My Bug is coming to visit this weekend. Bug is my cousin, Evan. The first time I saw him, I started calling him Bugaboo. It's become Bug.
Evan will be a big brother in a few months. His little brother, Drew, is due in January. I was planning on waiting until seeing him for the first time before coming up with a nickname, but for some reason, the name Moose has been sticking in my head. I mentioned this to Bug's mama yesterday, and her response was, "You can't call my child Moose!" To which I replied, "But I can call your child Bug?"
She hasn't answered me back.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Happily Ever After - not just a myth
So a little over a week ago, one of my bestest buddies got married. I drove out to Rome for the big ball-and-chain event. For those of you that don't know me that well, you have to understand that driving to Rome (just under 3 hours), by myself, is a pretty major thing. Not too long ago, I would have missed out on the wedding. The thought of going somewhere I was unfamiliar with, relying on myself to follow the directions I printed out, would send me spiraling into a panic attack. If, by some chance, I'd been able to start the trip, the whole getting lost in Rome thing would have probably ended the trip a measly 2 miles short of my destination. Instead, I drove across the state, got lost and found my way, went to a wedding in which I knew about 5 of the people in attendance, went to a reception in which I knew the same 5 people (I should mention that 3 of them were actively involved in the wedding, and so I couldn't spend my time hiding behind them), and then came home (get lost again). I met and talked with new people, and just had a blast! I was privileged to watch my pal join his life with that of the woman he loves. The memory that will always stand out the most is the smile on his face. He always has the most infectious smile. But that day? I've never seen him smile like that. That, my friends, was the smile of a man in love.
That day in Rome taught me two things. First, maybe I can overcome my crazy issues, and learn to live my life. And second, maybe Happily Ever After really does exist.
That day in Rome taught me two things. First, maybe I can overcome my crazy issues, and learn to live my life. And second, maybe Happily Ever After really does exist.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A LYRICAL SELF-PORTRAIT
SELF:
DESCRIBE YOURSELF
-*Standing with the wallflowers, wishing you'da stayed at home, you kick yourself for coming, when you're standing there all alone*.....O-Town *Shy Girl*
-*Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you'll never know me, every day it's as if I play a part. Now I see, if I wear a mask, I can fool the world, but I cannot fool my heart*.....Christina Aguilera *Reflection (from Disney's Mulan)*
-*I just want to be sure you know just who you’re gettin’ under this ol’ hat, cause I’m not the kind who will two-time or play games behind your back*…..Easton Corbin *A Little More Country Than That*
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
-*Oh, the blues will be blue, and the jealousies green*.....Garth Brooks *The Red Strokes* (does that encompass a whole bunch of colors, or what?)
WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A CHILD?
-*Christopher Robin and I walked along under branches lit up by the moon, posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore, as the days disappeared all too soon.....Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do, gotta a hunnyjar stuck on his nose. He came to me asking help and advice, from here, no one knows where he goes. So I said to ask of the Owl, if he's there, how to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear*.....Kenny Loggins *Return to Pooh Corner*
-*I love life, life loves me. Let's take another trip to Disneyland.........oh-oh Disneyland*.....Melissa Lefton *I Love Life*
WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF YOUR PAST?
-*I woke up, it was seven. I waited 'til eleven, just to figure out that no one would call. I think I have a lot of friends, but I don't hear from them. What's another night all alone, when you're spending every day on your own?*.....Simple Plan *I'm Just A Kid*
-*She only wanted love, didn't bargain for this. She can't help but love him for the way he is, she's only 17, and there ain't no reasoning. So she'll ride this ride as far as it can go*.....Trisha Yearwood *Walkaway Joe*
-*Look at this photograph, every time I do it makes me laugh. How did our eyes get do red? And what the hell is on Joey's head?*.....Nickelback *Photograph*
HOW DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?
