A friend of mine shared a picture with me of a new ad campaign for Beyonce's (Destiny's Child singer) clothing line, House of Dereon. It's launched a new children's line and this is the honest to god ad they put in VIBE magazine this month.



Just when exactly did kids start wearing this crap. I know the symbolism is meant to be them dressing up from "Mom's" closet, but seriously.... I'm not holier than thou OR a prude, but this just seems.... wrong. It seems like a pedophiles dream. Look at the little asian girl's face. It's kind of slutty and uncalled for.

No wonder people are complaining that kid's are growing up too fast these days. What kind of world is this!?

If I had chirren, I would NOT dress them like this, just FYI!

I'm still around, just an incredibly busy person with little time to piddle on the computer anymore. Whatever spare time I have is normally taken up with my husband and puzzles and relaxing.

My life is very different from when I started this blog. I'm more accomplished as a human being. I have purpose and learn new things every day. My personality is very different as well and I'm learning to deal with that and accept this change. I took a personality test online that was actually really nice and not like those cheesy 8 question test that give you some bullshit answer. Here is my result:

You Are An INFJ

The Protector You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity. Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is. You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience. You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them. In love, you truly see relationships as an opportunity to connect and grow. You enjoy relationships as long as they are improving and changing. You can't stand stagnation. At work, you stay motivated and happy... as long as you are working toward a dream you support. You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher. How you see yourself: Hardworking, ethical, and helpful When other people don't get you, they see you as: Manipulative, weak, and unstable

Now, in my life I've been similar to this but more along the artsy and fun loving sort. I'm more serious and more of a thinker now than I've ever been.

As for whats going on with me, life is so-so. I'm back into that hermit-y lifestyle since all our friends moved away and it's depressing me some. We also haven't been gaming with friends in guilds recently so I don't have an active online social network either. It is probably a good part of why I'm feeling I'm changed because I know that there are some depressing issues going on.

Work on the other hand has actually lightened my mood recently. I had a couple weeks of roughness with them, where I felt I was being singled out for being a horrible worker, but that has passed. I have to be honest and say openly that I think some of my paranoia was in my head. I had felt very anxious and unstable for a while and reevaluated some of the medicine I was on, turns out my Singulair had anxiety and depression listed as a fricking SIDE EFFECT! I stopped it 3 weeks ago and have been feeling more uplifted ever since.

My medical life is about the same. I'm still dealing with the PCOS and infertility. My weight has been stable for some time and I can't seem to loose it, but my diet is to blame with that as well. I've not been trying as much as I should. I have been able to lose a pants size though. 1 more size and I'll be able to wear normal sizes, which is my goal for my cruise in September.... Maybe I should diet and reach that goal so I don't feel like a failure!!! But I'm still happy I've gone from busting through a size 24 to a very comfortable 18.

Heading out to buy a new printer and then off to work. See you in a couple of months when I have a few minutes to write!!

I have a friend that recently posted a blog on myspace, let me paraphrase what it said for you:


Seriously, she posted it in almost those exact words.

So, it got me thinking.... (scary, I know). Think about the news in the past 20 years alone, how many things have been predicted that they recommend we should be preparing for? Here let me try to make a list:

• bubonic plague
• super flu
• bird flu
• global warming
• asteroids
• robots evolving
• nuclear war
• world war 3
• alien invasion
• planetary breakdown/alignment
• anti-Christ
• aids pandemic
• mega tsunami
• earthquakes
• killer bees
• super volcanoes

Gosh, that's the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. That alone, if taken seriously and to heart is enough to keep a normal person up at night pondering the future.

But how do we respond to it? Do we go as far as to build the underground bunkers and stock piles that the alarmists call for (HELLO Y2K)? Do we live with them on our minds constantly driven crazy by the anxiety? Do we warn others at the risk of sounding completely ridiculous?

I can tell you how I respond to it. I do absolutely nothing.

I have no doubt that one day in time we will be hit by a massive decrease in our population, however that happens. It does seem inevitable, with the technology advancements and growth of population. Will it happen in our lifetime? No freaking clue. Why should I live my life in constant fear of something no one can predict? We can make all the preparations we want, but if the earth decides to shut down and kill us off, all that worrying would have been in vain!

So, I take it for what it's worth: good television. It's engaging and intriguing and fun to watch. But, Lordy.... don't get your blood pressure up over it and spend all your money on food stores that will expire in 5 years.

9 years ago, I married my best friend. I've never regretted it for one day and it gets better and better. Even through the hellish year I've had and the many lash-outs I've handed to him and everyone around me, he loves me regardless and ends each day with snuggling and back rubs trying to make my stress level better. I really could not have custom made a better husband and I'm very thankful for him.

We will be celebrating tonight at Melting Pot. I can't wait!

I know I don't blog much anymore. My life is too busy now for it.  Besides the car stress, life is great. We are still carpooling and dealing with life in a big city with 1 car. I can't wait to buy my new Fit, I'm counting down to an unknown day where I can go out and get it.

Time to get unskanky!

Yes, I'm alive. Barely at times, but alive nonetheless.

