No, I'll Be Home After 3

Dear Verizon,

I understand the my measly $30 a month DSL internet connection means nothing to you but I've become rather fond of the internet and since you have never been once asked to come here on a service call, I don't need the attitude.  I have no idea why it isn't working but I can take an educated guess and say it may have something to do with the wild storms which came through here earlier.  With that being said, fix it.

I don't think I'm asking much or am I?  I shouldn't have to take a day off of work nor cancel BB's pediatrician appointment for this either.  Here is a little something for the old suggestion box by the way, 8am-7pm is not an estimated service time.  You know what it is though?  IT"S AN ENTIRE DAY OF MY LIFE!  I can't sit around and put my life on hold because you people don't know how to schedule a day of service calls efficiently.

I will be here tomorrow during the small time frame we agreed on and hopefully we can all get on with our lives.

Love,
Tracy

p.s.  So help you God if I'm missing any good Amazon Lightning Deals!

So Very Cool!

I know this site has been around for quite some time but I'm only checking it out now so please excuse me for being a bit behind.  Anyway, I kept hearing people talk about the website Skype and how great it was to talk long distance (for free!) using your webcam.  I figured it had to be such a pain in the butt that it wouldn't be worth it but.....I was so very wrong.

I followed all the steps and installed Skype on my laptop and was impressed at how easy it was.  A friend of mine who also uses Skype called me via the webcam so we could try it out and it worked like a charm!  I just can't get over how cool and easy it is to use! I know it must sound like they have me on their payroll promoting the site but I'm truly impressed with it.  With that being said, I'm worried about running it with Vista.  I've learned even the simplest of programs can either freeze up or crash with Vista so fingers crossed this doesn't happen because I would be super bummed.

Now on to my plan!  I was thinking since my in-laws live in Florida and only see Big Boy but a few times a year, we could get them a webcam for Christmas and set up special times once or twice a week for them to "see" and talk to him.  I think it's a great idea but then again, I'm not sure if my in-laws will even be able to set up the account or the webcam.   I also think it will be fun For BB to be able to see his Nanny and Grandpa(my parents) through the computer.  Even though he sees them just about everyday, I think it would be a fun addition to his bedtime routine for him to say goodnight to them too.  I know they have a webcam, they just need to set it up and I'll be working on that tomorrow.

I'm wondering if the in-laws would think this is a good gift?  I think they will, right?  Anyway, this is my new project and let's all hope it all falls into place and goes smoothly...

It's That Time Of Year!

Tourist season is over and now the locals come out to play.  Obviously, if it weren't for the tourism, this area would be nothing but I have to say come September, we are ready to have out town back.  One thing about this time of year is all of the festivals.  There is something to do almost every weekend here through autumn.

Today was Sail Fest in Island Heights.  The last time we went I was about 34 weeks pregnant with Big Boy.   As much as we wanted to go the past few years it was just too overwhelming for me.  BB is finally getting to the age where he loves hanging out with Mommy and Daddy!  He was so stoked to be at Sail Fest today.  Of course we were running in to people we knew all day and they all just melted over him.  He also thinks it's cool to eat all the fun festival food!  One nice surprise was we saw his favorite teacher Ms. P!  She is such a wonderful woman and BB just adores her.  Ever notice how shy kids get when they see a teacher outside of school?  I honestly believe BB thinks his teachers live there.  Anyway, Sail Fest was a great time and even though the sailboat races were cancelled due to lack of wind (ironic) it was a blast and we are already looking forward to next year!

Tomorrow is the Seafood Festival in the Heights, I could have sworn it was next week but...I wrong.  BB is going to love it.!  We are meeting some friends and their kids who are BB's age and I'm sure we'll all walk up to the boardwalk afterward.  There is so much yummy food to try.  Blackened scallops, crab cakes, fried oreos, you name it and they'll have it.  The vendors are fantastic too.  Today at Sail Fest I scored three hand knitted skull caps for $6 TOTAL!  I can't wait to see what vendors will be at this Festival.  I love this time of year!  Also, it's Mardi Gras and Clown Fest here so the boardwalk will be so much fun!  BB was punished from the boardwalk most of the summer for having a horrendous meltdown up there back in early June.  He has only been back up once so far this summer since the meltdown fiasco and he was on his best behavior.  I think it finally sunk in his public tantrums will not be tolerated anymore.  Next weekend is the Point Pleasant Seafood Fest.  It's pretty much the same as Seaside but the food is so good you just can't resist going back.

Next comes pumpkin and apple picking weekends.  We go to the same place every year and always have the best time.  BB loves to run through the corn maze and of course my favorite part is buying all different kinds of pie.  I just love this time of year.  There is nothing better than throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater and spending the day outside.   Tomorrow is another busy day and I'm falling asleep on my laptop.  Night.

