Kill Humans, Save the Earth!

Interesting article in the news I read today:

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Apr10/041910/042310-08.htm

Some of the "green" EPA load of bull regulations prevent truckers from idiling their trucks for longer than periods of 5 minutes. Depending on what state you're in there's different rules for length of time and exceptions for idiling. Unfortunately, our neighbors to the north have adopted similar rules. In Ontario there is a 10 minute rule and there is an exception for a heating or refrigeration unit that is "necessary for the welfare or preservation of the CARGO contained therein." So in essence, it's ok to run the reefer (the refrigeration unit on the trailer) to keep the ice cream from melting in the summer but the driver is not allowed to idle the truck to keep HIMSELF warm when it's freezing outside.

The article is about a driver in Ontario that died from carbon monoxide poisoning because he turned on his propane heater in order to stay warm in the cold weather.

Reading stories like this break my heart and make me so angry at the same time! WHY is it more important to keep the cargo at the proper temperature than to worry about the life of a human being??

My deepest sympathies go out to the Kidd family.

Out of the Mouths of Babes.....

This is all true...happened today:

Sitting in the doctor's waiting room with Emily and Allison, a VERY pregnant lady sitting across from us. Casual chit-chat going on. Usual discussion of twins (sigh.) Allison decideds to join in:

Allison: What's wrong with your tummy?
Lots of laughter.....
I tell Allison that the lady has a baby in her tummy.
Pregnant lady: No, I just eat too much
Snickering...
Allison: YOU ATE A BABY????
Pregnant lady: Yes, but just one!

Now my four year old is going to ask every pregnant woman she sees if she ate a baby! ROFL

Words that come back to haunt me....
Tonight at dinner, Emily is eating her "Pasagna" and there is a noodle that just a little too big.

Emily: Mom this pasagna is too big for my big mouth.
Me: No honey, it's fine, just eat it.

She tries to put it in her mouth and guess what! It WAS too big for her big mouth! LOL

I'm trying to decide where the line between amusement and embarrasment is!

Funny I received from my guidance counselor

This comes from 2 math teachers with a combined total of 70 yrs. Experience Here is a little something someone sent me that is indisputable mathematical logic. It also made me Laugh Out Loud.This is a strictly mathematical viewpoint....it goes like this:What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who s ay they are giving more than 100%? We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you.
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G 1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with ma thematical certainty, that while Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Bullshit and Ass Kissing that will put you over the top.

At what point is enough enough?

A week at the new job and it's not so bad. It's still an office job though. They have pretty much showed me what to do and figured out that they need to let me be and stay out of my hair so I can do my job. It's a nice break from the house, but I still miss the girls at night.

I got a phone call when I was at work tonight, luckily I had my phone turned down and didn't answer it. Not that I would have anyway since I didn't recognize the number. Not sure how to say this without sounding bitter, because I'm really not, just more exasperated than anything. It was my mom. It was the first time I'd heard from her since before Christmas. She didn't even know I was back in school. I'm really not sure why she called. To tell me that Krystle is ready to take her GED exam? Pfft. To tell me that Krystle really needs my support right now? PFFFFT. Without arguing I just said that I'd been trying to do that all her life and that it was never needed or wanted. What more can I say? Of course, the spiteful little b*&^ in me had to make that comment that everyone seems to be studying for something, because Kandyce was studying for her AP exams and that she has interviewed with Princeton and Harvard and already been accepted to WVU (and I forgot to say VT)

I just don't know. She's still not willing to admit that everything that has happened is due to Krystle as well as herself allowing it to happen. I guess on the bright side it has given my kids (at least the two oldest because they understand) a model of what NOT to do. Guess I'll have to wait and see if it's another 3 months before she calls.

On the bright side though, job is not totally unbearable and the possibility of another better one (theyre not making any decisions for a few weeks) is still there. Kids are smart, healthy and for the most part happy (missing mommy at night.)

Always remember to dwell on the positive, not the negative!

Ouch

So, I took a night office job. It's not bad. I'm underpaid for what I do, but that's cool. I actually get out of the house without any attachments and I make a little money. Please take note of what I said....office job.

For those of you that don't know, I started in the transportation industry 17 years ago at a freight company and worked night operations. From there I drove a cargo van or straight truck on the weekends to JFK and delivered all the lovely junk mail. After that I married a truck driver and then he wanted his own truck so I became the "office" (different meaning lol) person for his business. In between I did some cake decorating and got my real estate license, but I have been continuously connected with the transportation industry since before Kandyce was born. Needless to say I really think I fell in love with it many years ago.

Back to the new job...Wednesday was my first day. I put on my best "business casual" clothing and out the door I went. I stopped at Love's Truck stop on the way to get a pack of gum. Normally a truck stop is a place that I feel comfortable, at home, and I even go there when I'm upset and I'll just sit and watch the trucks come in and out - especially at night. There's just something incredibly sexy about a truck that's all chicken-lighted out, but that's a topic for another post. Anywayzzzzzz, not one person made eye contact with me in there. Normally everyone nods or smiles or something, but NOTHING this time. It felt like family had turned their back on me just because I was dressed differently. Dressed....uncomfortably, for me.

I'm not sure if I would call it an epiphany, a light bulb, a slap in the face or fate but the very next day I found a babysitter and a listing for a job as a fleet manager at one of the "big 5" trucking companies! I didn't fit the education requirements for it, but I called the HR department and they said that because of my knowledge of the transportation industry (and the fact that I'm working toward the education requirement) they wanted me to go ahead and put my app in and send in a resume. So I did. Now starts the wait.

Am I supposed to return to my original love? I don't know, but I sure didn't like walking into a truck stop and feeling so incredibly out of place!

Burnout??

I remember growing up "burnout" meant what you did with your rear wheel drive vehicle. Or if you use "burned-out" or weren't refering to a car it meant someone who had used way too many drugs LOL

Today it takes on a totally different meaning for the most part. Dictionary.com describes it as: "burn-out. fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity." Big difference!

The reason I bring this up: earlier this morning I was talking to my enrollment counselor at UOP and he said that if I kept going the way I was going in a couple weeks we were going to be talking about burnout. Hmmm. Seriously?? Between the kids, the husband, the work (which is very slow right now) and the massive amounts of things that go along with that....seriously?? The way I see it, if I was going to "burnout" (in todays terms) it would have happened a very long time ago!

Would I love to get away and not have any responsibility? Oh yeh! My father in law and I were talking about what I am going to do once the Twinkies go to school. My first thought was I'm taking two weeks and sitting on the couch, eating bon-bons and watching soap operas! LOL He is probably correct saying that I wouldn't last two days!

How do you define burnout? Are you or have you been burned out?

Why is life a highway?

"Life is a highway" was written and recorded by Tom Cochrane in the early 90's and then rerecorded by Rascal Flatts more recently. I suppose I take the title to this song a little more literally than most people considering my DH's life truly consists of the highway - and that spills over quite a bit into my life. Even though I'm not out there with him, it sure feels like it's a highway! There are times it's smooth with no traffic, there are times it feels like I just can't go any where because of all the construction and accidents people have had. Then there are those times when I'm riding down the highway of my life and I hear something or see something that is just odd. There's times when I just feel the need to share these things....to anyone who will listen LOL

I love to hear everyones thoughts and opinions so feel free to comment. I'll probably ask a lot of questions, so please answer!

I hope everyone enjoys reading this as much as I feel I'm going enjoy writing it!