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Monday, August 13, 2007

All In The Family Part 2...

It has been a couple of days since I last posted. I am going to continue with the last thread.

As I was saying, my sil now says that I am a liar, and that I should be happy, as I have "ruined her marriage"....sigh. That was not my intention. I was kicking myself for even telling dh, and then I wasn't sure that he should call her. Regardless, the problems with her marriage don't lie with me. She needs to be angry at her husband.

As I mentioned, my friend, Lisa, had some interesting things to tell me. She said that the "touching and feeling and comments" started right from day one. However, the heavy handed stuff only happened when I was busy in another room. Terry would grab her butt while following her up the basement steps, or he would say that he loved yellow underware, after spying on her when she bent over to pick up a box. He tried to kiss her, he wanted her phone number, he told her that her husband was a very lucky man and he told her that he could picture her body naked by just looking at her........ewww. I never knew this was happening. She didn't tell me she said, as I was already stressed out with everything else.

The topper came when, on the last night that we were at the house, I decided to have a "get together" with all of my friends on the block...ie: neighbors that had helped, my friends, etc. Now, Terry had shown up earlier that evening and said that he had a commitment, and that he was not sure that he would be able to make it back. I told him that that was fine, as were done, and that we were just going to hang out. I didn't invite him (contrary to what he later told my sil), as I knew that we would be drinking, and he is a recovering alcoholic. So, we are all on my deck, laughing and drinking and such, and around 10 pm, I look up, and here is Terry! He looked at me, then looked around, and then disappered, back to his truck I assumed. It was weird. I definately got the feeling that he showed up thinking that I would be alone (there weren't any cars parked in front of my house at that time, and Lisa had her hubby's truck, and I don't think Terry reconized it) Anyway, just about that time, Lisa decided that it was time to go home. After saying goodbye, she went out front. Unbeknownst to her, Terry had not left. He was sitting in his truck. Just sitting there. She saw him, and he asked if she was going and she said "yes, that her husband was waiting for her". She got in her truck and left. This is where it gets creepier. Terry, evidently, decided to follow her! She told me that she had never been so freaked before! He followed her all the way down a major road (no where near where he need to go to get to his house). She decided to make a couple of turns, to see if he was indeed following her, and sure enough, he did! Finally, she decided to pull into the Police station, as she didn't want to lead him to her house (even though her hubby was home, she didn't want Terry to know where she lived, smart girl). So Lisa pulls into the PD, and Terry keeps on going.

Again, I am finding this out 2 and 1/2 months after the fact. So, when my bil tried to turn it all around on me, and say that I "encourged him to come over and not to tell my sil", dh made sure to mention all of the above to his sister. If she wants to hate me, feel free. But DO NOT call me a liar. She needs to start paying more attention to what her dh is doing.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

All In The Family......

Ok, so something happened to me recently, and I find myself wanting to write it down. Since I don't have a diary, I am using this.

As most of my friends know, my family and I recently relocated from Michigan to Arizona. Let me start off by saying that moving in and of itself, is a chore. But moving 3000 miles across country really takes work..lol. During the last week that I was in MI, I was trying to decide what to pack into the moving truck, what to take on my truck, what to throw away, and what to leave at my parents house. During all of this, I was cleaning the house, as we planned on renting it out, and in order to rent it, I had to have the city come out and inspect it to issue a Certificate of Occupancy.

The city came out, inspected, and then gave me a LIST of things that had to be replaced or repaired...sigh. Luckily, I have friends who know how to strip and replace roofs on garages, and I have an uncle who can do drywall, and I have a brother-in-law who can do electrical. This is where the trouble started.....with my brother-in -law....sigh.

My brother-in-law is married to my dh's sister. As I am an only child, I have always loved having a "sister and brother" by marriage. When the City came out, and I was given the list, I called my sister-in-law and asked if Terry could come over and help me with the Certs required work. Since they hadn't offered any other help, I didn't think it would be too much to ask. My sister-in-law said "no problem. He will be over on Monday, after work, and then everyday until he gets it done". GREAT!!! What a load off my mind.

