Another week bites the dust

Its hard to believe how fast his year has been going I mean April is right around the corner. I just checked out the prices for my favorite campground maybe we can hope down for a weekend in April. March has been nuts guess it could be called

Had to travel on weekends which I don't like but its not something I could avoid. Thankfully its almost over.

I had a fun dinner with Ms Jin and JDC in Florida at our favorite Restaurant Bowled in St. Petersburg, FL. If your in the neighborhood you have to go and check it out. The foods amazing.

For a change this weekend we have a full social calendar. Thursday night I got home in time to grab a movie - saw I am number four at the IMAX. Not bad a movie guess they are trying to take on Twilight without the Vampires. Last night hubby and went out to meet up with one of Hubby's fraternity brothers and his wife. We ended up having a great time no surprise to me :). We are even talking about going down to our favorite campground together.

Tonight I am heading out to celebrate Hen's night with my English friend who after almost having given up all hope for true love, found it and is getting married this Spring. I am so excited for her, i like her beau - and not its not because he shares Grumpy's given name - and am thrilled to see how happy she is planning the wedding and their future together.

I wont be able to party to much as I am heading out early tomorrow to Buffalo, NY for the week.

Well better make some food before i polish of the rest of the 2 cookies Ms Jin had given me for the trip home.

Starbucks addict

Starbucks addict
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

To bad the weekend is almost over as is my time at home. Heading to Tampa tomorrow till Thursday but on the plus side I will get to hang with Miss Jin. Weekend was pretty good stayed in bed till lunch with hubby both days. Went to see RED funny movie btw. Worked at the German place last night got crazy busy and made double what I had hoped for plus got free dinner and the cook had saved me my favorite potato soup which I'll be heating up a mug for in a minute.
We picked out our tours for Costa Rico and now are just chilling watching his Steelers.

Waiting to enter Howl-o-scream

I gave up my shift last night to get some rest. I had worked Tuesday - Thursday night and hadn't gotten any home work done since its been late nights at the restaurant. Besides the there was a party of 60 coming and a show at the theater so it would have been a mad house and not in a good way because the food takes a while people would have been pissed off so I rather stayed home. My Scottish friend has visitors this week: two of her sisters (from Scotland), one of her nieces and a friend (from Toronto). They stopped by the restaurant Thursday night. Here are they with Ronnie the owner and Ms Dorothy (right) a long time customer and friend or Brenda and I.




Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream stood on their schedule for Friday night. So okay I was going to relax Friday and maybe do some homework - but Howl-O-Scream can be relaxing right?

You know I am rarely on time (well more like never) but I try. So I said I was going to pick up my friends hubby on the way to the park so they wont have to drive all the way back down (30min past the park) and we'd meet them at 7pm. Well I was there ON TIME and they weren't we ended up waiting for 30min!!!!!




The park was awesome it was hot and humid but doable. First thing - WICKED WOODS. We get around the first corner and there was only 4 of us - shit we lost 3. Damn it were are in a haunted maze and 3 people short - did they get abducted? Eaten? ... We decided there was really no good reason to find out putting ourselves in danger and pressed on trying to get out.

We moved onto Ireland. Photos op in front of the talking tree.












We went on to see the Wicked Witch on Cork Screw Hill. This is an awesome 4-D ride into the old Ireland. See except for Doug, my friends husband, all the ladies get motions sick - so no roller coasters. But I did trick them into The Curse of DarKastle too- both so much fun and purrrfect Halloween rides. And trust me of the "Katy I am going to kill you" screams there was laughter and a few startled screams.
After the Cork Screw Hill we got out just in time for Jack is Back a fun show.



Check out the two Scottish visitors picking up guys along the way. Now wonder they had to wear the horns ...

Sadly we didn't get to do anymore Maze's, haunted houses or rides as the park closed at 10. We did get a chance to get some Ice scream on the way out. Their ice cream is theeeeeeeeee best. I can't wait for Grumpy and I to come back up and check out the rest of the Scarry stuff. (This way I can hide behind his back) Tonight I am joining Brenda and her visitors at the German Restaurant for an early dinner before Grumpy and I head to see some old friends of his.


Oh Shit I better hop to it and get my homework done so I can play.

Just chilling

Just chilling
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Love hanging at the pool. I got it all to myself

Blogger Award

So after twisting REAL'S arm I was nominated for a



he actually wrote some really nice things about me. Well I really haven't done much posting with that not requiring you all to think lately.

