on you.Plus,I finally make clickable html links out of the charity links so they'll be easier on the eye,and to navigate.My friend Laura sent me the Second Harvest link last night,and it was so long I knew it was time to do some housekeeping in the links dept.Here is my Boo-torial about inserting a pic in an html link,Old dawgs can learn new tricks :o) And you may remember the pic I used,she sure does :o)

e*******l [3:48 P.M.]: you know that the name of the link goes inbetween the and , right?

Fishiewoo [3:48 P.M.]: yup

e******** [3:48 P.M.]: well put the html tag for the pic in there

e******** [3:48 P.M.]: and there you have it

e******** [3:48 P.M.]: so instead of giving it words to display you are giving it an image

Fishiewoo [3:48 P.M.]: woo-hoo !!!!!! c and p'in

e******** [3:49 P.M.]: haha

e*********l [3:54 P.M.]: dad just called lol

Fishiewoo [3:55 P.M.]: guess who's on my phone ??

e******** [3:55 P.M.]: haha

Fishiewoo [3:58 P.M.]: So it would look like this?

Fishiewoo [3:58 P.M.]: http://www.boomspeed.com/visualeest/boomelon.jpg

Fishiewoo [3:59 P.M.]: where'd the tags go? I'll try again

e*********l [3:59 P.M.]: hmm lemme go look i had the same problem

Fishiewoo [3:59 P.M.]: Bacardis Finest

Fishiewoo [3:59 P.M.]: ooh try that

e********l [4:00 P.M.]: haha yup

Fishiewoo [4:00 P.M.]: Woo-Hooooooooooooooooooooo!!! :O) Mom do good!

It's 6 inches,I SWEAR !!!

I mentioned that Steve bought me a camera,a newbie-point-and-shoot-cause-you-can't-do-anything-else camera.I was reading the owners manual [I know,a foreign concept to men] and was amazed by the options on it.Soft focus,different lighting styles,shoot subject with soft backround,shoot landscapes with distant focus,shoot whitish scene brightly,I mean,this thing probably will take out the garbage too [I know,another foreign concept...follow along anyway]So,I thought to take a picture of a plant,and a car,and then play around with the settings,and see what they actually could do.My first subject was this poor philodendron:

Poor,poor thing.So,I used a soft focus on it,and a few of those options presented to me,and Sha-zam,look what happened!!!!!!!

Then I thought,if the camera could be so nice to a plant,what about the car?I looked hard,and got a pic of a old wreck:

Changed the focus,turned off the flash,hit shoot with distant focus,selected a few more options,and OMG,I just could not believe what it looked like!!

[This is a Caddy CTS Predator,and I want it :o)I prefer suv's but if Steve ever brought this baby home for me,I'd drive the hell out of it :o)]
Is this not aMAZing?Maybe you 'd better go look at your camera,and see if *you* don't have any "magic" settings :o) And now,for one final pic.There's no magic about this...this is a Day 5 Amaryllis..you saw it on day 3 last.These things grow like hell,so to keep it honest,I'll take pictures of it with a tape measure,you woudn't belive me if I just told you how fast they grow[unless you grow them yourself.They are addicting,and this is a plant I plan to have more of when we move,you could technically have one in flower year round].I already messed with the growth pattern of this amaryllis,I prefer for it to bloom now,instead of in the winter,when all the plants are inside and window space is at a premium.It was appx 2 1/2 inches on sunday.Here it is today:

Microwaves and Thievery

About 12 years ago,every appliance we owned...from the vcr to the stove,to the fridge,to the mike,phones,a toaster a coffeemaker,the washer And the dryer,I'm sure there were more...EVERY damn one stopped working in the same month.I'm not kidding,one month.That one hurt.So,I'm afraid it's starting again,that's one GOOD reason not to get all new appliances at the same time,because they will all go at the same time.It's pretty bad when your kids tease you about it,even though you are the injured party O) This is Stevie this morning:

Goxxxxxxxxr Says [9:44 A.M.]: LOL ANOTHER microwave?

Goxxxxxxxxr Says [9:44 A.M.]: dear God Mom!

Fishiewoo [9:45 A.M.]: Oh,it wasn't me...this time Dad was using it,and the microwave went berzerk :) I am INNOCENT...most of the time :o)

Fishiewoo [9:45 A.M.]: He got another one @ bj's,but it looked like someone used it and returned it,- it was scratched to hell,so we're getting another one tonight :)

Goxxxxxxxxr Says [9:45 A.M.]: LOL 4 microwaves in one summer

Gxxxxxxxxxxr Says [9:45 A.M.]: you guys are talented

Fishiewoo [9:46 A.M.]: I was gonna say,Hell,that takes Talent! :o)
Fishiewoo [9:51 A.M.]: Did you see the other IM I sent you yesterday? Dad bought me a new camera,and you can have the camera of ours that you have now,I just need the batteries from it,they're rechargeable.I'll search out the instruction book for your camera,it's around here somewhere

Gxxxxxxxxxxxr Says [9:51 A.M.]: Nice!

