Thursday, April 26, 2007

What the?

Where the heck did my comments box go? Ok, granted I don't get a thousand comments per post or anything like that but, um... I would like it to at least be an option... I know that most of my 5 million+ readers a day don't leave comments because they are very busy, important people. They all call me though so it's nice to hear from you all, but please, I need to get back to work and you should SEE my cell phone bill! So text me from now on, ok?

I thought it was about time for a picture. More graphics! Give me more graphics!!!
Here is a rental property we own in Traverse City, Michigan. It's a sweet little victorian home that had at one point been turned into a duplex. One+ bedroom apartment upstairs and a two bedroom apt. downstairs. It JUST happens to be for sale if you are looking for a terrific investment property or an owner-occupied situation. It's listed at $235,000. A steal! Do you like the colors? That was me. :-)



And here is Traverse City in the fall...

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Strange Holidays

Around this neighborhood today there was much flag waving and car-hood-banner wearing. A lady asked, rather annoyed, why the Persian market on the corner was closed. She couldn't get the stuff she wanted. Someone told her that is was not a Persian market, it was an Armenian market and it was closed because today was Armenian Genocide Day... An unofficial "holiday". The woman replied, "What Armenian genocide?"

So goes the virtually unknown fact that Armenia went through one of history's worst genocides ever, during WWI between 1915-1917. Around 1 million Armenians were systematically eliminated by the government of the Young Turks. The lack of a public prosecution of the organizers behind the Armenian Genocide by the Allied powers was said to have largely influenced Nazi Germany and Hitler.

When I moved here to L.A. in December I looked up info on Armenians because I wasn't sure what the heck it was. Was it the middle east? Was there actually a country called Armenia and why are there so many Armenians here in LA? Why did they want to leave their country?

Armenia is a fascinating and tragic place.

What I couldn't figure out is why on earth they wanted to create a holiday about such a horrible thing? None of my Japanese friends celebrate "Hiroshima Day" with a day off from work (that I know of)... I don't remember the post office being closed every year on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. So I really didn't get it.

Then a young girl passed me on the sidewalk this morning and the back of her shirt said "We demand global recognition of the Armenian Genocide"

And I thought, "Oh, ok. That's fair. I get it now."

So to the Armenians I say, "I'm sorry for what happened to your culture. It's unthinkable. Now, could your young men please stop drag-racing their Mercedes sedans up and down the street at 500 mph? And would you please turn your music down after 9pm so my kids can sleep? You are welcome here but please respect your neighbors."

I'm glad the market on the corner will be open again tomorrow. They have great baked goods and lots of neat foodstuffs you can't get anywhere else.

Monday, April 16, 2007

The trouble of a Tool Room girl

I took the liberty of retyping the following prose because I thought it was just a piece of history that needed to be shared. My husband Rob and I came across these words typed from a very old typewriter, on very old, yellowed aged paper, so light from exposure, you could hardly read it. It was in a display case at the railroad museum in Griffith Park near Los Angeles. I retyped it exactly as the writer had written it. What war she is talking about at the end, I don't know. Most likely World War II. At the time, women took men's jobs as they headed off to war and this young lass apparently worked in the tool crib at a rail yard. There was no name on it or date but we thought it was very entertaining. She seems slightly ahead of her time. And I give you,

“T R O U B L E S”

My job is full of troubles and now I will tell you a few of the unpleasant things that I’m forced to do.
Now if I wasn’t naturally a virtuous young miss, I wouldn’t hold my job down long enough to tell you this. A dozen times a day my modesty is shocked and I’m a very thankful girl the tool room door is locked.
Now I don’t mind such decent tools as wrenches, drills and shears but some of the tools they ask for make me red behind the ears.
A man fixing a bearing comes and asked to see my balls and before recovering from the shock, another fellow calls. He asked for cocks to put on pipes; for counterbores and tits. But when they ask me for a screw it scares me into fits.
They want reamers to enlarge their holes. At least that’s what they say. And then they ask if I have a nut, a dozen times a day.
They ask me for a ratchet drill and for a bastard file.
One day a fellow come to me as I had returned from lunch, and asked me through the window if I’d seen his big prick punch. Such things as that annoy me but what I won’t forget, is when the cashier asked me if I’d had my monthly yet.
The foreman looked one day for some tools to gut a slot – said to me “open up my drawers, and show him what I got.”
They ask me for a bitch dog, which makes my temper wild. One asked me for a female gauge, which almost made me wail, because I had to ask the difference between a female and male.
One man complained, “My tool’s too short” Another “It’s too long” Another says – his tool’s too weak, another – it’s too strong.
One asked me if I could put him wise as to where he could find some tailstock. Another wants a bunch of waste to wipe off a plumber’s cock.
Another old machinist who had one half a jag, asked me at the window for a handful of my rag.
Now this all goes to show you that on all working days, a tool room girl must take it in a dozen different ways. But when this war is over and we all start life anew, I guess I’ll miss that window and the boys who need a screw.