-*Runaway train never going back, wrong way on a one-way track, seems like I should be getting somewhere, somehow I’m neither here nor there*...Soul Asylum *Runaway Train*
-*I don't know what to do, I think that maybe I'm in over my head*.....Lit *Over My Head*FRIENDS AND
FAMILY:
TELL ABOUT YOUR FAMILY
-*They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky*..."The Addams Family*
-*My dad chased monsters from the dark, he checked underneath the bed*.....Joe Nichols *Impossible*
-*When tough little boys grown up to be dads, they turn into big babies again*…..Garry Allan *Tough Little Boys*
TELL ABOUT YOUR BEST FRIEND
-*There's a ship out on the ocean, at the mercy of the sea. It's been tossed about, lost and broken, wandering aimlessly. And God, somehow you know that ship is me. 'Cause there's a lighthouse in the harbor, shining faithfully. Pouring it's light out across the water, for this sinking soul to see that someone out there still believes in me*.....Garth Brooks *Til You Come Back To Me (From the motion picture Frequency)*
RELATIONSHIPS:
IS THERE ANYONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW?
-*Go make your next choice be your best choice, and if you're looking for a [girl] with a voice, well baby I'm single*.....Jason Mraz *I'd Do Anything*
DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM MATE/RELATIONSHIP
-*Maybe he lives in the city, working on a college degree. Or maybe he's a boy in Paris, trying to paint a picture of me. Maybe he works on the railroad, or he's drivin' from town to town, saving his pay for our wedding day. Then he's gonna settle down. He's just lookin' for a girl to send some flowers to, he's as honest and true as they get.......See I'm already somebody's lover, he just hasn't found me yet*.....Lila McCann *Somebody's Lover*
-*Each morning the sun shines through my window, lands on the face of a dream come true. I shuffle to the kitchen for my coffee, and catch up on the front page morning news. Then [he] walks up behind me and throws [his] arms around my neck, just another normal thing I've come to expect....Every afternoon I make a phone call, listen to the voice that warms my heart. I drag myself through a few more hours, then head on home to try and beat the dark. [His] smile will be right there when I step through that door, and it will be that way tomorrow, just like everyday before*.....Rascal Flatts *This Everyday Love*
DO YOU LIKE TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE?
-*What's it gonna take to get us both there? Can't you see what I'm suggesting? It's a double dare. You start if you have the nerve. I'll trust my heart, but you go first*.....Jessica Andrews *You Go First*
WOULD YOU EVER HAVE A ONE-NIGHT STAND? (I hope these make sense to you)
-*She fell in love with her heart and showed it physically, it was a night of love and passion for the whole wide world to see. Nobody ever told her that one and one make three and now she cries at night 'til the mornin light dries her tears of misery. The talk she had with her mother didn't seem to ease her mind; the night of love and passion seems so far behind. She learned too late just one mistake can turn a love to hate; now will she go down to the clinic and take what's not hers to take?*.....Ricky Van Shelton *The Decision*
-*Suitcase packed with all his things, car pulls up, the doorbell rings, he don't want to go. He thought he'd found his home. But with circumstances he can't change, he waves goodbye as they pull away from the life he's known for the last seven months or so. She said, "We found a man who looks like you, who cried and said he never knew about the boy in pictures that we showed him. A rambler in his younger days, he knew he'd made a few mistakes, but he swore he would have been there, had he known it. Son, we think we found your dad in Oklahoma*.....Billy Gilman *Oklahoma*
MISCELLANEOUS:
IF YOU COULD SAY SOMETHING TO SOMEONE CURRENTLY INYOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
-*I see that I don't see. Do they see YOU when they see me?*.....Five Iron Frenzy *All That Is Good*
DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE?
-*Just remember when you're talking to the man upstairs, that just because HE may not answer, doesn't mean HE don't care, 'cause sometimes God's greatest answers are unanswered prayers*...Garth Brooks *Unanswered Prayers*
-*Hey! Don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head you feel left-out, and looked down on. So try. Just do your best. Don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say.........So try. Just be yourself. It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else*.....Jimmy Eat World *The Middle*
-*Don't look in the mirror, he might have that look in his eyes, the one that’s so strong, it strangles your will to survive. He's mastered the art of looking sincere; his eyes have a way of making you stay. Don't look in the mirror.*…..Chely Wright *Shut Up and Drive*
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND OUT TO THE WORLD?
