How do you eat a bunny?

I won a chocolate bunny during a competition at work. Well, that's a whole lotta chocolate, so I'm sharing the love. Cindy attacked me for eating the ears/head first. She said you are supposed to go from the tail up. Survey of everyone here today says that they all start at the ears. How do you eat YOUR bunny???

Getting geared up for my trip. Britney is going to stay at Andi's house so she can have a mini-vacation as well. Getting excited to see my fam!!!

Downloaded a new song last night that just STICKS in your head. Have y'all heard "Bomshell Stomp"? It's a COUNTRY-country song, but one that has a fantastic line dance to go with it. They also have a "Finger Lickin'" song that I enjoy as well. I played around with a photo last night, and I have to say, with a little more tweaking, I liked how it turned out!! Here's what I got so far: Let me know what you think! Miss Lindsey after her win at the pageant. The photo originally had the gym floor and people in the background. No, the pixels aren't perfect, but not bad for a first try!

Early AM

I just got home from a brush/forest fire call. Yay . . . the Forest Service got there so we could go home. Daggone, but now I'm HUNGRY!!! Anyway, this guy, Duane Smith, was taking pictures of our Easter wreck, and has pictures here. Make sure you check them, and his other galleries out. Very talented!!! More later . . . . gotta go shower and get rid of the smoke smell!!!

Cooking and Carrots

Good morning - this weekend K. invited me to crash her Easter dinner. More on why I was late a bit later, but she told me to bring a dish. She was doing mashed taters, turkey, ham, green beans, salad, Eclair cake, and other stuff. What on earth was I supposed to bring? So, I decided the heck with a balanced meal, my family always had Nay's Potatoes. Now, for you Southern people, this translates to Funeral Potatoes or Hash Brown Casserole. Anyway, Stacey loves HBC, so I made extra for her today. Pioneer Woman had a recipie for Carrot Cake, and I decided to give that a go as well. Well. Got the cake made, and after it cooled, put the icing on. Now, if Britney is really well behaved, she gets to lick the bowl. Hey, don't you let your kids? Anyway, but if you look at this picture, right above her left eyebrow are remnants of the Cream Cheese Icing. Puppy had her whole head buried in that bowl! Too funny. But, both the casserole and the cake turned out delicious, and the girls are enjoying the remnants today at work. Dinner at Karey's? Oh my Wooooooorrrrddd, good. But, it always is! We then watched "Enchanted", and played Easter Bunny. It was nice to get away from my world for a while.

And, here's why I was late for dinner. We got called out for a wreck on the interstate with confirmed entrapment. I got to the building, and Mike let me know he was already on the interstate, and to bring 32. First of all, I couldn't get 32 to GO. I mean, release the brake, put it in drive, and you go, right? Eh, not so much. But, Mickey helped and it was all good. I think we ended up onscene about 2 hours as we worked to get the driver out. Interesting predicament, and Roger and Mike did a heck of a job, along with Craig and Patricia, et al. Hot as heck up in that cab as they worked! Still, it made for an interesting day - not something that you see all the time. Complicated extrication, LifeGuard, pretty day, not your average Sunday, that's for sure!

"If it's a good idea . . . go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission."-Gracy Murray Hopper

Cindy

This is Cindy. We've worked together since prior to me killing her mother. Really. Well, not really, but that's what Cindy tells everyone. Actually, I only DROVE the ambulance to the hospital, where she later passed away, but Cindy loves to tell people that that's how bad my driving is. We worked together in our Glasgow branch before D. and I transferred to Lexington. The truth is, Cindy couldn't stand to be seperated from either one of us, and she came on over as the Teller Supervisor. Cindy is mother to James and Kayla, and Grandmother to Alison. You know what I love about Cindy? The big stuff? The baby, the drama, all of that, it doesn't faze her. But, if she can't find her favorite pen, the WORLD is going to come to an end. Also, she knows my secrets and doesn't judge me. Oh, and she drinks coffee like I drink water. 24 hours a day, no matter what, she's got to have her coffee. She's very proud of the fact that she works full time, has 2 kids, one grand baby, one husband, four cats, one dog, and still has some hair on her head! I think she's entitled to be proud . . . .