Goxxxxxxxxxxr Says [9:51 A.M.]: no i didnt see it

Goxxxxxxxxxxr Says [9:51 A.M.]: just the microwave Boom Boom
Fishiewoo [9:51 A.M.]: Micro boomboom hehehe

Fishiewoo [9:52 A.M.]: shocked the sh*t outta Dad for sure

Fishiewoo [9:52 A.M.]: Better us than you :o)

Goxxxxxxxr Says [9:52 A.M.]: :-p

Goxxxxxxxxr Says [9:52 A.M.]: this is true

The kids get a kick out of things like this happening to us :o) I'm afraid to tell Steve the tv upstairs has this black border around the picture,if I say that out loud the other appliances will hear that and croak in sympathy.
I also wanted to show you this...my niece T was not aware that I love B&W prints...she's an art major,and I thought she was more into pastels,oils and portraiture [the "moona lisa" she did for me :o)]She sent me a few of her photos today,here is one,have a look:

Beautiful,T :O)When we move next year you will be the featured artist in my diningroom [cause I'll just print the photos you e-mail me,mat 'em and frame 'em.Sue me,and no turkey for you! :o) ]

Oh,there was another thing I wanted to mention.It's a man thing again.DO NOT get a mike,look it over and see that it's not new.Go back to BJ's, have Steve return the mike while you get another one.He goes back out to the truck WITH YOUR $$$ and YOU get to pay for the mike again.He'll be laughing his ass off to the point that it affects his ability to get the new mike in the back of the truck.And you might just have to wait until he falls asleep and have an open honest chat with his wallet.Including leaving a note telling him his money is being held hostage.Insomia can be useful. Thievery even more so :o)

Photographs and memories

Update:
Desk going together.Steve had to go down to the basement on an unrelated trip,and grabbed the drill,so technically he cheated!! I Swear !
Update:He just sent Tony to me asking for my tool kit.I TOLD YOU! I can feel his smile from here :o)

Kids went to a show last night,Stevie took my camera.Camera went home with him instead of back to me,so we decided to give him that one as a housewarming gift and buy a new one.Today.I really want to get pics of that amaryllis !
And speaking of pics,John has graciously allowed me to post here a few of his "graphs" :o) so I could try to explain yesterdays entry.Some of you who haven't looked at black and white lately,might feel that it is the passe way of taking photographs. Highly,tightly posed,mostly formal,mostly family-oriented.This is an example of that,...my Mom,Dad,sister Sharon and brother Bruce,around 1953.This is what most people think of when they think of B&W photography:

When cameras became more user friendly and less expensive,and color film was introduced,people equated black and white with unwieldy and old fashioned.Fastforward a while :o) The interweb came to my home,and I got to visit sights like these:
http://www.paulpolitis.com/photography.asp
and
http://www.nyclondon.com/blog/
among others.It was just such a search that found Johns' blog :o)
I prefer Johns blog to the others,because of the nature of the photos.This one first:

When you strip away the color,you're left with the texture here.This looks like gin that's been in the freezer for a week,you know if you put your hand in that water you'll freeze,and it will have a silken,unctuous texture to it.You're not swayed by any sunlight or lack thereof,or any water colors ,like green or blue,that would cause you not to be able to associate the water with something else.You can almost reach out and feel the texture of the water.I Loved that photo.And this one,I'm almost afraid to tell you what I thought...actually,I'm not gonna,I don't need to look crazier than I am.I did go to Johns blog,type it out,and never posted it.When you look at this,don't be looking for the content,or the composition,just look at it.
These are photos that simply wouldn't work,or wouldn't have the same impact in color.The digital also has a different texture, it's kinda harsh,and unforgiving,and [IMHO,I hope a lot of you aren't photographers or my ass will be in a sling] simply doesn't have a lot of texture to give to the subject.And I do love color shots,RockerLin from kf does fantastic "groupie" shots [SHE gives the word groupie a good meaning ]if I had one of hers I'd put it here for contrast.[I'll ask her for some,but her son is headed off to college for the first time,so it might be a while.

And now you'll see the difference,between a photographer and a duffer [I being the duffer ] Here is todays effort,...this is the Amaryllis that came out of hibernation thurs.night..that's right,3 days ago.This is all new growth since then :o)

And this,hot off the press from Rockerlin,you feel like you're right there[and TY Lin :o)] [this is Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard]

Feedback

This is actual feedback I received on eBay recently:

"This transaction was like two scoops of delicious ice cream. Yum. Ice cream!"

For the LIFE of me I'd like to know what the seller was on when this feedback was written,I'd like to try it :o)And it was only luck that I saw it at all,I generally don't bother looking at it.Which makes me think,maybe I *ought* to be reading my feedback,I could be missing some good stuff.

I had planned to post a pic of my amaryllis,it came out of hibernation on thurs and is already a few inches tall.I'm getting pretty good at point and click with the digital,you can at least tell what I'm trying to show you,but someone [all 3 kids and Brenden]stole my [ok,Steves,but I'll use it wheneverthehell I want! ]camera,so that will wait until tomorrow.They're going to another show tonight.Good times for us ;o) ;o)

I'm still not really comfortable taking pictures.It's an art,but not one that should or really can be "critiqued" unless the photographer was practicing technique or aiming for a certain shot and then asks the viewer "Did I git 'er"?With music,well,you can be sharp,flat,use the wrong fingers,the wrong breathing technique for that register or instrument,the wrong strum,bow the wrong way,these are all things someone who is knowledgeable can plainly see or hear.When looking at a pic,YOU are deciding what you see,and in all honesty,I usually see something different than what was intended,it's more of a textural thing than a composition thing...does that make sense? That's why I put Johns blog in my favorites list here,B&W prints strip away the extraneous,B&W takes away what covers up what I see.I'll go to Johns blog and ask if I can post one of his pics here,so you can see what I mean,I don't *think* I'm crazy :o)So,you have to know I got brave to actually post pics I took :o)I'll practice on the amaryllis.When the camera comes back :o)

[psssssssssssssst...30 days til fall.I was sitting on the porch at 3am,and you could plainly smell it.Then I thought I saw a bat and ran inside.]