-*I just want to share with you how we got this peace and hope*...Five Iron Frenzy *Superpowers*
-*A single step in the right direction, person to person making a connection, we can change the world that's become so violent*.....South Sixty-Five *Random Act of Senseless Kindness*
-*Maybe it's me who's gone crazy, but I can't understand why all these lovers keep hurting each other, when good love is so hard to come by*.....Michael Martin Murphy *What's Forever For?*
-*Amy's going back to school today, elation, jubilation streams down her face. Do the halls smell like gun powder still? What made the human mind dark enough to kill?*.....Five Iron Frenzy *A New Hope*
-*Fathers, be good to your daughters; daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers, so mothers, be good to your daughters, too*.....John Mayer *Daughters*
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO VACATION?
-*And her heart it is in Ireland, deep within the Emerald Isle*...Garth Brooks *Ireland*
-*Let's go to Canada, let's leave today*...Five Iron Frenzy *Canada*
-*Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you, Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama*...The Beach Boys *Kokomo*
-*I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea. 'Cause I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me. On board, I'm the captain, so climb aboard. We'll search for tomorrow on every shore*.....Styx *Come Sail Away*
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ALCOHOL?
-*Wasting away again in Margaritaville*...Jimmy Buffett *Margaritaville*
-*Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall*
-*And since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France, been making the bars lots of big money and helping white people dance. I got you in trouble in high school, but college, now that was a ball. You had some of the best times you'll never remember, with me*.....Brad Paisley *Alcohol*
DO YOU SMOKE/CHEW?
-*I grabbed my honeybaby and I pinched her ol' behind, She said you better spit out that chewing terbaccer if you wanna kiss me on the big ol' smacker*.....Chris Ledoux *Copenhagen*
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?
-*Dreamin', I must be dreamin'*...Anne Murray *I Just Fall In Love Again*
WHAT MAKES SOMEONE BEAUTIFUL?
-*Lord, search my heart, create in me something clean, dandelions, you see flowers in these weeds*...Five Iron Frenzy *Dandelions*
DO YOU HAVE A SWEET TOOTH?
-*Sugar, oh honey honey...* ~The Archies *Sugar Sugar*
DO YOU HAVE REGRETS?
-*Damn the pride that makes me want to break instead of bend*.....Trisha Yearwood *For Reasons I've Forgotten*
HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION?
-*The sign says "Slow Down-Slippery Ice", you've got dangerous curves, don't think twice. It says "Not For Sale," you're spoken for, just take your heart and walk out the door. 'Cause when you're around, my defenses go down, feelings get stronger, looks getlonger, the closer you come, the weaker I get, if it ain't happened now, just ain't happened yet*.....Blackhawk *I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No*
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE THE PAST?
-*I would like to visit you for awhile, get away and out of this city. Maybe I shouldn't have called but someone had to be the first to break. We can go sit on your back porch, relax, talk about anything, it don't matter, I'll be courageous if you can pretend that you've forgiven me...We don't talk much anymore, we keep running from the pain. But what I wouldn't give to see your face again...So maybe I shouldn't have called, was it too soon to tell? Oh, what the hell, it doesn't really matter. How do you redefine something that never really had a name?*.....Savage Garden *I Don't Know You Anymore
SELF:
DESCRIBE YOURSELF
-*Standing with the wallflowers, wishing you'da stayed at home, you kick yourself for coming, when you're standing there all alone*.....O-Town *Shy Girl*
-*Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you'll never know me, every day it's as if I play a part. Now I see, if I wear a mask, I can fool the world, but I cannot fool my heart*.....Christina Aguilera *Reflection (from Disney's Mulan)*
-*I just want to be sure you know just who you’re gettin’ under this ol’ hat, cause I’m not the kind who will two-time or play games behind your back*…..Easton Corbin *A Little More Country Than That*
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
-*Oh, the blues will be blue, and the jealousies green*.....Garth Brooks *The Red Strokes* (does that encompass a whole bunch of colors, or what?)
WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AS A CHILD?
-*Christopher Robin and I walked along under branches lit up by the moon, posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore, as the days disappeared all too soon.....Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do, gotta a hunnyjar stuck on his nose. He came to me asking help and advice, from here, no one knows where he goes. So I said to ask of the Owl, if he's there, how to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear*.....Kenny Loggins *Return to Pooh Corner*
-*I love life, life loves me. Let's take another trip to Disneyland.........oh-oh Disneyland*.....Melissa Lefton *I Love Life*
WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF YOUR PAST?