"My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3 a can. That's almost $21 in dog money."-Joe Weinstein

Stacy

This is Stacy. I get to work with her, every day. And let me tell you, there isn't a dull day when she's around. Seriously. The girl is ALWAYS cheerful, ALWAYS fun, and ALWAYS good for a laugh. One day, she got to thinking. If the world is spinning so fast, how come everyone isn't dizzy? Or how about this gem. "What state is NYC in?" I kid you not. And chocolate? I LOVE to give her chocolate about late morning. She'll be wired for sound. She's even ran in place at her teller station! Yesterday, demonstrating cheers. How can you not love someone like that? Today, just every so often, randomly, I'm hearing, "Free credit report dot com" in a sing-song voice. I love it! At least it adds some spice to an otherwise ordinary day. And, she has puppies. I knew the girl has good taste. I'd love to spend some time in her head. I think it's a happy place to be. I don't believe I have ever seen her in a bad mood. Having a bad day, yes, but it doesn't affect her mood. I admire people like that. Dad's "Question of the Week" this time is something along the lines of "What is the single greatest decision you have made in your lifetime?" I think that my answer to that would be a decision that I make very day, some days consciously, others, just my natural sparkling personality, and that is to be cheerful, positive, and look for the good/humor in any situation. No matter how bad you've got it, someone has it worse. Be grateful for what, and who you have in your life. Stacey does a GREAT job of this, and makes coming to work something to look forward to.

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."--Will Rogers

Friends are AWESOME!

I love my friends. A. called yesterday and wanted to know what I was doing last night. Told him I had a meeting for work. "After that?" Uhhh . . . "Car is in front of my house, go get it, come to Roanoke. I have an extra ticket for Kid Rock." So, after my meeting, I flew home, changed clothes, let the dog out, and flew on to Roanoke. Got there just in time (I missed his first song. Our seats initally were good. I mean, come on. Free ticket? What am I going to complain about? At intermission, we went down to visit with a couple of friends of his, and when they started back up, no one asked us to leave! So, the rest of the concert was spent with a view like the one pictured. Yeah, it didn't suck. :-) See? This is one of the great things about being single. You get to up and take off to do things like this! Of course, I'm realizing this morning that I'm not 21 anymore, and to get home at midnight and be back up at 5:30 isn't as easy as it used to be, but let me tell ya: It was WELL worth it!!!

Back at It

It was an interesting weekend. Friday night was uneventful, and I headed to the Drag Strip on Saturday. We've got some new people up there that I started training for this summer. It'll be . . . . interesting. I am definately going to miss the rails though. Those are some QUICK cars! When I first started, D. would try to have some friendly wagers on the race, and I wouldn't do it. I've now learned something about the different cars and drivers, and now know that looks aren't everything. It's all about consistency and knowing your vehicle. I went from that to the pageant that L. was participating in. She was ADORABLE! K. was right - the dress she had was just perfect for her, and was the only one like it in the entire pageant. L. got 2nd runner up and best personality. It's so much fun to watch and interact with her. She's so precocious, but lovable at the same time. Some of the girls were just eerie to watch though - kind of like a "Night of the Living Dolls". Way over-processed! One girl walked by that I thought was really beautiful - figured she was in the teen division. No, she was ten. TEN! That's just crazy! And, when I heard the girls talking about much they had paid for their dresses?!?!? Yeah, if I ever have kids, and girls in particular, if I get to talking about pageants, please knock me up-side my head! Yesterday I was pretty lazy - enjoyed walking Britney and just having some down time. Today it's back to work. K. mentioned maybe going to Roanoke one night this week, so hopefully I can get some bones for Britney. That's one thing I definately don't want to run out of.

Oh, and a friend of mine mentioned he might be able to hook me up with some mulch. Here's where me and measurements part way. I thought maybe a trailer load would do it. Eh, not so much. After measuring said flower bed, it's 5'x25', and in some places, needs almost a foot of mulch to make it level! Sounds to me like I'm going to be needing a truck load! But, I bought some bulbs and flower seeds, so I'm hoping to get it looking good again. Have I mentioned how much I love spring flowers?