Barbies and Stilettos

I couldn't wait to come tell you about this..I heard a story today about a guy who took his lil granddaughter fishin'.He had bought her a Barbie fishing rod.The granddaughter tells her Grandpaw,"I gotta PEE" -and you Dads and grand-dads know when a kid says that you'd best believe em.The granddaughter takes off...and the Barbie rod gets a nibble.Grandpaw picks it up,and catches a record breaking catfish with it :o) I wasn't sure I heard that right,so when I go home I Googled that,and sure enough,it's true.I am lucky enough in my life to know some really cool guys,and I can't think of ONE of them who would be caught DEAD fishin' with a Barbie rod! Can you picture the scene?That just struck me as so funny [in a good-for-you-Grandpaw kinda way].Here,go see for yourself :o)

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/49535.html

I can see we'll have a lil company too....looking over the new comment for the "noise"post,we have a newbie.She may be young,but what a mouth! :O) :O) My niece T,she of the "Moona Lisa" fame...the portrait that hangs in my living room [there's a pic of it in my aol/aim profile,look for fishiewoo] Always nice to hear from family,Dear,and your comments,as always,are welcome :o) I love you Honey :o) My kids will roll their eyes and back away like I'm a rabid [fill in a cute animal here],Steve doesn't comment unless his Vic is invoked,but not T,she'll wade right in with both feet :O) :o) And SHE would fish with a Barbie rod,in black stiletto heels :o)

Oh,for petes' sake! I just signed up @ LiveJournal so I could leave a comment for T.Do you KNOW how long it took me to find a username no one was using? I'll admit,I kinda like the new username process.No matter where I am,I am fishiewoo,and have been for a long time,now I get to be Faboo_One ..... I *like* that..sounds like a transgender flamenco dancer :O)

Steve had a bad day at work,so I neglected to tell him I spiked his iced tea with ketel one,[yes,he did figure it out after the first sip...I got a not-very-convincing "Oh,NO,you shouldn't have!!"]and I sent him off for a nap.All I have to do now is wake him up,offer him another spiked drink,and we can move right on to appetizers,- that will get me out of cooking dinner! Old age and treatchery,I'm tellin' you......

This and that

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Mr Happy !

A few updates:
Today,the Poland Spring dude made his delivery unmolested and fear- free.YAY for him!

Steve never put the desk together,Tony had other "plans".I'll bet all the money in my wallet [haha did the grocery
shopping this morning ,I think I have 5 and change:o)] and a glazed ham dinner with strawberry shortcake for dessert that he goes for my girlie tools tonight :o)

I viewed the e-mails in my spam folder this morning.I thought about them all day,as it appears that total,complete strangers are very concerned about my Penis!! How kind! How considerate! I am truly touched by your concern.I was not aware that I owned one.Let me assure you,if I should ever get one,I will let you know! In the meantime,your marketing strategy leaves a bit to be desired.All of your e-mails were Waaaay to clinical.Penis and phallus [and all their misspellings]are *so* yesterday.Why not try using the term,oh,I don't know,... Johnson! Yeah! Or,Woody Johnson? Or Schlong! Or Wang? Wong? Pecker? How about Mule, Mr Happy,salami,sausage,schwantz,tally-whacker,doo-whacker,wang-doodle,burrito,ferret,dingdong medork,package,or Jimmy? People might laugh and actually read the e-mail! [I would like to thank some of my *loopie* sisters for this compilation.I called Steve and asked him for some of these technical terms,and all he could do was laugh.Not very helpful ;o) ]

AOL posted a quiz,so that all of us stupid enough to still have the software on our puters could figure out why.It was titled"Which brain are You? " I didn't see "scatter-brained" as a choice,and was about to glide by,but took the lil quiz.Very interesting,except I'm half-right and half-left brain,according to the test.In true AOL form,the url was so long it wouldn't wrap,so I purtied it up for you:

http://tiny.cc/u3Mtz

#1 I'm better at science than math,and better at lit than art.A wash.
#2 I'd much rather read than hike outside,considering the bears and rattlesnakes here.So that's a left-brain vote.
#3 Both.Depends on my mood and the time of the month.A wash.
#4 Neither,I can't do either one.A wash.
#5 Both.See #3.
6# definitely yes,I prefer picture directions to word ones.So,that's a right-brain vote.