There are a couple reasons for that.

1. I am busy.
1. there is more and new AP drama and I am up to 20 families now
   
2. i had to go out of town for work the last two weekends
3. my current class is a bit more labor intensive then the last
4. got new studies/patients at work that limit my goof off time
5. try to spend time with my friend AJ
6. work 2-4 nights at the restaurant (this week Wed-Saturday / was scheduled for Sunday but have to be at Busch Gardens at noon so gave my shift away
   
2. I am tired
1. well I'd say refer to point one and you know why
2. haven't been sleeping good lately - can't fall asleep so forth
3. my last day off was weeks ago and I haven't slept past 7am in a while
4. just plain worn out
3. I feel like I have no right to complain
1. honestly most of my posts are ranting and raving about stuff going on in one of my jobs or private life. But ever since my friend found out she was dying I feel like I have no right to do so. I am relatively healthy - aside the PCOS thing that keeps me from getting pregnant, I have a loving husband and 4 furry little monsters that make me smile, I have jobs I love (well most of the time but you know how that is) and most of all I am not dying!
   
4. I am not sure how to put down what I feel
1. I had given my friend my blog URL so I felt like I shouldn't post about how hard it is on me to watch her die because I didn't want her to feel sorry for me.
   
2. I was so scared that she would no make it through the weekend last week while I was in Houston - and then I hear when I call her that she was in the ER with a blood clot. Yesterday I called her and found out one of her lungs collapsed and they took fluid from her lungs and abdomen. When I asked her if I could come over she said NO! I didn't know how to feel about that. She never said no to be coming over before. I don't know if she was just exhausted or if she is mad at me.
   
3. I am being selfish for wanting her to be here on earth while I know she'd be better off moving on.
   

so anyway I will try to be better and go back to my normal postings. Which reminds me the restaurant has this "dine with Miss Virginia" tonight so I am sure there is a story or two in that.

It's rigged

So I feel petty bitching about the stupid video contest again especially in light of this weeks events.
But I swear the damn contest is totally rigged. So the finalists have to go to Miami 27-29 and where to be announced tonight right? Okay no biggy a week is enough notice for those that where not originally going to the meeting. So I just got an email saying

Due to popular demand, we have decided to extend the YouTube Video VOTING deadline through the weekend. Please make sure to vote for your favorite videos by Monday, April 23rd at 9 AM EST.

And the winner will be announced Monday night?!?!?!?!

So I guess they are hoping that people can't come to the meeting (they have to pay for the attendance) if they keep delaying it. Honestly how many people can get a flight and get off to go in a matter of 3 days? Tell you what even IF I have to drive, if I win I will show up just to despite them, this is bull! I am so mad I can hardly type

OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
(listening to deep forest)
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Okay I am calmer now. Sorry about my pity party I think I am just really high strung these days - with all the stress. Between new AP drama, working at the office and restaurant and facing AJ's situation its taking a lot out of me. I told Grumpy that I want to go to the mountains in a few weeks just to catch my breath and relax a little bit. But sadly not this weekend. Tonight I work at the restaurant. I was to be off tomorrow but my Scottish friend had thought I wanted her shift - so I ended up with it but then there is a reservation requesting me too. In the AM I got to go and do an exit interview for a family. The AP wants a different family the the family is leaving the program (for now). Sunday I have the AP meeting and after that I got to go take one of the AP's home and do a 2 week interview with her family. I think I just need a weekend off. I tell you.

RATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ....

... as one of my favorite characters (Zedd) from the Sword of Truth Series would say.



I am so annoyed and more than anything I am annoyed at myself. You know how you get mad at yourself because you should know better ...

Mhh let me start from the beginning. I didn't get home early at all this week except for Monday and there I had to do the final project till late.

Tuesday I worked at the restaurant and since we had 4 big parties and a worthless bus boy we had to reset the entire restaurant and do our side work so I didn't get home until around 11:30pm.

Wednesday I had to run from the office down to Virginia Beach (about 45min drive) from there run to the AP meeting at the Bookstore and didn't end up home - for the first time - until about 9pm.

So yesterday I kinda hoped for an earlier night. I had Grumpy walk the pups to the Nature Park where I took them and he drove the car home. After getting home (about 3miles) I grabbed a sandwich and headed to Williamsburg to interview a new Family. These normally take 1 1/2 - 2hours. Mhh 10:30pm!!! I finally called it a night. I headed home trying to stay awake when I thought of calling my Scottish friend to see if she would mind working for me tonight so I could go into the office late (and stay later). She said she would IF I came and met her for a drink. So I got home at midnight loving the idea that tonight I would be home.