"Tranquilizers work only if you follow the advice on the bottle--keep away from children."-Phyllis Diller

Finally Friday

The only downside is that it's my late week, so I do have to work until 6. Now, please understand that I'm REALLY not complaining. For as long as I can remember, I've worked two, and usually three jobs. I remember working third shift at an axle plant, washing up in the break room, and going to a first shift job and working that til three. I'd hit the tanning bed on the way home to pretend like I've had a summer, and then sleep 'til time to go back to the plant. Not a fun way to spend the summer, but it's hard to spend money that way, and I managed to pay for a year of school. I think that's part of why it's so hard for me to just sit and relax. I like to be on the go, doing things.

I talk about Britney on here, but realized I haven't put a pic of her up recently. This was taken at my old house on McCulloch Street, and this was one of her favorite positions, to just lay back and watch. I have to say that at my new house, she's a quieter dog. No kids or cats in the street and yard to back at, and that suits me just fine. Now, if she barks, it's usually for a good reason. She's doing so much better now that the weather is getting warmer. Her knee only seems to bother her in the late evenings or first thing in the morning when it's a bit stiff. It's a good thing, 'cause I sure don't like to see her hurting. The vet wanted her to lose weight, and I think she's even a bit below where he wanted her. Less weight=fewer joint problems!

Nothing really exciting for this weekend. If it rains tomorrow, as it looks like it will, that means no racing, and I'll just go watch L. I'm hoping Sunday will be a pretty day and maybe I can just enjoy it. We'll have to see how it goes!

"We give dogs the time we can spare, space we can share, and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made." -M. Acklam

Almost TGIF

Dave is giving me a hard time this morning. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. Rather than come back to work for an hour, I'm just going to head home. Hey, I can't help it that it's going to be 70 and gorgeous today! Just luck of the draw, I reckon. I know I'll enjoy getting out in the sunshine with the mutt. I see green sprouts in my yard, so I'm hoping the blooms are not far behind.

Went to the Planning Committee meeting last night. It's been interesting to see how this whole process works. I really hope that everything goes the way that they are hoping.

Oh, and while I'm dancing around the subject, it's official. I'm not going to be at the NBDS on Saturday's. Number of reasons, but I had told Daniel back on March 1st that Annette wasn't going to be there, and that I would prefer to not work there on Sat.'s. I'm still going to be up there on Friday's, so I'll still get my drag racing fix, but I've had some other opportunities present themselves that I'm going to be taking advantage of. I've been at the Drag Strip for the past few years - it's time for a change. Girl's gotta spice things up, right?

I'm getting excited about my upcoming trip. Just wish the flight had worked out a bit differently, but when you're saving $400+, you kind of have to get when you can get. It'll be wonderful to visit Utah again, and I've never been to Houston, so that promises to be exciting. Do you have any tips/hints I might want to be aware of? I've never flown through JFK, or Houston, or Richmond, or Philadelphia, (Told you it was a crazy flight!), so any tips or suggestions would be MUCH appreciated. I just hate leaving Britney for so long. The great thing about puppies though, whether you leave to take the trash out, or come back after a week of vacation, they're still ecstatic to see you walk through that door!

"I think it's really important to maintain a positive attitude. It might not solve all your problems, but keep it up long enough and it will piss off enough people to make it worthwhile." -Margot Black, TV Producer

Wake Up Call

Good morning! I didn't have to be in to work until late this morning, so I made the most of it. Came out to start my car, and there were flowers by the drivers side door. I love flowers! Unexpected mystery ones are even better. Brought them in to work today, so now everyone is trying to figure out where on earth they came from. I could comment on that, but since no snarky comments allowed, I'll refrain.