You see where I'm going?I've got a right,a left,and the rest are either/or,so what does that make me?[Oh,I KNOW how tempting it is.Dont say it.I have dead-eye aim and a wicked left hook :o) And a bat :o)]

Noise

The definition of the word "Noise" is something I'm thinking about.[Yes,I am facinating.Drink your coffee or scotch and hush.]"Noise" means different things to different people.I told you,we live RIGHT near the NYS thruway.To my mind,noise galore,from jake brakes on trucks to emergency vehicles and road maintenance vehicles,damn speeding motorcyclists,and the accidents.Dear sweet Jesus,have we had our share of accidents on this stretch of road.These types of noises make my skin crawl,and hurt my ears.Any noise that I can quickly identify as non-threatening,....a stove timer,heavy metal music,the answering machine beeping randomly because it really hates me,any kid noise of the non"Help I am dying" kind,I can tune right out,the day-to-day noise in a house flies beneath my radar.[unless it's the smoke detector,then dinner is ready]Last night we were in the livingroom,and I decide I need the a.c on. [window unit]It made a little bitty rattling noise,and you'd have thought a mob was breaking in to pillage and loot the way Steve jumped up and slapped that puppy.[and if you're breaking in here to pillage and loot,good luck with that,and be careful of the treadmill,it bites]He can totally ignore the noises that make me want to break something,but the littlest household noise,-the stove timer going off 10 times in a row cause I didn't feel like turning it off,or the a.c,or the washer cycle-end klaxon,just little things grate on him like sandpaper.I haven't decided if this is a man/woman thing or not.And on a tangent....my newest threat,when a certain someone tries to play dumb or actually succeeds in being dumb,I tell him "I'm gonna blog about that!" And he believes,this man knows I will [you know I will too]If he wants to blog about my stupid women stuff,he'll have to get his own blog.This one is taken ;o)

When my darling daughter moved,she took my tool kit.Not to be confused with "tools",the men look at my toolbox and laugh in a superior type of way....but I notice when they need a tool for something in the house,they're all over my tools,being too lazy to go down to the basement and get the he-man tools.I ordered myself a new toolbox and a power screwdriver [more powerful than a powered screwdriver,with a drill chuck on it,but at 6 volts,it's a tool Steve can laugh at while he runs for his 18 volt,or however many volt he has now]and they arrived this morning.The power tool is being charged even as we speak. Tony needed a new desk,and we bought him one,...that we [read: Steve,with ample cursing] will have to put together.I will bet you all the money in my wallet and a roast chicken dinner that he goes straight for my girlie tools tonight :o) And you Know he will :o) And I will be his biggest supporter,bringing drinks and rah-rahing,and then slinking off to play games online :o)

Hi-Test

Damn!!!Oh,now WHO is responsible for discontinuing Eight O'Clock dark roast whole bean coffee??? I wanna talk to you!! What am I gonna do??Steve and I went on our monthly trip to A&P to get the dark roast,and it isn't there any more.I had to buy "Italian Dark Roast" as a replacement,Steve says it smelled a lot like the dark roast.I mix 1/2 Eight O'Clock 100% columbian and half Eight O'Clock dark roast beans,and grind.The Dark Italian stuff is NOT making the grade.This is IMPORTANT stuff around here,my coffee is,well,let's put it this way...NO ONE wants to mess with Mamas' first cup of the day.NO ONE. Damn.[Note those caps,baby I mean Business!!]

From hi-test in my "cowgirls rule" mug,to hi-test in the tank....The A&P we go to is in Jersey.We stopped at a gas station down there...high test was 50 cents cheaper per gal.than in NY !!! WTH???? I can't believe I'm gonna say this...but I wish to hell the gummint would regulate gas prices like they do utility prices.I can't believe some of the crap in my inbox lately about gas prices,from boycotting citgo to "oooh,the gummint is conspiring to keep vehicles that would run off of alternative fuel sources off the market".The gummint doesn't have the energy to keep anything from anywhere,hell,the only action I ever see from the gummint usually comes from the IRS [NOT that *I* have anything against the IRS,some of my best friends work for the IRS,yes indeed !!! ;o) ]One thing I want to know from the gummint is what's in Area 51...but you didn't hear that from me,cause *I* ain't one to gossip ;o)

Swiffer

Sit down.Sit waaaaay down.It finally happened.

Stevie just called me from his new apartment.

"Ma,I don't know how you do it.I spent 130$ in Stop n Shop and have nothing to eat"

Finally,one of my children realizes what a Goddess I am !!! :o) :O) Of course,this is the same child who took my swiffer mop with him.I hope it comes back tomorrow.Boo and Steve are coming home for some wrestling PPV and are spending the night.I told Tony and Stevie to remind Boo to bring my Bill Joel anthology home,and I told Tony and Steve to remind Stevie to bring my swiffer home.I'm taking bets now :o)

Quite a few of my houseplants are flowering right now,it's beautiful to watch,but I got a surprize this year...my asparagus plant is throwing flowers.I wasn't aware they flowered.My sister Sharon would really be digging this :o)

Julia!