BEST.BLOG.EVER

Unless you have ever worked in customer service, you may not find this blog nearly as funny as I do.  It's called "The Customer Is Not Always Right."   Sadly, people really are this dumb.  I can't tell you how many idiotic questions I'm asked each day.  Of course being in the field I'm in, my favorite is "What would happen if I took this entire bottle?"  Do you know how badly I want to tell the next person who asks me, " I don't know.  Why don't you try it, I hear rainbows and puppies will shoot out your ass."  Instead I have to reply with "Um, You'll die."  Yeah, people really are this dense.  I don't know how most people make it out their front door.

Either way, if you work in any type of customer service....this is your kind of blog.  

Enjoy!

Blame It On Facebook

My poor blog has fallen victim to my Facebook addiction. Between Mafia Wars and Hatchlings I end up going to bed before I get a chance to post anything new in my day to day three ring circus I call a life.

Let's see....work has been interesting. Everyone thinks they have the Sine Flu. We are out of Tamiflu so if you do happen to get sick with your everyday run of the mill flu, you are out of luck because no one is going to have any Tamiflu. We even had a doctor call the other day and give e few RX's of Tamiflu for her family. Yeah, they aren't sick. People are so ridiculous.

Big Boy is doing really well and is becoming more of a little man everyday. I am just amazed with some of the things he comes out with now. He was trying to go pee pee on the potty earlier and when he couldn't get any to come out, he looked down at his thing and said, "Broken!" Funny kid. He had a field trip to the zoo today and his Aunt Linda went with him. From what I gather he had a great time but of course he knows the weekend is coming which can only mean one thing...Horsies and Pizza! It's not even the summer yet and I am so burnt out of that damn boardwalk. This kid lives for the weekend. All he wants to do is ride the merry go round and grab a slice of Maruca's pizza and he is in heaven. Obviously, he is spoiled rotten because I have yet to tell him no.

And then there's the Hubby. Hubby is working like a dog. His company is enforcing a mandatory twenty hours a week overtime for a few months. Knowing that the economy is horrendous and there are so many people who can't get can't get a job at all, I can't complain but it does stink. I need a break once in a while too and I'm not going to give Hubby a hard time because I know he is just as tired as I am if not more.

So..in a nutshell, this is what life has been like around here. Everyone is on the go and there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything I would like to accomplish done. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

I Caved

And finally started to read Twilight. Almost everyone I know has read these books and raves about how excellent they are. I have been looking for something new to read so I figured why not. I'm about fifty pages into the first book and am already hooked. Seriously, I'm going to have to stop off at either Barnes & Noble or Target tomorrow after work to pick up the other three. I hope the other three are out in paperback because there is no way I'm paying hard cover price for them though. I would attempt to put my name on the waiting list at the library but something tells me the list is probably over a hundred names deep.

What is it about these books that are so captivating? Thankfully, I didn't see the movie when it came out so at least my perception of the book isn't skewed. There has only been one movie that has ever lived up to the greatness of it's book counterpart and that would be Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I'll save that for another day.

I really like that there is more than one book which is why I quickly fell in love with both the Left Behind and Harry Potter series. There is nothing better than finishing a great book knowing there is another one waiting to be read. I do tend to get a bit depressed when reading the final book though. For now, I still have New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn to look forward to.

That Is Really Gross.

Lately I've noticed, my ears feel really clogged. I went to the doctor yesterday and surprise surprise, I have yet another left ear infection. I'm averaging about one every three months. What thirty three year old woman gets chronic ear infections? So aside from the constant infections, my ears just felt stuffy. I remembered about eight or nine years ago using ear candles and I just happen to be near the homeopathic-apothecary store (as it's called) yesterday and was able to pick some up. I had completely forgotten how cool they are. Hubby was a bit skeptical of my "voodoo" as he so politely called it, but in the end, I think he was more into it than I was.

Now. the candles are made of beeswax and they look like a typical candlestick except they are hollow. Both ends are open but the one is tapered to a smaller opening to fit into your ear. At this point, common sense should tell you that this is a two man operation and I really hope no one tries to do this alone. Also, don't fforget you will need something to protect your clothes in case a few hot ashes come lose. We used a large piece of aluminum foil and pushed the candle through the center.

Now for the fun part! As crazy as it sounds, you put the tapered end in your ear and then you light the other end on fire. What is does is it creates a vacuum effect which sucks out all the old debris and wax. You usually burn the candle down to about three inches. It takes about sever or eight minutes per ear depending on ow fast the beeswax melts down.