-*I woke up, it was seven. I waited 'til eleven, just to figure out that no one would call. I think I have a lot of friends, but I don't hear from them. What's another night all alone, when you're spending every day on your own?*.....Simple Plan *I'm Just A Kid*
-*She only wanted love, didn't bargain for this. She can't help but love him for the way he is, she's only 17, and there ain't no reasoning. So she'll ride this ride as far as it can go*.....Trisha Yearwood *Walkaway Joe*
-*Look at this photograph, every time I do it makes me laugh. How did our eyes get do red? And what the hell is on Joey's head?*.....Nickelback *Photograph*
HOW DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?
-*Runaway train never going back, wrong way on a one-way track, seems like I should be getting somewhere, somehow I’m neither here nor there*...Soul Asylum *Runaway Train*
-*I don't know what to do, I think that maybe I'm in over my head*.....Lit *Over My Head*FRIENDS AND
FAMILY:
TELL ABOUT YOUR FAMILY
-*They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky*..."The Addams Family*
-*My dad chased monsters from the dark, he checked underneath the bed*.....Joe Nichols *Impossible*
-*When tough little boys grown up to be dads, they turn into big babies again*…..Garry Allan *Tough Little Boys*
TELL ABOUT YOUR BEST FRIEND
-*There's a ship out on the ocean, at the mercy of the sea. It's been tossed about, lost and broken, wandering aimlessly. And God, somehow you know that ship is me. 'Cause there's a lighthouse in the harbor, shining faithfully. Pouring it's light out across the water, for this sinking soul to see that someone out there still believes in me*.....Garth Brooks *Til You Come Back To Me (From the motion picture Frequency)*
RELATIONSHIPS:
IS THERE ANYONE SPECIAL IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW?
-*Go make your next choice be your best choice, and if you're looking for a [girl] with a voice, well baby I'm single*.....Jason Mraz *I'd Do Anything*
DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM MATE/RELATIONSHIP
-*Maybe he lives in the city, working on a college degree. Or maybe he's a boy in Paris, trying to paint a picture of me. Maybe he works on the railroad, or he's drivin' from town to town, saving his pay for our wedding day. Then he's gonna settle down. He's just lookin' for a girl to send some flowers to, he's as honest and true as they get.......See I'm already somebody's lover, he just hasn't found me yet*.....Lila McCann *Somebody's Lover*
-*Each morning the sun shines through my window, lands on the face of a dream come true. I shuffle to the kitchen for my coffee, and catch up on the front page morning news. Then [he] walks up behind me and throws [his] arms around my neck, just another normal thing I've come to expect....Every afternoon I make a phone call, listen to the voice that warms my heart. I drag myself through a few more hours, then head on home to try and beat the dark. [His] smile will be right there when I step through that door, and it will be that way tomorrow, just like everyday before*.....Rascal Flatts *This Everyday Love*
DO YOU LIKE TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE?
-*What's it gonna take to get us both there? Can't you see what I'm suggesting? It's a double dare. You start if you have the nerve. I'll trust my heart, but you go first*.....Jessica Andrews *You Go First*
WOULD YOU EVER HAVE A ONE-NIGHT STAND? (I hope these make sense to you)
-*She fell in love with her heart and showed it physically, it was a night of love and passion for the whole wide world to see. Nobody ever told her that one and one make three and now she cries at night 'til the mornin light dries her tears of misery. The talk she had with her mother didn't seem to ease her mind; the night of love and passion seems so far behind. She learned too late just one mistake can turn a love to hate; now will she go down to the clinic and take what's not hers to take?*.....Ricky Van Shelton *The Decision*
-*Suitcase packed with all his things, car pulls up, the doorbell rings, he don't want to go. He thought he'd found his home. But with circumstances he can't change, he waves goodbye as they pull away from the life he's known for the last seven months or so. She said, "We found a man who looks like you, who cried and said he never knew about the boy in pictures that we showed him. A rambler in his younger days, he knew he'd made a few mistakes, but he swore he would have been there, had he known it. Son, we think we found your dad in Oklahoma*.....Billy Gilman *Oklahoma*
MISCELLANEOUS:
IF YOU COULD SAY SOMETHING TO SOMEONE CURRENTLY INYOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
-*I see that I don't see. Do they see YOU when they see me?*.....Five Iron Frenzy *All That Is Good*
DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE?