Who'da thunk it Julia Child was a spy for the U.S during WWII !! I always loved that old broad,and now I know why :O)
Part 2 of the Rozerem story...my Dr convinced me to keep trying the rozerem,give it a week.The bad dreams are becoming fewer and farther between,so I said OK.Submitted the RX to the pharmacy yesterday,and got a call from the Dr's office...Aetna refuses to pay for it until I try ambien [one of those pesky controlled substances that a]don't work for me and b]have you hit positive for opiates on drug screenings at work.]If you're like me,you'd just LOVE to take a drug test,fail,and have to explain your private medical history to a stranger [that's why I post about it here ;o) I dig the dichotomy :O)] so I called Aetna and reamed their asses,I DO NOT get where they get the balls to tell my Dr what to do.The guy gave me an 800 number only my Dr can call,to get preauthorization to get the rozerem.Great,right? I call BULLSHIT on it.I went and picked it up last night.This is NOT a new drug on the market,and any time you can use an rx like this vs. a controlled substance,well,that makes you and the Dr happy,right?Well,Aetna the bastards got the last laugh...the rx cost 50$/month.I'm not paying that,so after this rx runs out I'm back to square one.I know NY has a bureau that oversees insurance companies,and this weekend I am making it my misson to find it,and send them a love note concerning this situation.Probably nothing will come of it,but maybe it'll help somebody else down the road.
Yesterday,I did what I do when I'm depressed...practiced and baked all day.I've got 8 loaves of pumpkin bread to show for it.I'll go see Beverly today,drop some bread off,see if there's anything I can do.
I got the job I'd interviewed for,contingent on passing the drug test [teehee] but now Steve doesn't want me to take it.During the interview,the interviewer mentioned 3 times the front end [not the position I got or that I want]and that means cashiering,which first off I'm overqualified for,but second,I will never do again unless it's an emergency [I never say never,it tends to come back and bite you in the ass]My concern is that,they will gradually put me where they want me,and after you sign on the dotted line,the only way out is quitting.Now,trust me on this,I don't mind at ALL being a SAHM/SAHW !!!!! It's just that,I get bored sometimes,I need something for my brain to chew on.And I prefer to have money coming in.It's true that,I can save us a LOT of money by being at home.Just not sure that's what I want.I take the drug test tomorrow or monday.So,I'm being an ass,and I'd better decide today what to do,before I waste their money and our time.[Oh,and Steve says I'd rock as a lunch lady.He's still pulling pillow stuffing out of his ears :o)] [And,lunch lady would be great,the hours would be great,lots of time off,and I already looked,not available in my district right now o)] [But don't tell Steve that,he'll get all superior-feeling.And we can't have that :o)]

The Bus Stop

The school bus stop in our town is so far from our homes that we drive our children down there,and are there to pick them up in the afternoon,so if you have 3 kids you could spend a considerable amount of time at the bus stop.Now,I'd gone to school with one neighbor on the hill.I went to school with Beverly. She's around my age,with kids around my age,so when I first started going to the bus stop,I knew at least one person.Thru Beverly,I got to know her sister-in-law,another neighbor,Celeste.I immediately clicked with this small group,and I can't begin to count the mornings and afternoons we spent together down at the bus stop.We shared intimate details of our lives,and knew they would go no further,and laughed and cried over our husbands and kids down there.Celeste,when we found out about Tonys' developmental delays,became a mentor to me,having been down that road with her youngest son.She helped me thru a lot of tears.Various other people came and went,but the 3 of us have been there for 18 years.Even after our children graduated,and we didn't hook up at the bus stop anymore,all it took was a call,or a word,to bring on laughter or tears.We were always there for each other.This morning Beverly called me,to tell me that Celestes' battle with cancer is over.She fought for 10 years,but the cancer just kept coming back.

I lost my sister Sharon to cancer on May 5th.She was my artistic mentor,there is nothing she could not draw,and she was so creative,just out of this world.Sharon was someone who loved me and always looked out for me.The beginning of my green thumb came from her and a poor asparagus fern she gave me when Steve and I got married.I lost a loving 'net friend to cancer [Candy to you KF'ers]a few weeks later,and for you KFers' I really couldn't come into KF and talk about losing a sister to the same disease taking Candy,YKWIM?.I got her for the Secret Santa this year,and all she wanted was a bonsai tree,how can you not love somone who wants a tree for heavens'sake?Her brownie creations will always be the talk of KF.And now Celeste.3 beautiful,inspiring,smart,loving women,all dead of cancer within 3 months of each other.

I read articles about how we're winning the war against cancer,blah-blah-blah.I call Bullshit on that.This is Sharons last letter to me.She made a postcard showing how she felt about chemo,and her bald head.THIS isn't winning.

Abe Lincoln

So,rozerem is supposed to help you dream about Abe? I took some advice,[and,TYVM,but you know,anything I post here might help someone else going thru the same thing,so I talk about it.You're welcome to e-mail me,but you also can just comment on whatever I said if you're not the shy type :o) ]and at my checkup,told my Dr about the insomnia.Most of my life it's been on and off.As a kid,I could just read all night,but that's not really an option now.I live with it,but for the past 2 months,it's every freakin night.I also told her I couldn't handle sleeping pills that knocked you out,and I was pretty sure there was nothing left to try.She suggested rozerem,a sleeping pill that's doesn't knock you out,and you could take it every night if necessary,it works on melatonin.So I said hook me up.I got a free week,and an rx.Here's a link,and you can get the free week card from the manufacturer,here:
http://www.rozerem.com/