Well, as I pull into the office this morning (2hs late since I was planning on working later) I get a call from my friend. She hadn't gone to sleep yet and would be unable to work. RATS!!!!!!!!! now I was missing 2 hours of my already busy workday. I haven't decided if I am going in this weekend to make it up or not. I have enough personal time to last me a life time that's not the issue but not getting my work done is - to me anyway!
The thing is I kinda knew it wasn't going to work last night but I let myself believe that it would - should have known better.

So now I have to work tonight, tomorrow night at the restaurant and Sunday at Busch Gardens. Lets hope the restaurant is busy that way the time will go by fast.

I made a decision

So I REALLY enjoyed my 3 day weekend and I think I need to schedule one of these once a month during the upcoming months were I am going back to work 7 days a week. I have plenty of vacation days from my day job so its no problem to take of Fridays. And since we have a ton of staff at the restaurant it shouldn't be hard to find someone to take my weekend shift if I am scheduled for one. That just leaves the Au pairs and Busch Gardens. Well I can always tell Busch I can't work that day and as for the Au pairs that is mainly just phone or internet anyway.

hey I found this today - This is my highschool. I just wanted to be sure you see it.

Speaking of au pairs I need your input on something. So the main office has hired these placement managers that are supposed to help new au pairs for my families. Aside from it being really annoying that each family has a different one I its hard to keep them all straight other problems have surfaced. See I used to look for the au pairs myself since I know my families so it is much easier to do it instead of someone in Boston - right now my system wont allow me to see what au pairs are available. They said it'd be revamped and up by January well guess what its almost March and still nothing.

So I have had horrible miss matches and frustrated families calling me so forth. I worked with 2 of the managers and together we got the families straight. However there is a 3rd one. She has sent my family 4 obvious miss matches so far each time after I saw the application I'd point out the problems to her and sure enough those would be why the family rejects them. I have said in each email please work with me send me the applications first I look them over and make sure they are no obvious miss matches - no reply.

Last night I emailed my manager to help me with this person but I think she is still out sick anyhow so I get 2 emails this morning. One from that person she copied me on a new match and one from the family saying the AP looked good but wont arrive until the summer but they need one in May what should they do? So I emailed that lady in Boston trying to see why she matched the family with a summer AP. She said she wanted to see if the AP can come earlier and had just heard she can't. Again I ask please do not match until you know the AP can come early and again ask me for help. Nothing. Later this afternoon my family emails her noticing the AP is out of their account which they find interesting since they didn't provide her with any feedback yet. So she replies she received feedback from me!!!!!!

I am soo mad I can't even tell you - this bitch! So I can't reach anyone I'd like to talk to about this I think she needs to be reassigned since she is incapable of working together to ensure the family is happy.

Miracles do happen

Ohhh I am so excited...


Okay let me start from the beginning. So I usually work New Years eve at a restaurant and then join Grumpy at the bar where he works. I don't mind working new years eve I mean why would I want to be home while Grumpy works right? So the other day I found out that Grumpy was going to be off this year and I was bummed because I was scheduled to work. So we said okay he'll just come up the restaurant and once I'll get off we decided what to do. We had 7 people scheduled for tomorrow and the daytime manager said last week she'd let me go early since it didn't look like there was going to be the need for 7 people.

Anyhow when I worked tonight I found out one of the 7 scheduled is not going to be there and we're down to 6 which means I wouldn't be getting out till 8 or later. So when I talked to my Scottish friend on the way home I was pretty ticked since it seemed things never worked the way I want them too. And then it happens - she offers to work my shift! I was like no I can't let you do this I am sure you have plans. She said no and she'd love to work for me. So I was like okay let me see what Grumpy wants to do. If he wants to go out then you can have my shift if not I'll work it.

Well Grumpy said he wouldn't mind going to the bar he used to work at, where we met so many years ago. So I called my friend back and she is taking my shift.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I get to go out. I get to go on a date with my hubby. So as I am over joyous on the phone with her it hits me, shit I need clothes. It has been years that Grumpy and I got dressed up to go out. I don't know what to wear crap. Okay I may need to post some pictures here to get some second opinions. OMG I should probably wear make up and do something with my hair.....