The trouble of a Tool Room girl.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

And then there was this time...

when I was in the spice isle looking for dry white wine...

I kid you not. This recipe called for dry white wine and I thought, hu powdered wine. I don't think I've ever seen that before. I must have spent 15 minutes searching the spices. Searching and searching. A woman asked what I was looking for and when I told her, and I heard myself say it... I felt like an absolute idiot. There I was in the spice isle, laughing my butt off.

I can't even call it a senior moment...

Thursday, April 12, 2007

HOOZAH!!!!

The F$%^&(@#$%&^#%$$#%#^ING catalog is done!

And due to a warehouse error, there is a typo. Grrrr. I had marked a size of one style out of stock but the warehouse had switched sizes by accident and in fact I have plenty of the "out-of-stock" in stock but the 6-12 month size listed in the catalog doesn't exist.

Oh for Pete sake!

And who the heck is Pete anyway? Is it Pete's sake? Like, as in St. Peter? One time I was writing a paper and I wrote "...the boy next store" I knew it didn't look right but it took me a while to figure out what was wrong. Oooooh. Next DOOR.

And I love it when people use "of" when they mean "have". I worked with a management level employee (Eric, you know who I mean) who constantly put out broad reaching e-mails and memos and ALWAYS used phrases involving "of"... "I would of done it myself, but I ran out of time..." Holy grammar Batman!

My mom and grandmother were teachers and I do pride myself on my proper grammar but I do still say, "Me and so and so" Instead of "So and so and I"

I guess I just think I'm worth putting first. Yea, that's it, I have a good self image...

Are you buying this at all?

Here is the cover of the new catalog. I'm so happy I'm done.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

This Week's Weather

Now, I don't mean to brag or anything. But Southern California is not a bad place to spend the winter and spring... Normally we would be at the midwest office in Michigan.
Next year the school schedule will actually allow me to get some work done. But for now I will upload my new catalog to the printer with sick kids in tow. Both are home sick from school today.
So goes the balancing act of the mompreneur.

Happy spring. I'm thinking of you wherever you are.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Happy Anniversary

To me.
It's my 13th wedding anniversary today. I say "mine" not ours because my hubby is not here. :-( He is in Michigan in the snow. Ha Ha. His Disney vacation and the kids spring break didn't line up so we took our vacation and he worked. Now the kids are back at school and he is on vacation without us. Sigh. Too bad Disney (the FAMILY company) scheduled the production break so that it would not line up with ANY spring break with the employee's kids.

Morons.

Well, better to have a 13th anniversary with the significant other MIA than to not to be having an anniversary and having the schlub live down the block... I don't think that came out as positive as it was intended...

Oh well. Maybe the girls and I will go out to dinner to celebrate. Woohoo Chuck E Cheese for my anniversary!

Party on!

This picture has nothing to do with this post, I just think it's funny. This is the one designated smoking area at Disneyland. You can't walk around outside and smoke. You have to go to this lousy little corner by some dumpsters and stand there (not even any benches) to get your fix before continuing to enjoy the "happiest place on earth" with your off-spring.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Childhood Diseases

Like Chicken Pox

Getting them as an adult...
I don't recommend it. Though granted, it generally isn't one's choice to contract these things. So at 40 years of age, why did it not dawn on me earlier to protect myself against it?

I have no good answer. Except to say that I simply wasn't paying attention.

PAY ATTENTION! IF YOU ARE AN ADULT WHO HAS NOT HAD CHICKEN POX AS A CHILD AND WERE NEVER VACCINATED AGAINST IT (which you were NOT prior to 1995, when it was licensed) THEN GET YOUR BUTT TO A DOCTOR AND GET A SHOT!

Have I managed to express the sense of urgency that I intended?

I have the chicken pox. It is most unpleasant. And that is a gross understatement. Is it really worse as an adult like they say or are adults merely more dramatic and not as stoic about pain as small children? I don't know but man, it stinks! And the lovely appearance, like that of an escaped leper or the unfortunate target of a swarm of killer bees, is its own reward.

I feel compelled to quietly explain myself, defend myself, to people as they avert their eyes, trying not to stare.
"Chicken pox." I say with a shrug and roll of the eyes. A comment to which I am assured much "Ohhing and Ahhing" which is not why I say it. Honest. I pull myself together in the morning, you see, so I have a certain level of vanity that is pretty much shattered with my recent 'good' fortune. sigh. I'm glad I'm not single and in the dating game this week.

So all things happen for a reason hu? Still looking for the hidden meaning in this one.

Happy spring!