Monday comes around, and Terry comes over. At the time he came over, I had my mother, some of my neighbors/friends, and a girlfriend of mine, over, helping me to get the house emptied and packed.

Now, Terry is a BIG flirt, so consequently, I never take him serious. I noticed his flirting with Lisa, my friend, and his flirting with my female neighbors, but to be honest, didn't think anything of it, as that is how Terry always acts. Well, during the next few days, things would start heating up, more than I could have imagined.

By Weds, Terry had done quit a lot of work that had been on the list. He had come over both Mon and Tues after work, and had worked until about 10pm. He would always say "..I will be back tomorrow to finish this and then I will start on that...", to which I would reply "thanks Terry" and would continue doing whatever it was that I was doing. However, on Weds night, I received a phone call from my sister-in -law asking me if Terry could come over and take a shower. The water main on their street was broken, and the City had shut the water down until it could be repaired.
I told her "sure, that is not a problem". This is my brother-in-law that I have known for 16 years.

About 15 minutes later Terry shows up to take his shower. I was on the phone with my mother, who had left my house to take my kids and put them to bed. (By this time, all of our furniture was on the moving truck headed to AZ and we were staying with my parents those last few nights.) So, I am on the phone when he arrives, and I let him in. I tell him that I hope he brought a towel, as I have packed all of ours already, I then turn my attention back to my phone conversation. However, after 5 minutes, I realized that Terry is not in the shower. He is pacing up and down the hallway, looking as if he is waiting for me to get off the phone. When I finally hang up, he looks at me and says "...wanna join me?" WTF???????!!!!!! I look at him and say "...no, I don't think so.." to which he replies " are you sure? There's enough room in there.." to which I reply again.."NO Terry, I don't want to join you in the shower. I don't think that my HUSBAND or your WIFE would appreciate that."...then I turned around to put some things into a moving box. Up until this point, I thought he was just joking around, however, I did start getting creeped out. When I turned back around, he was standing about a foot away just staring at me...yikes. Now I am seriously uncomfortable. At just that moment however, the phone rings. I pick it up, and it is Jon! thank you god....

Flash forward to today. I never mentioned this episode to dh or his sister, and looking back, I realize that that was my mistake. I should have mentioned it right away, but I wasn't sure what his intentions were. I started to doubt myself, and say that "that's just Terry. You know that he is a big flirt and he jokes around all of the time." --even though, my gut instincts were kicking in and telling me that this is not a good situation. So, I kept quiet until this week. Something happended recently, that made me decide to tell Jon about what happened back in June. To say that he was mad, is to put it mildly. He was upset that I never told him before, and he felt that his sister needed to know. I agreed, that I would want to know. So, before I could get a chance to talk him outta it, dh calls his sister. GREAT. Now, wives are very protective of their husbands. She didn't believe a word that I said. She called me a liar. What is worse, is that she hadn't even heard the story that Lisa would tell me the next day....

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Posting from the Land of Desert Sands and Marines....

Well, I finally made it to Yuma, Az....sigh. I wasn't sure what to expect (I kept picturing nothing more than desert sand and cactus). To my suprise, Yuma is a sprawling metropolis, in the of the middle of the desert..lol. It actually rivales the size of Ann Arbor.
Yuma has taken some getting used to. When I left Michigan, it was in the low 70's during the day and in the low 50's at night. I don't think it has hit the low 70's yet here. My mother drove the trip with me, so that I would have some company. (I had flown the kids early to stay with dad). The trip went well, however, the heat is a killer. The first week wasn't so bad, the average temp was right around 110. However, the week of July 4, it was HOT. Now, I know people say - "but it's a dry heat, right?"- well, let me tell ya this: when the temp hits 118 to 123, it is just plain, flat out, HOT. It doesn't matter that there is no humidity...you still sweat!lol. In fact, I had to send her home early. Even sitting in an airconditioned house, she couldn't handle it. The doctor told her the she was having a mild version of heatstroke...yikes. So, mom went home early....sigh.