I am a vivid dreamer,and usually remember everything I dream about,and I thought everyone was like that.Not so,Steve doesn't remember a blessed thing,and the kids are somewhere in the middle. I am having the worst nightmares on this stuff,I can't tell you.Black,suffocating,terror dreams,where you wake up sitting straight up in bed with a scream behind your lips.The Dr.said the stuff took 3 nights to work,and I gave it three nights,and I'm done. I'd rather watch country fried home videos than have those dreams again.[and if you're considering rozerem,I suggest making sure to get the free weeek...it's a card the Dr gives you along with an RX for a week.Absolutely free.And TRY it before you fill the full rx.]
On the bright side,[or the dark side,depending on my mood :o)]Stevie is moving Saturday.Last weekend was Boos' turn,so there's 2 down :o) Tony is totally bummed about it,but I think that will change in time :o) :o)I wonder how much stuff I'll be missing,after Stevie is gone,and I look around at what Boo and he might have taken.Potholders? Towels? My Billy Joel Anthology [well,Boo already has that,I'm still trying to get it back.We lure her home with food,but so far the book stays in New Paltz :o)]I'm not sure I'll be able to lure Stevie back with food for quite a while,his apartment is right over a Deli :o) :O)I don't even want to LOOK at the CD's,I know I'm gonna take quite a hit there.Steve has all his favorites in his car in a big cd holder,but I just have the 6 cd changer thingie,so all my cd's are still in the house,and fair game.Do you know,they ALL tried to steal Meatloaf and Billy? Those are MY kids :o) [OK,the best of the Doobies is missing too.]I swear,I'm gonna take the original cd's out of the jewel cases and replace them with past inaugural speeches and "Archery:lesson one" cd's,they'll never steal from me again :o) :o)

Tony!

Today is Tonys' 19th birthday!He is my youngest,and the one who overcame the most to get where he is today.When he was 3 month old,I knew something wasn't "usual" with him.At 12 months,we talked to the ped.,and began rounds of testing.Not quite autistic,not quite fragile X,Tony had a few "indicators" for a lot of learning disabilities,but no clear cut diagnosis.So,at 18 months old,he began Early Intervention,a program which I cannot say enough good about,it turned his life around.He started as a half day student,getting on a school bus and traveling half an hour one way to get to school.I wanted to drive him,but was told this was an important part of the program,and helped kids transition between home and school.I cried for a week,that was one of the darkest times in my life,putting my baby on a bus,and I'm crying again just remembering how that felt.The progress he made is nothing short of a miracle.During intake,they asked me,Gail,what do YOU want to see happen with your son?" And I said,I just want to hear him say "I Love you Ma"..he wasn't talking at all.And now we can't shut him up :O) The year he entered kindergarten,Steve gave me a fishtank for Christmas,and Tony was riveted by it.My non-talker made up a song about the fish,and that was how I got my aol username [fishiewoo] :o) He graduated high school on the A honor roll,and decided he couldn't spend any more time in a classroom,so he works at a local autoparts warehouse.Today,he is a savant for all things electronic,especially puters,and anything including the burning of videos from vhs to disk.Anything he becomes interested in,he winds up owning :o)Happy,healthy,and strong :o)I couldn't Love him more or be more proud of him.Happy Birthday Tony :o) !!!

Tony,newborn,with Boo,...they are still inseparable :O)

Second grade,the "Tie" period :o)He HAD to wear a tie when getting his pic taken,and for later chorus and band concerts.and no amount of cajoling would change it,so I bought him fun ties :o)

And the 19 year old,come on already,I want to go :o)

Under the Boardwalk

I finished scanning all my old pics,and burned them to disks.Of course,this made me nostalgic.Four years before we moved to this house,we lived in an apartment ...a huge,lovely apartment.Only thing was,no one told us there'd be a bar underneath it,and the bandstand & jukebox were located underneath the master bedroom! How fun !This song,one of my all-time favorites,was played 3 or 4 times a night,and is now a family joke. So,from me to you.I hope it gets stuck in your head like it's stuck in mine right now.Don't ever say I didn't share anything with you :o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV6WgRAN9FU

Oh when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof,
And your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fire-proof.
Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea.
On a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.
(Under the Boardwalk) Out of the sun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
Man, we'll be having some fun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
People walkin' above.
(Under the Boardwalk)
We'll be falling in love under the Boardwalk, Boardwalk.
From the palms you hear the happy sounds of the carousel,
and you can almost taste the hot-dogs and french fries they sell.
Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea,
on a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.
(Under the Boardwalk) Out of the sun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
Man, we'll be having some fun.
(Under the Boardwalk)
People walkin' above.
(Under the Boardwalk)
We'll be falling in love under the Boardwalk, Boardwalk.
Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea,
On a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.
Under the Boardwalk, down by the sea,
On a blanket with my baby, is where I'll be.