This car crap has been stressing the HELL out of me and putting me to the edge of my sanity level. My car is totaled and we are dealing with the process of getting it all taken care of before being able to purchase a new car. Let's just say that everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong, chalk it up to my horrible year I'm having.

2007 has been the shittiest year of my life and I'm hoping that 2008 is better, if it gets worse, you may see me in a nut-house before it's over with as my fragile little mind can't take much more.

All I can say good about this year is that I found the best job ever and I really love it. I've found my calling at Camp Canine.

I've been stuck at the same number range on the scale for a while and even battled a small gain of 5 pounds. The new year will see to me returning to the dreaded diet since I've not technically "dieted" since my lap band surgery. I guess my body has decided that it's not losing more than 50 pounds without my help, lol.

So, yeah, have a great holiday season and I'll see you all in the new year....

Yesterday was an eventful day for me. I got into a bad accident thanks to slippery roads and a sucky car that doesn't handle at ALL. I had to stop fast and ended up fishtailing and hitting the center concrete divider on the interstate. My car may be totalled.

MATRIX BEFORE:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Lerasi/matrix5.jpg

MATRIX AFTER:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Lerasi/car11.jpg
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Lerasi/car2.jpg
And this struck me as funny....


So, yeah.... It's pretty bad. Guy at tow yard guesses they won't total it since it's almost brand new with 15k miles on it. It's going to be a HUGE repair bill though and is going to most definitely kill any resale value if they decide to repair vs total. Right now, it's a big toss up and I'm just waiting to hear from the insurance.

Everyone's first question was: Are you okay, did you get hurt? The answer is:  I'm fine, thank God for seat belts and air bags. Today when I woke up my neck hurts a little with soreness, nothing more than the "crick in neck" feeling. My shoulders and chest muscles are achy, but it's nothing a little Aleve won't take care of. Yesterday I felt nothing.

So, yeah, anyone want to send a Kharma coach my way or have a medium come and get to heebee-jeebees blessed OUT of my house?

This is a little stray my boss found while in Asheville, NC at her Mountain Cabin. It was at a restaurant and in obvious pain not wanting to walk on it's front leg. She took it to the vet and they determined that it had  been in an accident weeks prior and that the best course of action was to amputate the leg. She decided to fork out the $$$ to save the cat's life and bring it back to Raleigh to get it placed into Second Chance for adoption.

So, for the first time in my marriage and life, I'm a temporary foster mom to a 3 legged animal! He is super super sweet and you can tell he's been fending for himself the last few weeks. He's skin and bones and eating ravenously. He is having some trouble getting used to not having a front leg, it's most definitely gotten him off balance.

As for my household, Pasquale saw him last night briefly and started swatting and growling through the door, but I totally expected that. And even though he's not happy with the cat being here, he's brought almost all of his toys to the door of the spare bedroom and keeps meowing at the door like he's a social butterfly.  Priscilla though, I wasn't prepared for her reaction.... She seriously is PISSED OFF at me. She won't come near me and runs and hides when I look at her. She is SO offended that I brought this obviously sick cat into her house. It should be only temporary until we get a longer term foster home where he can be allowed to be with the other fosters, because he's white, he's affecting my allergies and I just don't trust my cats with a critically injured recovering stranger nor do I want to keep him locked up in a spare bedroom!

He didn't care too much for the bright flash on the camera so all the pictures he's either looking away or squinty-eye! He is having a blast marking every inch of those cardboard boxes sitting there waiting for Christmas presents!

Well, me and Chris are heading out soon to do our Thanksgiving shopping. We had decided a long time ago that since I was working, we weren't gonna do a Thanksgiving meal other than something out. Yesterday my crazy husband decided he wanted to do a meal anyway and that he wants to cook it all.... So, we will be having Thanksgiving here.... Silly men!

How can someone live for almost 33 years and then all of a sudden become completely and utterly unlucky and clumsy?

Seriously, in the last 2 months my luck has changed for the extreme worse. Between stuff happening in real life and online and just in general, I seem to have this dark and mischievous cloud hovering over me. I'm an optimist, probably more than I should be. I always see the good in any situation and rarely ever let myself focus on the bad and negatives in life. BUT, if things keep up like this, I may turn into a grumpy old lady.

As for the clumsiness, Chris SWEARS I've always been clumsy, but I've never realized it until recently. Maybe my family can tell me more from growing up if I was a clumsy kid. I know I walked into walls and fell of my bike a lot, but would you have strictly put me in the gangly/clumsy category? Maybe my bad luck has tainted my already testing footing on the ground, making it that more treacherous for me.

Online wise, my luck is just horrific. I think, in a way, it always has been and I've just blown it off. In gaming, I never was able to get anything I wanted to drop from creatures we would kill. I was kinda always "last in line" for loot, either by situation or luck. Gamers out there will understand what I'm talking about, but for the unaware.... I play online role playing games, I'm currently playing a hunter in WoW. Now, this hunter uses a ranged weapon to kill with, so I use bows, guns, etc. So, if I hope that we kill a creature and that it will drop its really nice BOW so I can use it, I'm almost 100% guaranteed that it will only ever drop when I'm NOT there....