I was thinking this morning about why we're here. Why earth? What's the point? Is it enough to not be a bad person, raise a family, and go on? Should we make a difference? Should we leave things better than we found them? I, personally, think so. It's why I participate with the different groups that I do. I love the fact that the Ruritans give back to the community. Rescue squad, well, that one should be pretty self explanatory. My parents are missionaries for their Church, and my whole life have taught by example. The motto at SVC was "Learn . . . that life is service". If I didn't get anything else from my experiance there, I did get that. I love helping others! I don't believe it's enough to just get up, earn a paycheck, come home, do it again tomorrow. You need to be a contributing member of society. Yes, I'll step back off of my soap box now.

"I've learned that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for." -Unknown

Lent

We're sitting around discussing Lent, and St. Patricks Day. I realize that Roman Catholics started Lent a while ago, but according to my calendar, Eastern Orthodox Lent begins today. So, Cindy and I are talking about what we're going to give up for two weeks. Two weeks. What can I do without for two weeks? What I'm thinking, I don't know that I can do, short of giving up conversations with my friends. But, isn't that the point? Give up something that is difficult to do? Maybe I'll have to start with something simple. I thought about giving up soda, but I've already given up Dr. Pepper, so it's just a short hop to giving up soda altogether. Yeah, I'll go with that one. My second choice, and one that I'll do with the disclaimer that it's not in effect tomorrow from 1pm-2pm during my lunch, is to give up snarky comments. This is going to be REALLY tough, esp. after my run-in this weekend, but you know what? It's going to do nothing more than make me a better person, so, yeah. It's official. No soda, and no snarky comments through Easter Sunday. Ya'll let me know if you catch me!!! What are YOU going to give up? Come on, don't make me do this all by myself!

"Nothing bad can happen if you haven't hit the send key." -David Shipley and Will Schwalbe

Weekend report

What a weekend! One of the best I've had in a while. Went over to a friends house Friday night for a pizza/movie night, and had a great time. Nice to just kick back and relax. Saturday we made a game attempt for racing, but the weather just didn't cooperate. Saturday night I went with everyone to Harrisonburg to hear the Worx. I love the Worx, but wasn't a big fan of the venue. Just too many people!!! Got home at 5 am (Gotta love Daylight Savings Time!).

Today was pretty uneventful. Got up, did my stuff, ran a squad call, and now I'm just kicked back enjoying a pretty afternoon. Ready to get back to the grind! :-)

Rant for 03 07 2008

Let me preface this by saying, I love my job. I love what I do, I enjoy helping people, and I'm pretty darn good at it. Lately, however, I have noticed a lack of manners. And the kicker? It's not from the "younger" generation that you would think. It's typically older people. My desk is out in the lobby. It's not particularly conducive to privacy, and it is a struggle. I find it extremely rude when people figure that since there isn't a person physically there, you aren't doing anything. For example. I'm working on one issue for person A. Person B just sits right down and then gets offended that I'm not instantly available! Same thing goes for the telephone. My friends know that I may have to hang up quickly, but if I'm talking to another client, that invades THEIR privacy by having someone sit down. I've had to excuse myself, and go find someplace where I can continue the conversation. Believe me, I saw you come in the door and I will get to you as quickly as possible, and then afford you the same level of attention I gave the previous person! Hey - I've even had Person A sitting with me, and person B come up and sit down in the other seat!

While I'm on "things that bug", how about this. People whose dentures don't fit quite right. Then, while they are sitting there talking to you, the dentures are smacking and sliding around. Ugh . . . . makes my skin crawl! It's right up there with people who chew with their mouths open.

It's a cold, drizzly day here - which I love. You need a grey day every now and then to remind you how nice the sun-shiney ones are. And, the water is good for the flowers that I hope are in my flower bed. I can't wait for the dogwood trees to bloom. It's officeial: I have Spring Fever.

This weekend promises to be very tame. Racing on Saturday, girls night out Saturday night, then a peaceful Sunday. My kinda weekend. Do you have anything planned? What kind of things bug you?

"I like to have nice conversations with a man that teach me something, make me mad, make me curious. Then I find him attractive." -Renee Zellweger in Cosmopolitan

Survey, 'cause I love Survey's!