-*Just remember when you're talking to the man upstairs, that just because HE may not answer, doesn't mean HE don't care, 'cause sometimes God's greatest answers are unanswered prayers*...Garth Brooks *Unanswered Prayers*
-*Hey! Don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head you feel left-out, and looked down on. So try. Just do your best. Don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say.........So try. Just be yourself. It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else*.....Jimmy Eat World *The Middle*
-*Don't look in the mirror, he might have that look in his eyes, the one that’s so strong, it strangles your will to survive. He's mastered the art of looking sincere; his eyes have a way of making you stay. Don't look in the mirror.*…..Chely Wright *Shut Up and Drive*
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND OUT TO THE WORLD?
-*I just want to share with you how we got this peace and hope*...Five Iron Frenzy *Superpowers*
-*A single step in the right direction, person to person making a connection, we can change the world that's become so violent*.....South Sixty-Five *Random Act of Senseless Kindness*
-*Maybe it's me who's gone crazy, but I can't understand why all these lovers keep hurting each other, when good love is so hard to come by*.....Michael Martin Murphy *What's Forever For?*
-*Amy's going back to school today, elation, jubilation streams down her face. Do the halls smell like gun powder still? What made the human mind dark enough to kill?*.....Five Iron Frenzy *A New Hope*
-*Fathers, be good to your daughters; daughters will love like you do. Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers, so mothers, be good to your daughters, too*.....John Mayer *Daughters*
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO VACATION?
-*And her heart it is in Ireland, deep within the Emerald Isle*...Garth Brooks *Ireland*
-*Let's go to Canada, let's leave today*...Five Iron Frenzy *Canada*
-*Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take you, Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama*...The Beach Boys *Kokomo*
-*I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea. 'Cause I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me. On board, I'm the captain, so climb aboard. We'll search for tomorrow on every shore*.....Styx *Come Sail Away*
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ALCOHOL?
-*Wasting away again in Margaritaville*...Jimmy Buffett *Margaritaville*
-*Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall*
-*And since the day I left Milwaukee, Lynchburg and Bordeaux, France, been making the bars lots of big money and helping white people dance. I got you in trouble in high school, but college, now that was a ball. You had some of the best times you'll never remember, with me*.....Brad Paisley *Alcohol*
DO YOU SMOKE/CHEW?
-*I grabbed my honeybaby and I pinched her ol' behind, She said you better spit out that chewing terbaccer if you wanna kiss me on the big ol' smacker*.....Chris Ledoux *Copenhagen*
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?
-*Dreamin', I must be dreamin'*...Anne Murray *I Just Fall In Love Again*
WHAT MAKES SOMEONE BEAUTIFUL?
-*Lord, search my heart, create in me something clean, dandelions, you see flowers in these weeds*...Five Iron Frenzy *Dandelions*
DO YOU HAVE A SWEET TOOTH?
-*Sugar, oh honey honey...* ~The Archies *Sugar Sugar*
DO YOU HAVE REGRETS?
-*Damn the pride that makes me want to break instead of bend*.....Trisha Yearwood *For Reasons I've Forgotten*
HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION?
-*The sign says "Slow Down-Slippery Ice", you've got dangerous curves, don't think twice. It says "Not For Sale," you're spoken for, just take your heart and walk out the door. 'Cause when you're around, my defenses go down, feelings get stronger, looks getlonger, the closer you come, the weaker I get, if it ain't happened now, just ain't happened yet*.....Blackhawk *I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No*
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE THE PAST?
-*I would like to visit you for awhile, get away and out of this city. Maybe I shouldn't have called but someone had to be the first to break. We can go sit on your back porch, relax, talk about anything, it don't matter, I'll be courageous if you can pretend that you've forgiven me...We don't talk much anymore, we keep running from the pain. But what I wouldn't give to see your face again...So maybe I shouldn't have called, was it too soon to tell? Oh, what the hell, it doesn't really matter. How do you redefine something that never really had a name?*.....Savage Garden *I Don't Know You Anymore
Monday, February 01, 2010
Driving the hearse
So, about a month ago, I got in my sweet little red Altima, and headed into the city for workday numero uno of 2010 (important note: this was after a wonderful 2 week paid holiday, so I really did NOT want to be heading into work). To get from my house to my parking lot is a really simple drive. It's 4 entire turns on the 15 mile drive. As long as I avoid the deer, it's a breeze. Despite being grumpy, this morning was no exception.
