Five On Friday (On Sunday)

Thanks Stacey, for tagging me.

The rules of The Game get posted on the beginning.
Each player answers the rules about himself [or indeed herself].
At the end of the post, the player tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read his [or her] blog.

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was married to my Ex, living in the house I live in now, working for the company I work for now. Ten years ago I still had my gall bladder, my uterus, ovaries, and fallopioan tubes. I had extremely short hair, and I was about 30lbs heavier. I drank a lot more, smoked about the same, didn't have a DJ business, didn't ride a Harley, didn't drive a Beamer. In general, I was a lot less happy.

Five things on my To-Do list today:

1. Expense Report
2. Update M.I.
3. Drive to New Hampshire
4. Get the new car's inspection sticker
5. Deposit money in my brother's checking account

Five of my bad habits:

1. Smoking
2. Gambling
3. Staying up too late
4. Snooping in MW's phone
5. Not calling my mother enough



Five places I’ve lived:

1. S. Dartmouth
2. New Bedford
3. Fairhaven
4. Fall River
5. Swansea



Five jobs I’ve had:

1. Cashier at Zayre's (how long ago is THAT?!)
2. Store Manager - Brooks Drugs
3. Marketing Director
4. Controller - Handbag Manufacturer
5. Regional Sales Director


Five books I’ve recently read:
1. Lisey's Story - Stephen King
2. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Steven Covey (I revisit this one frequently)
3. How To Win Friends & Influence People - Dale Carnegie (also revisit frequently)
4. Think & Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill (another timeless one - changed my life)
5. John Adams - David McCullough (HBO series was based on it. Excellent)

I tag... Jared, Lisa, Jos, Nexy, and ... uh... I'll get back to you with a fifth.

In Memoriam

This was my friend. She died on Friday, April 12 at the too young age of 53, after a year long battle with lung cancer. She died a horrible, lingering, painful death which robbed her of all dignity.

We were both quintessential Scorpios. We had so many things in common, and just as many things were quite opposite about us. We understood each other, sometimes without speaking - it was like a telepathic connection between us.

She was direct to a fault, often loud & vulgar, but never malicious. She loved to sing, and she loved to laugh. There were 2 times, over the years, when we were at odds, but it didn't last. We could overcome differences that most could not.

You always knew where you stood with her; a trait that is sadly absent in most people. She didn't have a lot, but what she had, she'd share with anyone who needed it. She was generous beyond her means.

She was the champion of the underdog. People who are somehow on the fringe, socially outcast, the less popular. She welcomed them into her circle, and did not judge.

She had a less than charmed life. In fact, life was damn hard for her - right from the begining, and all the way to the end. But you'd never know it by her attitude. She had a love of life, a joy for laughing, and enjoyed giving. She had a big heart.

She ended every conversation with me by saying, "I love you, my friend." and she meant it.

This world lost a unique and wonderful soul, and I will miss her dearly.

Godspeed my friend, may you sing Motown forever, and my you never hit a sour note.

Meet My New Baby

Isn't she lovely?

The Z4 has gone back to Beamer land, and this one takes it's place.

Oooh ... Me Likey

Yo Derek...

Sadly, I know (intellectually that is)that none of John Adams was filmed in Mass, but when I'm immersed in the program, I mean... I just let myself believe, ya know?

Still though, you're right. How hard would it have been to bring a crew to Boston? They do it in Providence all the time.

Speaking of Providence, did you follow the Showtime series The Brotherhood? Great show!

Sometimes He Cracks Me Up !

I'm throwing a Western themed dinner/dance thing fund-raiser at the VFW where I play. So MW is right into this, because you see, he should'a been a cowboy, should'a learned to rope and ride (wait... those a lyrics to a C&W song.)

But anyway, he's been helping me with the planning and many of the little details. Yesterday, he left saying that he was going to go look into some decorations for the party.

Here's what he came back with ! I'm still laughing!

Still In Awe

I bought this TV a month ago. Sony Bravia 52" HD - all the bells and whistles. It's been here a month, and I still marvel at what I see when I watch it. The individual hairs on a man's stubbly face. The hairs on a bumble bee. The details are phenominal. Of course, I find myself sticking to strictly HD channels now, because non HD programs simply suck on a HD tv (a word to the wise.)

In preparation of getting the tv, I switched from Comcast to DirecTv. Right now I miss the DVR capabilities of the Comcast box, but DirecTv has a DVR HD box you can buy which only costs $200 at Best Buy... that's on my list of must haves.

Then, I invested in an updated Bose home theater system. I already had an older one, but the newer ones are sleeker and well... I didn't need it, but I wanted it. So now, I'm a full fledged, couch potato. I can't pry myself away from the television. Geez.



Then, add to that this new mini-series on HBO; John Adams. I'm totally and thoroughly hooked. This show dimensionalizes the trials and tribulations that you read about is US History, but never fully fathomed. It draws me because all of the locations are local to me. When they're showing you the Colonists marching to war, they're marching on dirt roads that are now paved highways which I drive on everyday. When they show you things like Bunker Hill, and Boston Common, I am totally immersed because this is my day to day surroundings. It simply fascinates me.