A Call

I got a call to interview on Tues.I forget what I said I'd do ,but if it puts money in the bank,I'll do it.Except for cashiering.I got suckered into doing that,and I hope to God never to do it again.I loved all the people I worked with,and even most of the management,but the store manager was such an asshat you'd wonder why his knuckles weren't bloody from being dragged on the ground all the time.Oh,and I wanted to comment on this,..it appeared as one of the stories on the margin of my blog today:

"Putting the pedal to the metal will soon be a little more difficult in Nissans. The company has announced the development of an "Eco Pedal" system that makes the gas pedal press upward when it senses that the driver is accelerating too quickly, a feature that may help motorists improve fuel efficiency by 5 to 10 percent. The system will help Nissan owners reduce their gas consumption by calculating the most fuel efficient rate of acceleration and alerting heavy-footed drivers to ease off the gas pedal when their driving exceeds this rate. Modifying driver behavior is part of Nissan’s strategy for reducing global carbon dioxide emissions"

Holy SHIT !!! I already told Steve,if this moves to production on my type of vehicle,he'd better find a way to disable it,or I'll snap the friggin gas pedal right off when I stomp on it :o)Can you imagine,trying to make a fast acceleration,to get out of someones' way,and the CAR says nichter to that? Sounds dangerous to me,to allow a computer to override my common sense [and my lead foot ;o)]And honestly,I'm not talking about speed for speeds' sake,but about power,and the judicious use of it.I guess there's no escaping being a gearheads' wife,I really do appreciate a well tuned powerful vehicle.Just don't tell Steve that,he'll try to get me into his car again,and I'll wind up with a ticket from Honda Cop ;o)

Boo !

Today is my daughters 22nd birthday.It's made me nostalgic all day long.THIS is the child,honest to God,that put me on a first name basis with the poison control center,I'm not kidding.Smart,and faster than a weasel.One tale to demonstrate this...Stevie was 6,she was 3.Stevie had a chest cold,Boo did Not.We dosed Stevie.Put the medicine back on the TOP shelf of the TOP cabinet in the kitchen, and used the child lock on it.I escorted Stevie to the livingroom beanbag,and Steve stayed right in the kitchen.I turned around,and there was Boo...STANDING on the counter,childproof lock defeated,childproof CAP on the medicine bottle defeated,yelling "Hey Ma,I took care of myself"with a big rim of red around her mouth.She got to know the taste of syrup of ipecac very well,this child :o) I never use her real name [the day we brought her home from the hospital,my Mom took one look at her and called her Boo,and that was that],and since I dont think reading my blog is very high on the list of fun things to do for the kids,I will show you these.From my newborn baby still in the hospital:

Thru her high school years,and one of her passions:

To this past fall,helping out in the yard :o) Ifyou are supposed to blog about people and things you care about ,then you'll be seeing a lot of my crew in here.This is my Boo,and I couldn't Love her more,or be more proud of her.Happy Birthday Sweetheart :o)

Apples and Insomnia

Steve decided that we needed a shed.He wanted the mowers and the snowblower in an easy to reach location.We didn't discuss WHERE the shed would go until he brought it home,and started to build it.He chose to put it under the apple tree in the front yard.I told him,I thought that would hurt the roots of the tree,but he said Hon,this is the best location for me.Since he's responsible for all that stuff,I said ok.So,this was mid fall.Winter,spring,now summer is here.And that damn apple tree is doing what all apple trees are supposed to do...drop their fruit.Have you ever heard an apple drop off a tree and fall 10,15,20 ft.straight down onto a metal shed?It's like freakin armageddon out there.And Steve,after the realization of what he's done,is trying with a very straight face to tell me it's MY DAMN SQUIRRELS.Up in the tree.Bombardiering his poor shed,throwing apples at it.Poor Steve.This will cost him ;o)THIS is what you think about at 3am when the apples begin to fall:

Apples rain from limbs
gnarled by the seasons, dripping
fruit into my dreams.

I know,I know,it's the insomnia talkin'. It's pretty bad right now.Last night was the first night I said screw it,I can't lay here another minute,so I came downstairs.While serenaded by my bombardiering squirrels :o) I tried surfing just like the men do.Hated it.But,I found a hysterical show"Country Fried home videos" OMG,Americas funniest home videos with a drawl,I was worried I'd wake someone up laughing.One guy was trying to walk on his HANDS on a treadmill.Here I am fighting to get my FEET on the sucker,and he's trying to walk upside down,and keeps trying,no matter HOW many times he fractures his skull falling on the thing :o) It reminded me of the single-mindedness someone I know displayed when building a certain shed.But I won't name names,'cause *I* ain't one to gossip.[But you know who you are,and it WILL cost you.]

A Helpful Tip

A Helpful Tip.From Me to You.Stop playing with the .wavs' on your puter.It came with certain sounds for a reason.The interweb did not intend for you to mess around with you wavs',selecting Archie Bunkers' "Ah shut the hell up"as the wav to hear when you bring your puter back from hibernation or unlock it,especially if you leave the sound turned off most of the day.You KNOW you'll hear the siren song of You Tube, turn the volume up,and forget it.You Will lock your puter,volume on high.And then,when you call your credit card company to ask about a charge on your card [you Dumbass,it's the gummint from a few days ago,cleverly disguised]you intend to go to your account online....while on the phone with the c.c company......and you unlock your puter...and it comes back to life,roaring at your customer service rep to "Ah,Shut the Hell up". Good times.I'm not sure I want to tell Steve or the kids about this one,I want to laugh,but DAMN that was dumb.I guess I'll just tell you ;o)

Ice cream and Gardening

It's kinda dangerous to give me time to think :o) I do not like where I live,but we've been here so long,we've had such a great life here,and great neighbors.I don't want to make it sound like I'm not grateful to God,or Karma,for everything I have.And,believe it or not ,there ARE things I will miss when we move.For example [and here comes the ice cream]I love the huge trees,the old growth trees,that seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate.Last spring while weeding I came across a baby Norway Spruce.We have 2 huge ones in the yard,and I will miss them.The squirrels and chipmunks love them,and they are pretty funny to watch...just don't watch while your chopping stuff for dinner.But I digress :o) I brought the baby Norway Spruce in,and wondered if I could keep it alive inside,I understand pines don't take well to inside conditions.I didn't want to put it in a permanent planter,because if it got diseased,I'd have to toss the planter as well as the tree.And so,Ben and Jerry came to my rescue:

See the tuft at the top? That was pine-cone type material when I planted it,and it just opened up,so I guess it wants to live.This tree will come with me when we move,and I'll plant it in our yard.Probably no one else will remember where it came from [OK,Steve will,he about bust a gut when he saw this in the livingroom the first time:

But I just thought,there's some,what's the word I'm looking for,I over-use existential,..neo-classical?Post-modern?Cosmic? There's some cosmic message here :o) :O) I had a few people not notice,one person roll her eyes as if to reaffirm what she'd thought all along,a few people laugh ,-but that wasn't my intention,there's just something interesting about the comfort of religion and the comfort of ice cream,so near each other.OK,that was a thought from around 3am,but there's some validity to it!
And,I know this is a recent repeat,but here is my word for the day,I'd never heard of it before,and it suits every single thing my landlord has told me ;o)

Coprolite
PRONUNCIATION:(KOP-ruh-lyte)
MEANING:noun: Fossilized excrement.
ETYMOLOGY:From Greek kopro- (dung) + -lite (stone), from lithos (stone).

My Diningroom Table

{This post edited,TY so much Shirla honey !!! :O)]

You know we plan to move next year.Last night,I had myself a lil walk down memory lane.Steve got a picture of Stevie working on his instrument cluster for his car ON MY DININGROOM TABLE.

This type of activity used to piss me off royally when we were first married,but over the years,well,I love him more than the table,so it didn't quite matter as much.Unless he destroyed the tablecloth,then we had some up close and personal talks :o) :o) So,this was yesterdays' pic.And it looks like I can't get the pics inserted into the text,this is driving me crazy.Shirla,HELP!!!

This table came to us by way of Steves parents.They got divorced the year we were married,and they gave us this table.It's one of the few original pieces we have from our beginning,and it means a lot to me.Also,while all my family members were doing their thang,Steve and I stayed here...so our home is the gathering place for all things family,and we deeply appreciate that.In the wee hours,I got to thinkin' about all the action that table has seen over the years.We've hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas for the whole family and friends since 1986,which is anywhere from 15 to 30 people.The good [and the not so good]family meetings,easter egg coloring,pumpkin carving,birthday cakes,graduation cakes,family reunions.When my Ma died,we gathered there.When my Dad died,we gathered there.When my brother and my sister died,we all hooked up at "the table".Even the internet has been on that table,when my Dad and my Sis passed,my internet friends from all over the country were on my diningroom table [the basket below was from my sisters @ kf]

When we first got the table,I thought,it really wasn't to my taste,but I got the spirit with which it was given.Now,I can't imagine any other table taking it's place.My mil was here last weekend and had to laugh,that poor table has seen a LOT of action over the years.I told her,when we get our new home,my first major project will be to refinish it,and the chairs [we have one mismatch,the table came with 4 chairs and we are a family of 5,but over the years the mismatch kinda became family too] She couldn't believe I wouldn't want something new in the new place.I can't imagine getting rid of part of the family.This pic shows one of the chairs,and a corner of the table.We took that cause one of my nieces wanted a pic,she loved the coffee sign,plus,we are the only people she knows that use a chinese take out menu as living art.]

Oh,come into this century already !

So I was ordering some publications from the gummint
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_shop/cicshop.htm
Most were free,the others were 2$.I paid using my debit card,and got order confirm.A few weeks later,I get a slip in the mail saying my card was declined! Me!So I called the bank and got a very nice young lady who laughed when I told her how much the declined amount was.She told me,hold on,and I'll get the code that says why you were declined.Oh wait,there isn't one.So,you guys just go around declining things on a random basis?I told her,I am so embarrassed, and this is a Government website too! So sorry,no answers for you.I call the 800 number listed on the website sheet,explain that I don't have a clue what the problem is,that I have never had any problems with my bank before,and she says wait...you paid with a mastercard.I said yeah,a mastercard debit card.She says,we don't accept debit cards @@I told her,well you took mine.She says "IT WAS A MASTERCARD,NOT A DEBIT CARD". Sometimes it's not worth the effort to take a breath to talk to someone.
So,did I tell you Steve got pulled over? I cannot believe why.....the cop needed a part for his Honda!! [Steve can get all parts,but he does Toyota,not Honda]Steve said he saw the cop going inthe opposite direction on 32 when he was coming home,and saw him do a u-turn and come straight up behind him.He could plainly see the cops face and recognized him,so "He didn't think anything of it" !! A few miles down the road,out of the traffic,the cops lights come on :oO :o) He pulled Steve over,pulling up behind in the usual way,then pulled up alongside his to "shoot the bullshit"And these 2 guys think this is hysterical!All I have to do is SEE a cop and my foot comes up off the pedal and I get nervous,but then again,if you have a lead foot that tends to be your reaction.I am scared to death to drive his car now,it would NOT go down well with me to get pulled over because someone needs a part.And I LOVE to drive his car,it's really powerful.