This dark cloud that is following me needs to go away, it's bringing back my depression at times and makes me want to cry from lack of ability to change my fortune. It's put my weight-loss on standstill (still at 60 pounds, btw.)

Speaking of weight-loss, I just celebrated my 1 year Bandiversary! On 10/17/06 I had my lap-band put in! I haven't regretted it 1 day and love it. Being able to lose weight slowly by just living and not worrying about it ROCKS!

Soon I will post pictures from my state fair pottery winnings. I did really well this year and entered 11 pieces and won 11 ribbons! 2 - 1st places, 4 - 2nd places, 2 - 3rd places and 3 - 4th places!

In case you haven't noticed, I've been really busy with the 2 jobs and life in general, and my blog is suffering for it. I never have anything interesting to say it will get very few and far between updates when I feel "inspired". I'd love to know who's checking it out though. Last month I had an insane amount of people here averaging over a thousand visits most days and a few days I had 4-5 thousand visitors.... WTF I must have someone trying to spam me and unable to because of my security measures I have on here...

Anyway I need to shower and go to work, I have an errand or two before I get there I need to accomplish.

PS: Mom, you will have a package that is LATE arriving soon for you and Dad!

It's been a while since I posted, but that's because I'm a busy little bee! Our vacation to florida was fantastic. I've prepared a slide show to some of the pictures we took. We went to the following places that are notable: Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Universal Orlando, Universal CityWalk, Universal Island of Adventure, Emeril's Orlando.

We stayed at the Royal Pacific Resort, on the property of Universal and if there is one thing I've learned about vacationing here, STAY ON THE PROPERTY OF THE THEME PARK YOU ARE VISITING! As a guest of the resort, we were allowing instant access to every single ride at the park. Know what that means? NO HOUR LONG WAITS TO GET ON A RIDE! You know how much time you spend a day at a theme park just waiting to get on a 1 minute long ride? Oh gosh, I can't even remotely tell you how pleasant it made our week there. Also, there was a water taxi from the resort to the entrance of the parks, that as well saves a lot of time and stress, and money, imo.

Best of the trip was Discovery Cove, I got to swim with dolphins finally! I'd been wanting to do that for YEARS now. SeaWorld was entertaining. Both of Universal's theme parks were very fun and we got to burn ourselves out on the rides, thanks to the Easy Pass we had. Our absolute FAVORITE was the Mummy ride. Second to that was the Men in Black Ride, but that was because it brought out our competitive gamer side, snicker. Emeril's was incredibly disappointing for us, no where NEAR the quality we usually get while we go to one of his restaurants, guess we will just have to stick to NOLA in New Orleans for our Emeril's kick.

Since I've been home, I've been working a bit and trying to adjust my life to the possibility of going back to work full time at the doggie daycare. I really love it over there. Right now, I have time today because I'm sick with some cold or flu or something. I'm feeling really crappy and Chris just came home about an hour ago and passed out in the bed, he's feeling as sick as me. Let's hope this passes very fast. I have a Dr to see in the morning!

Enjoy this slideshow of pictures from our trip!

I'm about to write a letter to the head of Target Customer Service, or whoever in a higher up I think I have a chance at getting something read to. And THIS is why:



What you see here, is 4 receipts. 2 of which, are TWENTY SEVEN INCHES LONG. Now, let me tell you what is on those receipts. 1 box of Claritin, that's right. 1 item.... On a 27 inch receipt..... Now, that's bad, but what is worse is me and Chris BOTH bought a box of Claritin, at the same exact time. Because it's a controlled substance that we have to show our IDs for, we have to buy them separately.

The other piece of paper is a 5 inch long coupon.

On this ridiculously long piece of paper you will see the top couple inches of both torn off. That's the actual "receipt" in all of this and I took it off to put it in the checking info. I threw it all away until I realized I couldn't let this situation pass without throwing some humor and thought towards it, which is why it's all crinkled. The rest is offers and rebates and sweepstakes and a ton of other crap. The gift receipt portion I can understand, cause well, even thought I rarely use them, it's nice to have without having to remember to ask for it.

I'm not a typical environmental hippie or anything of that nature. It's not about the waste this obviously produces or anything like that, although I've thought about that aspect. It's about the complete absurdity of the situation. Anytime a cashier has to ROLL UP YOUR RECEIPTS SO YOU CAN MANAGE THEM FOR 1 FREAKING ITEM, you really should sit back and ponder the situation.

The cashier watched us as we walked away with out receipts, laughing and unrolling them until they hit the floor. I'm sure she even heard my shy quiet husband exclaim, quite loudly "This is fricking ridiculous for 1 box of Claritin!" She had a look on her face like "Oh, I don't think they liked that very much. Are they gonna complain, I hope not."

So, anyway. We head off to Florida this Saturday for a nice long relaxing vacation. We are gonna see Marty and Kendra while there and spend a week in Orlando doing the Universal/SeaWorld thing. I'm going to go swimming with dolphins on Monday, I can't wait for that. We are staying at one of the resorts on the property of Universal and should have a great time.

Adios!