So, anyway, we have now had rain, and the temps have remained right around the 105-108 mark, which is really, quit nice. Everywhere I go, people tell me "if you can make it till Oct, you are going to love it". I think that I love it now...lol.

Another great thing about Yuma: The Marines!lol. Everywhere you go, you see men that are buff....sigh. It really makes a girl stand up and take notice...lol. Not all of them are Marines I have been told. Evidently, Marine Corp Air Station Yuma, and the Yuma Proving Grounds are host to the Special Ops Community too. Who knew?????lol. They come here to train for desert warfare and to get ready to deploy to Iraq. Evidently, Iraq has very similar weather as Yuma. And so far, every time that I have encountered a Marine, he/she has been very friendly. So far so good. We have found a church that we like, and it right across from the Marine Base, and quite a few of the members are military.

One of the things that I am still getting used to is the 0500 bomb detonations. YIKES! Ya never know when they are gonna fall, but the first time it happened, I was sound asleep. It scared the bejesus outta me. However, it is very cool to look up when you are in the pool and see blackhawks, harriers and B-52's flying over...lol.

So, all in all, we are adjusting to this new life. I miss the fact that I am so far away that I couldn't attend the 2nd Bad Frogs op. And I wish that I could go to VB with the girls....sigh. On the plus side, I live 2 hours away from San Diego and Coronado, and 4 hours away from DisneyLand...heheh..

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

FMC....To Me, Those Initials Don't Just Stand For Ford Motor Company, But Something Else....

Ok, this is my second post of the day. And this time I am pissed.

If you have read my last few entries, you know that my husband worked at Ford Motor Company, and has accepted one of the buy-out packages. And, before I start, let me just say to anyone who wants to b**** at me about the Big 3 and buy-outs for the blue collar UAW workers......if you are not in their shoes, keep your trap shut. Sorry, don't mean to sound mean, but honestly, I am sick of the bashing that the UAW workers are taking in the Detroit forums. And let me also say..I am not a union diehard. There are a lot of problems in the UAW and just as many in management. Enough said on that.

Anyway, I just need to vent. As I was saying, dh took the buyout. Ford came out last Sept. with these offerings, really pushing the workers to consider their options and take one of the packages. At the time, dh and I decided NOT to take it. He had been reassured that his job was "safe". Then, as you can see, I am sure, he was told otherwise a couple of months later. The blue collar force had till Nov. 27, 2006 to sign up. Dh did. That was five months ago. We have now been told that it will take up to 8 weeks to receive his buy out check. Why? In this computerized age, why would it take so long? They have had five, FIVE, full months to get their acts together. I don't get it. We tried to access his 401, and found out that the holding company couldn't release it to us, because they have to wait for FMC to let them know that dh is not an active employee any longer. Fine. How long will that take? We were told that it takes anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks for FMC to "let them know", and then another 2 weeks to have a check cut for us. Why can't FMC just fax them a letter??? Email???? NOPE. They send it in the regular snail mail. We are fed up to say the least. Dh was talking to a friend who took the buy out in Jan, and this friend is still waiting for his 401!! There is no excuse in my book for the slopshod, sloppy way that the Company is handling all of this! I have read about some of the workers who took the buyout, and they have had to borrow money from family and friends, so that they could start their new jobs, or pay the utilities, food, or mtg payment. If this is indictative of how FMC's main office in the Glass house is run, it is no wonder that they are in the boat that they are in...sigh. My biggest concern is getting dh to his new job, and having $ to buy food for my kids. I also think that the 401's should be frozen until they can be release, rolled over, etc. Not an option, according to the holding company. So, while they are trying to figure out what the hell is going on, we could be losing money....sigh. I know, it happens everyday. This is just disgracful in my book. The company wanted people out, the people left, found other jobs, etc., but we are still in limbo....it just makes me mad.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I Have A List, And I Am Not Afraid To Use It.....

I started this post on the 27th of March, and I finished it on the 4th of April...sorry for the confusion on the dates....