Needless to say, it is pretty gross when you cut the thing open and see all the old trapped wax that has been stuck in your ear. I remember the first time I saw what come out of my ears, I thought I was going to be sick. When you think about it, you're not supposed to stick q-tips in your ear so I would think it's good to "flush" them out once in awhile right?. As soon as I finished the first ear, I couldn't believe how much better my head felt and I actually think I can hear better. It's probably all in my head but, oh well. Hubby was even so impressed by how much better his ears felt that he wants to pick another pack this weekend and do it again. I think I am going to turn this into a monthly routine. Hey, maybe it will help me cut down on what seems like a never ending ear infection.

Anyway....I say check them out. Even Hubby is down with the "voodoo ear magic." My next adventure is to try neti-pot. That scares me a little.

I Should Have Kept My Mouth Shut

Remember a few posts ago when I was bellyaching that it was unseasonably warm. Uh, yeah. The temperature dropped about 25 degrees in an hour today and the wind is gusting over 50 mph. So....figure it's about 0-5 degrees with the windchill. These freak snow showers keep moving through and everything is now frozen. Should make for an interesting NYE on the roads. It's damn cold out there.

As soon as I walked in from work I turned on the fireplace and put on my thick fleece pajama bottoms. Hell, I'm not going out so I might as well be warm and cozy. Hubby picked up some great snacks and even though I'm not much of a drinker (anymore) I think I'll make myself a mojito later. Why not, right? Hopefully, we can make it to midnight.

C'mon Michelle!

I don't think it was just me but this season of the Biggest Loser was almost painful to watch at times. The blue team was so nasty it made me want to throw things at the television a few times. So last night I was so happy to see that the lone member of the black team, Michelle, secured herself a spot in the finale next week! I have been saying all season that I thought she was going to win the whole thing. In the begininning she just flew under the radar and did her own thing and no one really noticed her until it was to late. Ha Ha!

This is one of the few shows I watch and I am seriously a Biggest Loser junkie. I am so excited on Tuesday nights! Maybe that is why I was disappointed in the way some of the contestants behaved this season. This was one of the shows that you actually felt good about watching. These people are working their butts of and really trying to do something to help themselves and their family. One by one all of the contestants I liked started getting picked off. First went Amy and the Phil. I just loved this couple and I really wish Phil would have smacked Huba Heba right upside her head. Colleen was then booted because the other Amy was trying to impress the blue team and Trainer Bob and then she was booted off the following week. Good. Finally, Renee was voted out. She was one hell of a player throughout the entire season and I was really happy to see that her and Michelle were able to rebuild their relationship.

Anyway, I just hope that Michelle can pull it out in the finale next week. I don't think Vicki deserves to win. She is an ugly soul with a real mean streak. As for Ed & Heba....there are no words. Go Michelle!

Best Weekend Ever

Just wanted to say that this was by far one of the best weekends I could have ever asked for. Big Boy was just thrilled with all the fun things we did! He loved all of his presents and his new bike. He especially loved his new sock monkey jack in the box. I am still oozing with smiles over how special it was for him! We went to a birthday party today for one of his friends and he just played with the other kids and laughed. Priceless. He even had a great time helping us carve the pumpkins this year.

We have decided to extend his birthday into his birth week. He deserves it! We have such a fun week planned for him too!

Wish Me Luck

Since tomorrow is Big Boy's birthday, I am attempting to make him a JoJo's Circus cake tonight after he is all tucked in bed. It's a basic round cake recipe but I'm worried about piping the design on the top. This is what I am praying it turns out to resemble. The cake is already in the oven which will give it all the time it needs before I start decorating.

On a side note, I can't believe three years ago at this time I was starting to go into labor. *Sniffle*

Where did the time go?

Coolest Monkey Ever

Seriously, it is the little things in life that make me smile.

JAWS 3

Wow! One of the TV stations has been airing the jaws movies all week so, I've been watching. Ironic since fisherman have spotted great whites off the coast of Jersey. Anyway, the original Jaws was and always will be fantastic. Truly, one of best movies ever filmed. Action, suspense and gore. Everything a movie should have. Jaws 2, was not near as good as the first, but I felt it was able to hold its own and still had that classic "beachy" movie feel to it.

Next we have Jaws 3 in 3D. Holy worst movie ever made batman! I have not laughed so hard at a movie (that was not intended to be a comedy) in years. I never realized Lea Thompson was in this movie either. Seriously, the best part was when the shark attacked her and was chewing on her leg. I actually yelled out, "Now there ya go, now we've got a movie!" There is a scene where two scuba divers are jumping in a lagoon and they jump into about one foot of water. The camera work is so bad, you actually see them hunched over...CLASSIC!

Now for the best part. The movie was made for 3D, so the real dramatic scenes have that cheesy, exaggerated appearance to them. Oh, and did I mention that when they show the shark, it growls like a lion. Too funny. I have got to get myself a pair of 3D glasses and watch this flick again. Fine family entertainment. I give it two thumbs up as the worst, yet funniest movie ever.