Hi my name is: Sheri
When I'm Nervous: My hands shake and I talk a LOT! (Yes, more than usual!)
By this time next year I'll: be 32!
Last night: I was lazy and did next to nothing.
Were you a planned baby? For my Mom and Dad, yes - they REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted me!
Were you the first? Yup
Are your parents still married? Yup
Do you have low self esteem? About certain things, absolutely.
Do you get depressed about things easily? Welll, with hormones and all that, it happends. I get over it pretty durn quick though!
Are you happy right now? Well, my feet are kinda cold, but over all, absolutely.
Are you comfortable with the way you look? Not particularly, but that's my own making, so it'll be my own fixin'!
Describe your hair: Right now, tossed up with a scruchie. Normally, long dark, and down.
Where do you buy most of your clothes? Wherever there is a good style with something that looks good on me
Ever been kicked out of a bar? Can't say that I have.
Can you tie a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue? Sure can - learned at church. Really.
Do you prefer indoors or outdoors? On a pretty day? Outdoors, absolutely.
Do you like walking in the rain? If it's a warm rain and no lightening, yes.
Do you like thunderstorms? I love them!
Are you a vegetarian? Hmm, how can I put this. NO!!!!!!
Anything you could absolutely eat forever? PB&J, baby!
What's your favorite dessert? It changes - don't really have one particular favorite.
Do you want to get married? At some point in my life
Have you ever been in love? Oh yeah. Still trying to get over it.
Are you in a relationship now? Nope
Where is your cell phone? On the charger
Your boyfriend/girlfriend? Non-existent
Your hair? Didn't I answer this once?
Your style? Simple, clean, traditional
Cheesecake is: Disgusting!
Siblings: I have one, but he's deceased. Yeah, really. Depressing topic, eh?
Your dream last night: Was really, really, REALLY twisted. Woke up more confused than I usually am.
Your favorite drink: Diet something, or just water
Car you want? Jeep Wrangler
Room you are in: is the back room, and relatively clean. Has an annoying puppy dog dropping toys on my toes.
Your life goal? To leave things better than when I showed up
Your fears? Not making a difference, and having the closet doors open when I'm sleeping
Piercings: Ears
Today: was a good day. I actually learned something in training
Last night: See above. Who came up with this survey?
Check out: www.postsecret.com One of my favorite websites!
One of your wish lists: Well, if last nights dream would come true, that would be a FANTASTIC start. No, I'm not going to tell you what it was!
Where did you grow up? Utah, and North Carolina. Wait, I'm still growing up, so Virginia, too.
Favorite Movie: Loved Dirty Dancing, and Enchanted
What are you wearing? Tank top, bathrobe.
Ketchup? The redneck condiment of choice. Yes, I love it
Your computer? Rocks. I love it!
Your friends? Are the most amazing people I know
Your Mood? Just tired at the moment
Missing? Sleep, right at the moment
What are you thinking about right now? how soon I can crash, and can I get off early tomorrow?
Your car/truck? Is well loved
Your work? Is awesome. I love my job!
Your summer? Is going to be AWESOME! I get to be an almost-aunt!
Your favorite song? Today it's Desperation.
Your favorite colors? Blue, Green, Red
When is the last time you laughed? Today during training
Last time you cried? Night before last
High School: Was horrible at the time, but mom was right. I survived, and it wasn't horrible at all.
Last Text: From A-Darn telling me Britney had been taken care of. THANK YOU!
Last call? From Jeison
Last IM: Errrrr, not sure. Some junk stuff, I think
Life: Is better than I could have expected

Waiting

I'm sitting here waiting on Tasha to get here - we have to go to Bridgewater for training today. I think it'll be good training, I just hate having to drive to get there! At least it's not Winchester. Sometimes I really miss our old region being in Lynchburg! I should never have complained.