So, it has been a few since I last posted. What can I say? I have been a little bit overwhelmed. I believe the last time we met, dh had just flown out to Arizona for a job interview. Well my darlings.....he got the job. YIPEEE!!!!! I am actually very excited. A little apprehensive, but excited none the less. Now, however, the work starts, at least for me. YIKES.

I spoke with Tweet a few days ago, and she gave me some very helpful tips. The biggest one is: Make a list!! So- I took her words to heart. I went out and got myself a 300 page notebook, and away I went. I have been writing in it every day.

So, today is day 9, and I feel as if I am going around in circles...jeesh. As I posted last on the BB, I am having a little bit of a "separation issue" with dh. See, he doesn't want to separate with any of his "treasures"...(that would be *junk* in wife speak). I swear by all that is holy, I have come across so much stuff that should have been tossed years ago!! The dust on some of this stuff is older than my firstborn! The leather "biker" jacket, circa: 1983-85, which creaks worse than my arthritic grandmother, and that dh couldn't wear again, unless he had a time machine and a star membership to Jenny Craig. The golf clubs that a neighbor gave him when *they* were cleaning out their house. The only golf dh knows is put-put, but he is hell on wheels in a golf cart!lol. And I am sure you are asking..."well, are you going to get rid of your stuff?" .....DONE!lol. I periodically get rid of stuff. I can't stand clutter. Maybe this is the reason that dh hid all of his treasures in the basement storage room? Out of sight, and wife won't throw out..lol.

So, now the basement and garage are all done, because we are following my list...heheh. Next is the upstairs. We hauled garbage bag after garbage bag to the front for today's pickup. I don't feel so bad for not doing my body rev...lol. I have five weeks left of dh being home...yikes! He has been home for a total of 5 days, and I was ready to kill him yesterday! Why can't a man just go with the flow? Why does everything have to be a "discussion"....grr. It got to the point that yesterday, while we were out in the garage, we were "discussing" something, and the next thing I knew, I was yelling at him! I went to the front of the house to get away for a second, before I beaned him with one of his clubs, and my neighbors are just standing there laughing at me. One of my neighbors looked at me and said "..he's only been home 4 days. Are you gonna make it the next few weeks? Or do we need to get the bail fund ready?"..meanwhile she is laughing her hinnie off. That in turn made me laugh. At least I know that other women understand...lol.

So, today, I told him that I was taking a break. Dh asked me if the break time was on "The List", and I said "since I am the author of said list, it is now!"..lol. I think he was relieved. He had this "deer in the headlights" look about him this morning...maybe because I have had him going since last Sat morning....*shrugs*....see, I have a list...lol.....V:0)SmileyCentral.com

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Lizards and Scorpions and Snakes...oh my....

Well, dh has landed in Yuma. Actually, he landed in Phoenix and drove to Yuma. It has been quite a week around here.

As I had posted before, dh has accepted a buy out from Ford Motor. In Feb. he finally received his separation date. So, for the past month, I have been sending out resumes like a mad woman. It has become a ritual. Get home from school, do dinner, homework, bathe kids, put kids to bed and log in and send resumes' out. I know that I have sent some companies duplicates...sigh. Anyway, last week we got a serious hit. A big company called to speak to dh. They had the resume that I had sent to them, and they proceeded to "interview" dh on the phone. After the phone call, dh looked at me and said "what do you think of Az?"

The next day, we had his plane ticket, hotel room and rental car, courtesy of the company that wants to hire him. There was one glitch though. It seems that, because the facility that dh would be working out of is located in Mexicali, Mexico, he will need a birth certificate. My question is: why is it that the wife has to keep track of these things????? When dh told me that he needed his b.c., I tore the house apart looking for it. All to no avail...sigh.

I look at dh and say, "You were born in Detroit, right?" Dh looks at me and says "yeah, I am pretty sure that is right"----WTF????!!!!!! How can you not know where you were born??????!!!!!!!! Dumbass.....(I said this in a loving tone.....I swear......well......probably more in an exasperated one at least....)