Well... sorry but I gotta go watch TV.

I Love This Picture !

So anyway, other stuff ...

I did some research; not statistically significant research of course, but research nonetheless. I was interested to know what percentage of women who've had complete hysterectomies (including ovaries) gain weight after surgery. Would it interest you to know that virtually 99% of women do gain some weight after this surgery?

I am eight months post-op, and I've gained 10 pounds. Everyone tells me I needed to gain the weight, but I beg to differ. 10 lbs is the cutoff. It's when one more ounce means your clothes no longer fit. It's the difference between "Just a few vanity pounds," and "You're on your way to becoming fat."

So, today I made up my mind that try as MW does to have me eat when he eats; the answer is a resounding NO. Half of the issue is him. He cooks several times a day. He constantly brings pastry and sweets home. And I have such a sweet tooth, that I find it difficult to resist. When I lived alone, food was not an issue. I kept only the bare necessities here. Coffee, english muffins, sandwich meats (sometimes), and not much more. The other issue is, I've watched as my portions have grown. I know that the secret to weight loss is managing the portions. It's always worked for me in the past. I never deprived myself of anything I wanted, I just ate small portions. Now... Geez Louise! I put a helping on my plate, and he shovels more on it. He reminds me of my grandmother, the way she loved to make us all eat!

Anyway, I'm back on the Hoodia for appetite suppression, and back to tiny portions. I won't lie to you though - there is NO plan for exercise. I hate it, and I don't have time for it. Period! Oh, and no beer either... sadly.

I'm sticking to it for one month. I hope to lose the 10, and then my stomach will be shrunken back down to the proper size, and all will be well in Sybilland again. I hope.

Then there's the "Swelly Belly" phenominon. It's the internal swelling from the surgery that they tell me takes well over a year to subside. THANKS! Well, no worries, I'm not a beach bunny anyway. Still though, it's hard to breathe bent over when your pants waste is too tight. It sucks!

It Just Ain't Right

Some folks I know are going through a hard time right now, and it got me to thinking.

Here's the scenario: They met, and they got involved. Six months into it, he developed troubling symptoms of the Herpes kind. He goes to the doctor and lo & behold; it is indeed the gift that keeps on giving. She, however, did not have symptoms, and I believe her when she tells me that she honestly did not know she had this disease.

My thought is; well, if you didn't know you had this; then maybe you didn't. Maybe he had it before he met you. Logical, no?

Anyway, time goes by and they are happy together even given the circumstances. Then one day, she got tired of his bad treatment, and got rid of him. Welllll, now suddenly, according to him, she's no good, the whore of Babylon, a pig, and whatever else he can think of to say (and blog.)

My feeling is this; First, the asshole deserves a beating to within inches of his life for broadcasting her personal business all over the globe. Second, for years, he didn't think she was a whore and a pig while she put up with his bullshit. It was all well and good until she kicked him to the curb - then suddenly she was a gutter skank who infected his lily white ass.

Personally, I'm convinced he already had it, and blamed her. I mean, who doesn't know they have this? Doesn't it at some point show itself? If she had it, she would have known... and once again, I believe her when she tells me she didn't know. She wouldn't lie to me - we share so many (much MUCH worse) secrets, that she just wouldn't have to lie to me about it, ya know?

So ever now & then I see him or hear from him, and what do I have to listen to? Your friend is a filthy no-good, STD carrying so and so. I get SO angry. In fact, the last time, I got so angry I told him; "One more word, and I'll slap your face." He basically told me to go fuck myself - I ditto'd the sentiment, and we went our separate ways.

Then there's another couple I've been friends with for years. They're married 39 years. He's a jerk, but she loves him.

Anyway, she decides to have an affair with someone she met online. The affair goes on for YEARS. She (stupidly) does not delete the email evidence, and he reads all about their rendevous trips to Tahoe, and Reno, and where the hell ever else. Guess what? He goes BALLISTIC. Wouldn't you?

Now, they're living separately in the same house. He's upstairs, she's down.

That is NO way to live. I know. My ex and I lived that way for over a year. It sucks out loud. But, the trouble is, now that her affair is over, and her husband wants no part of her, she is a nuisance to me. I have my own life here, and I don't have the time to occupy all of her free time. It's driving me nuts. Pretty soon I'm going to have to hurt her feelings... which I hate to do, but really, I'm at the end of my patience.

AND THEN... there's my other friend's daughter who keeps on telling me she's going to kill herself. Over & over again. So finally, the daughter gets herself admitted to a psych hospital, which she has wanted to do for a year (Just to get medicated so she can feel better, she says) and now that she's in there, and committed, she calls me 20times a day, crying that she wants to get out and she's a prisoner there. It's at the point now where I just don't answer my phone.

So, in a nutshell........ these people are all driving me nucking futs and IT JUST AIN'T RIGHT !