Cruising easily along, I got to the end of the end of my road, and slowed down to stop at the stop sign, and WHAM!!!!
MY CAR!!! Sure enough, I glanced in my rearview mirror, and the driver behind me was already in tears. I took a deep breath, and got out. Seeing that her car was completely intact, I started to breath again.....and then I got a full view of my car. It wasn't pretty. I got the driver calmed down, we moved off of the road, and I made the obligatory 911 call.
At about this time, the driver's mother asked to speak with me on said driver's phone. She wanted me to wait to call the police (sorry, Mama, too late). I should have known something was up. The deputies soon showed up, the paperwork was completed (with an assurance that I was NOT at fault, and the report would most certainly state it was the fault of the driver that rearended me), we made sure my car was driveable, and I made my way to work. A few hours later, I got the dreaded call. Yes, the deputy said, I've confirmed it. She has no valid insurance.
It's now been a month. I've filed on my uninsured motorist coverage, and my car if fresh from the body shop, where a facial and body lift were performed (or maybe it was liposuction and a butt-lift). Either way, that's a $250 deductible. I drove a hearse - I mean, a Chevy HHR - for 2 weeks. That's $105 for my portion. I had to make two visits to the chiropractor. That's $160 for my portion. The driver of the vehicle has not returned any of my phone calls.
Did I mention that her car got impounded at the scene and she got approximately 4 tickets? And that the cost for fixing my car (for which my insurance company will be suing her) was just under $3900? AND...Jackson County requires uninsured motorists who get behind a wheel and cause an accident to make full restitution of ALL out-of-pocket costs related to said accident. She has 90 days to comply. Maybe now she'll keep valid insurance on her vehicle.
Should I take bets on how quickly I'll see my $500+?
Cruising easily along, I got to the end of the end of my road, and slowed down to stop at the stop sign, and WHAM!!!!
MY CAR!!! Sure enough, I glanced in my rearview mirror, and the driver behind me was already in tears. I took a deep breath, and got out. Seeing that her car was completely intact, I started to breath again.....and then I got a full view of my car. It wasn't pretty. I got the driver calmed down, we moved off of the road, and I made the obligatory 911 call.
At about this time, the driver's mother asked to speak with me on said driver's phone. She wanted me to wait to call the police (sorry, Mama, too late). I should have known something was up. The deputies soon showed up, the paperwork was completed (with an assurance that I was NOT at fault, and the report would most certainly state it was the fault of the driver that rearended me), we made sure my car was driveable, and I made my way to work. A few hours later, I got the dreaded call. Yes, the deputy said, I've confirmed it. She has no valid insurance.
It's now been a month. I've filed on my uninsured motorist coverage, and my car if fresh from the body shop, where a facial and body lift were performed (or maybe it was liposuction and a butt-lift). Either way, that's a $250 deductible. I drove a hearse - I mean, a Chevy HHR - for 2 weeks. That's $105 for my portion. I had to make two visits to the chiropractor. That's $160 for my portion. The driver of the vehicle has not returned any of my phone calls.
Did I mention that her car got impounded at the scene and she got approximately 4 tickets? And that the cost for fixing my car (for which my insurance company will be suing her) was just under $3900? AND...Jackson County requires uninsured motorists who get behind a wheel and cause an accident to make full restitution of ALL out-of-pocket costs related to said accident. She has 90 days to comply. Maybe now she'll keep valid insurance on her vehicle.
Should I take bets on how quickly I'll see my $500+?