Last night I stayed home. Watched some American Idol. I have to say that right now, Brooke is an early favorite, but since I like her, that means she'll be going home soon. It's sad that I can't remember any of their names yet. Maybe I'll do better when they get to the top 12. Now, I did like the guy that sang "I drove all night", and rocked out version of Lionel Richie's song, but no real stars are shining for me yet. I also watched Big Brother. This season just isn't up to par with what we've had in the past. Yawn. Snooze. I click through a lot of it. (Have I mentioned how much I love my DVR?!?) I was supposed to be going to see the Worx this weekend, but I think those plans have kind of fallen through. I was reading comments about "Have gas prices changed the way you live?" and initially, I thought not much. But, when I stop and think about it, when it costs $30+ to fill my tank that used to be about $20, that can make a difference. I don't have a problem with paying what it costs for something, but it really bothers me to know that oil companies are posting near triple digit profit numbers. Isn't that price gouging??? Enough of a soap opera. Tasha just got here, so I've got to get!

Routine and OCD

This morning, we got to talking about routines. I am stuck on my morning deal. I get up, turn the 'puter on, let the dog out, check my email, CNN.com, Hamstertime, and a few other various sites. Then, I put away any dishes or clean clothes from the night before, give Britney breakfast, let her back in, then get in the shower. Once in the shower, I wash my hair, then condition. Then, I wash my face. THEN, I wash - left to right. You know, left arm, left leg, right arm, right leg. Shave, same way. Left, then right. Get out, trip over Britney, and then lotion up. Face, legs, you get the idea. THEN, I get dressed, do my hair, brush my teeth, put on my make-up. Creature of habit. I'm also fairly organized. Only in certain things, though. I LOVE a clean house. It bothers me to leave in the morning and know that I left socks laying on the floor. So far, pretty normal, right?

See the Smarties above? Here's where I get a little . . . well, OCD, I guess. If I have something multi-colored (M&M's, Skittles, etc), I organize them by color, and then eat them 1) to get equal numbers of all color, and then 2) in order from my LEAST favorite to MOST favorite. Yes, I realize that M&M's are all the same flavor, but it's the theory there. When it comes to food, I'll also eat from least to most favorite. It's not to say I don't like the first thing, I just like it less than the next. And, there's none of this, a bite of this, a bite of that. I'll eat ALL the salad, then ALL the meat, you get the idea. Cindy has also noticed that I open things from the bottom. Chips, candy, bags get opened from the bottom. I also use things in equal amounts. It's not 3 shakes of the salt shaker, it's 2, or 4. Paper towels to dry hands? 2, or 4. When I walk/run, I count in my head in increments of 10. I can't end on 993 steps - I'll make it be 1000. Hey, I'm not completely strange - Everytime Stacey leaves the house, she flushes all the toilets in the house. What kind of weird quirks do you have?

"The opposite of love isn't hate--it's indifference. And if you hate me, that means you still care."--Marcia Cross on Desperate Housewives

Weekend and Drag Racing 101

Good morning! And, it is a GORGEOUS day out there! In fact, since I'm going to have OT this week, I get to leave at 2 today! Won't that make the puppy happy. I'm really looking forward to opening the house up, running with Britney, and just enjoying this spring day. This weekend was fairly tame. I cleaned house Friday night, and then worked at the track on Saturday.

For those of you NOT familiar with Drag Racing, and that must mean you're not from Rockbridge County, but it's two cars, racing side by side, down a track. There's what they call the "Christmas" tree, and for you novices, let me explain the basics. Only the basics, because that's about all I understand. Cars "stage" at the line. Saturday, people were driving me NUTS with this. We have courtesy staging. Basically, you turn on the top lights, the 0ther guy turns on his, and then you each turn on your next set, within 10 seconds. Then, the lights come down, it turns green, and ideally, you react within .500 of a second. The basics. Saturday, there were LOTS of new people there. I have no problem with new people, it's great for business. BUT. If it's your first time, watch. Ask. Get a feel for what needs to happen to race. You'd think that standing there, watching guys race straight down a track can be awfully boring, but once you realize that races are won or lost by mere hundredths of a second, it can get pretty intense. I espescially enjoy watching the Saturday racers, the ones that put a lot of time and effort into building and tweaking their cars.

This week is shaping up to be yet another ordinary week, with some training thrown in for good measure. Saturday is the race, and then maybe, I can get in on a girls night out going to see the Worx. Fun times, hopefully!

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it." -Jonathan Winters