Anyway, I tell him to call the City and see if we can get one. So, after calling and being re-directed numerous times by the City of Detroit, he finally gets the right place. "Yes Mr. Miller, you will be able to pick up your birth cert same day servous. Just make your check payable to the City for 45.00" .....$45!!!!!!! Jeeze, is it made of gold????? Cripes!

Friday comes, and dh heads downtown after class to pick up his bc. Now, I didn't realize that dh didn't realize that there is this common occurrence that happens every spring in and around the freeways of Metro Detroit. This occurrence is called.......yep..you guessed it..... Construction Zones...lol. It took dh 2 hours to get to what would normally only take 30 minutes! He was not happy. Add that to the fact that he had to wait 3 hours to get to the counter, only to be told by the "overpaid under worked city clerk" that the computer system just went down and that she would not be able to look up his birth cert....oh boy. Dh comes into the house in a, shall we say, not so pleasant mood. I tell him to sit down, shut up and drink a glass of sweet tea, while I head to the computer. Ah...the miracle of the Internet! In about 10 minutes I have ordered his b.c.. Of course, I had to pay $60, but when in need, don't be picky, I always say.

So, I saunter back to the living room and tell him that we will have his bc. by Monday. He calls and talks to the powers that be, and is told that he doesn't need it for the trip. Crisis averted. Mom to the rescue again.

So, this morning, I drop him off at the airport, and away he goes. He called to say that he is safe at his hotel, and that he says, "even though Az has those creatures that you hate ie: snakes, lizards, scorpions, all of them Nasties, the state is beeuuuutiful." He then proceeds to tell me that he has a couple of pictures that he is downloading and sending to me.

When I look at what he sent me I am in awe: A beautiful pic of the mountains that surround Phoenix, a pic of the car that he is driving (a cherry red 07 'Stang).....and a sign that I can't quite make out. So, after fiddling with the phone for a while, I finally have it.....yes....there it is........what?????....the sign says, VERY CLEARLY......."beware of poisonous insects and reptiles"....complete with a picture of the nasties......sigh.....it is gonna be a long summer......

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Go West Young Man........and bring your passport..

So, the other day, dh and I were having coffee, one of the few times that we actually get to see and talk to each other during daylight hours, when the phone rings. You guessed it....another recruiter. Yipee!!

See, I was getting a little nervous. I have been sending out dh's resume like a woman possessed. I have hit pretty much every *warm* state in the Union, with the exception of California. ( I don't think we could ever afford to live there). It has come to the point that I can't remember where I have sent them, and as such, I may have sent them twice to the same companies....oh well.

So, dh and I are sitting at the kitchen table and the phone rings. It is the HR person for a MAJOR oil drilling company. Dh and the HR guy proceed to have a three way telephone interview, resulting in dh's flying out to Yuma, Az this coming Sunday.

During the conversation dh is told that the plant that he would be working at is actually in Mexically. Ok....we were completely blank on the name. Mexically???? WTF?? Turns out that Mexically is actually MEXICO. Right across the boarder from Az. When dh was asked if he speaks Spanish, my Einstein replied.."Nope. But I understand the curse words.".....oh boy. Luckily, the HR person laughed at that.

So, now we are getting dh ready to go to Az. If all goes well, the Company would be willing to hold his position until May 1. Dh will have to get his passport. It will be required in 2008, just like it will be required to go to Canuck Land. What a change from Alaska. Now this is more like it!lol.

Of course now I have visions of snakes, scorpions and spiders.....did I mention that I have a hate/hate relationship with those nasties?! Yeah, they stay far, far, far away from me and I don't have a coronary.

On the plus side, I did a little recon on Yuma. It is fast becoming one of the most popular cities in the southwest. A lot of relocation is taking place. From what I can tell, it is a very cute little city. It is also just 169 miles east of San Diego and Coronado......a fact that I passed on to the Brigade...lol.

So, this weekend, I will be sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee, watching it snow (again) and dreaming of Az.... my inner beach bunny, Vanessa, is having a margarita and planning on getting a great tan.......