Sunday, January 03, 2010
2010 - New Beginnings
I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. I do, however, find this time of year a great time for making changes. Because I work for an institute of higher education (GO DAWGS!), I enjoy the privilege of an extended paid holiday every December/January. During this time, I can be blissfully lazy, and while lounging around in bed at 2pm, I usually realize that there are many things I SHOULD be doing at this time. I make the obligatory list, and post it on my desk, where I will hopefully look at it everyday when I sit at said desk for my personal time with God. This year, however, I'm going a step further. I'm making that list public. Here is my To-Do list for 2010:
1. Cut back on television viewing. I've cut back some, but I know I can do more.
2. Drink 8 glasses of water EVERY day, more if it's an exercise day.
3. Walk 4 times a week (this will include one short hike on the weekend), swim 4 times a week when the weather in conducive to getting into the pool.
4. Keep on top of laundry.
5. Finish reading the Bible (I'm currently in Judges.....have been there awhile).
6. Diligently work at improving photography skills...this means TAKE PICTURES!
7. Stick to a balanced budget.
8. Start up with guitar lessons again, and stick with them this time.
9. Sign up to complete the scuba lessons
10. Train for Athens Eco-Adventure race, so that this time next year, I can sign up.
To go along with #10, my best friend Jason is doing the Warrior Dash this year (May). I'll be going to cheer him on, and if it looks like it's as much fun as I'm imaging it to be, I'll be training to compete in that in 2011, as well.
Tomorrow is my last day of Winter Break. Then it's back to work. January is such a busy time in my office. My boss goes to the majority of his professional conferences in January/February, so I'm constantly setting up travel arrangements. It's the start of a new semester, so we have students leaving, students starting, and all the details associated with the process. I'm responsible for scheduling my boss's meetings for the year, so I have to finalize all of those. Inventory for the department is due January 31 (my department is spread out all over the state of Georgia, so it's a HUGE project). And all faculty evaluations have to be completed between January and February (40+ faculty at three campuses). AND January is a short month, in terms of actual working days. In the four working weeks of January, only one of them is not shortened by a holiday or furlough day.
To add to that chaos, I'm taking classes again this term. I'm taking an advanced Photoshop/graphic design class, and in order to get the classes finished before my annual Florida trip (first week of March every year), I'm taking class 2 nights a week. So, Tuesday and Thursday, I'll work from 8-5, grab a quick bite of supper, and go to class from 6-9. By the time I get home, I'll have time to grab a shower and fall into bed. Thank goodness class ends in February, and my next class(es) won't start until summer term.
1. Cut back on television viewing. I've cut back some, but I know I can do more.
2. Drink 8 glasses of water EVERY day, more if it's an exercise day.
3. Walk 4 times a week (this will include one short hike on the weekend), swim 4 times a week when the weather in conducive to getting into the pool.
4. Keep on top of laundry.
5. Finish reading the Bible (I'm currently in Judges.....have been there awhile).
6. Diligently work at improving photography skills...this means TAKE PICTURES!
7. Stick to a balanced budget.
8. Start up with guitar lessons again, and stick with them this time.
9. Sign up to complete the scuba lessons
10. Train for Athens Eco-Adventure race, so that this time next year, I can sign up.
To go along with #10, my best friend Jason is doing the Warrior Dash this year (May). I'll be going to cheer him on, and if it looks like it's as much fun as I'm imaging it to be, I'll be training to compete in that in 2011, as well.
Tomorrow is my last day of Winter Break. Then it's back to work. January is such a busy time in my office. My boss goes to the majority of his professional conferences in January/February, so I'm constantly setting up travel arrangements. It's the start of a new semester, so we have students leaving, students starting, and all the details associated with the process. I'm responsible for scheduling my boss's meetings for the year, so I have to finalize all of those. Inventory for the department is due January 31 (my department is spread out all over the state of Georgia, so it's a HUGE project). And all faculty evaluations have to be completed between January and February (40+ faculty at three campuses). AND January is a short month, in terms of actual working days. In the four working weeks of January, only one of them is not shortened by a holiday or furlough day.
To add to that chaos, I'm taking classes again this term. I'm taking an advanced Photoshop/graphic design class, and in order to get the classes finished before my annual Florida trip (first week of March every year), I'm taking class 2 nights a week. So, Tuesday and Thursday, I'll work from 8-5, grab a quick bite of supper, and go to class from 6-9. By the time I get home, I'll have time to grab a shower and fall into bed. Thank goodness class ends in February, and my next class(es) won't start until summer term.
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