Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Every year there is an Ugliest Dog Contest. Poor things...the dogs that are entered truly are ugly. The Chinese Hairless Crested is a favored winner however there have been some others that have won the contest. I came across some photos of past contestants and had a great big old laugh at the expense of these dogs. They just don't know how funny looking they are. Some of them look like an overbreeding DNA double helix gone haywire and others look like a science experiment gone wrong. I don't know what the hell this second dog is supposed to be but he looks like something you'd find from the Lord of the Rings. He must have been a rescue dog. But as I have said before I appreciate the ridiculous so it wouldn't surprise me if I acquired an 'ugly dog' for myself. All things need love even if they aren't model perfect or our perception of beauty. Unconditional love my friends, unconditional love.....and a few good laughs. elizinashe.

Computers

My oh my how dependent we have become on computers these days. I had gotten up early on Wednesday to hit an exercise class. As I was sipping on my morning cup of coffee I turned on the pute in efforts to log on the internet. I kept getting a dialog box telling me that my search engine could not find the web page that normally pops up. Hmm....I kept trying and trying and finally gave up thinking that there was some outage somewhere and that my internet services would boot back up once I returned home from my class. Boy was I ever wrong.

When I returned home I once again tried to fire my computer up. No dice. Ugh! So I call my internet provider calling about not being able to log on. The representative tells me that there is a reported outage and that crews are working on the problem and I should have some services once the work is complete. Ah, relief. At least I knew it wasn't a virus that had shut me down. I was given a call back to let me know that the 'outage' had been fixed and that I should soon be able to connect. That was about 11:30am. I tried to once again boot up about 45 minutes later but to no avail. Now I was getting peeved not to mention impatient. So to make a long story short, I once again called about no services. I unplugged and replugged the modem, turned off the computer, checked my control panel but still no connection. The representative tried to reboot my modem from her end of the line but still.....no fire. I called two more times that day each with a different operator. FOUR TIMES I CALLED!!!!! I was so peeved. The last call (which was after 7pm) finally resulted in a work order being placed. Why this could not have been done on the second call is beyond me. So the last operator I spoke with was going to send someone out the following afternoon. However, I was scheduled to work that day and would not be home at all, so he set the appointment up for Friday morning. So while at work yesterday I hear my phone ring 3 times around lunchtime all around withing a minute or two of each ring. Upon listening to the voicemail after the 2nd call was the service call man at my house wondering why I wasn't there for the work order! UGH!!!! Did I not say the night before that I wasn't going to be home? Jesus....

SO...being more pissed off at lack of customer service I called AGAIN on my break to get this stupid problem fixed. The operator once again apologized(as if that made me feel any better) and reset the work order for today. FINALLY someone showed up at 9am this morning. I so wanted to ask the young man to give me a manager's direct number so I could bitch and gripe. The lack of customer service and proper communication really pissed me off to the nth degree. The real kicker was that is was nothing but a bad modem that had to be replaced. The service worker that had come to do the job was in and out in 45 minutes. This could have been resolved Wednesday morning when I FIRST called!!!! Geeze....what a pisser of an experience. But this experience also led me to another thought.

What ever did we do without computers? Oh yeah, we wrote letters, licked a stamp and mailed it off. We walked the neighborhood and chatted with our neighbors. We went to the pharmacy to drop off our prescriptions and drank a Coke while we waited for our medicine. If you're really from the old school you got an ice cream soda or a sundae. We listened to radio shows and gathered family & friends together to play music and share food. If we wanted to know something we went to the library. Encyclopedia's were a main staple in classrooms and even in some households. We played board games, cards, horseshoes and croquet. We went to church and had picnics in the yard. Have I left anything out? It seems everything we do depends so much on computers and that immediate satisfaction. Yes, computers have been a wonderful thing but sometimes finding an old-fashioned pharmacy that still serves cold soda pops and a long letter in the mail is fine by me. You can't find that sort of nostalgia on the net. elizinashe

Can't Help It

I just can't help myself sometimes. I came across this picture off the internet and just had to keep my over-the-top fashion gripes alive. Now I know that summer is upon us and the pollen has done its job to make all things bloom but this little clump of crab grass hat it just stupid. Perhaps it's a tribute to all those fathers & husbands who spend an afternoon in sweltering heat doing the lawn duties. I see that the rumors are true and the neon colors of the 80s are making a come back. Yikes! If this model is not careful she could poke an eye out with that hat. I would guess if she were outside a bird might mistake it for a nest and end up pooping all over it, or lay some eggs. Take your pick. Gotta love it. elizinashe

Relationships

One door closed, another door to open. The man that I had been seeing ended our relationship with me today. I'm really not that heartbroken about it all. Sad yes but devastated no. He is a wonderful guy and I understand why he wanted to end our time. I have no ill will towards him at all. I truly enjoyed just spending time with him and getting to know each other better. We both agreed that it was smart that we didn't rush into a physical relationship so quickly which I guess is a habit for both of us. Although we did talk about having sex and wanted to have sex, we just didn't quite get to that point. It would have been nice to explore that part of 'us' however under the given circumstances I'm glad we just didn't go there. It would have complicated things more so on his end and not on my side of the fence. It was a great stepping stone for me as well as a learning experience. I don't see if as my glass half empty or even half full. I see it as in need of a refill. elizinashe

Ridiculousness

I've always appreciated all things silly. I think it's a way that I cope with stress and all that other mess that swirls in your head. I'm a big fan of Monty Python movies and their Flying Circus series. I loved catching the re-runs of Fawlty Towers. I love Absolutely Fabulous. I love odd things and inappropriate jokes. I love odd occurances and seeing people wearing odd clothes that just isn't fit for public wear.
I came across a photo op in the women's bathroom where I work. When I saw this toilet I just could not resist in taking the picture. I was too afraid to use this particular toilet but the 'jack' that was supporting the toilet cracked me up. How could I not take this picture. It reminds me of how you put your car up on a jack to change a flat tire. However I did not see anything 'flat' with this toilet but the concept behind it is rather daunting. (Or so I think. ) I couldn't help but laugh and was thankful that something ridiculous came across my working day. I guess the toilet needed some extra support that day. elizinashe

Quick Topics

Spring: I can't say enough how happy I have been with our bountiful springtime weather. My mood has certainly been lifted compared to our long, strenuous winter. I have become obsessed with my camera and trying to get that money shot of a spider that has taken residence on one of my flowers. I'm loving it. It's a trial & error process but I think I'm getting better at it. Funny thing about it is that I hate spiders. They creep me out, especially the big ones but this long, spindly legged creature doesn't seem to mind having his picture taken, nor does he move very much when I'm near so it allows me some clicking time with my trusty little camera. Once he starts to move my way I'll be running. Eeek!

Dating: I hate the dating world sometimes. I hate the gray area when you're trying to sniff each other out. What I mean by the gray area is those unanswered questions about your target person whom you wish to date. 'Is he or is he not gay?' 'Is he really hitting on me or is he just being really friendly?' 'Should I ask him out or would that be too forward?' 'What if it doesn't work out'? 'Maybe I'm misreading the signals and he just wants to be friends'. 'What the hell?' Too many 'what ifs'. Why can't we just go back to grade school days and pass a note. 'Do you like me? Check yes or no.' ' I like you. Do you want to be friends? Check yes or no.' 'Do you want to be my boyfriend/girlfriend? Check yes or no.' There's something to be said about the way we went about things in grade school. Do you agree? Check yes or no.

Dad: My parents are getting a divorce. They're both in their early 70s. It's stupid in a way but I understand why. It's been really hard on my dad. He still lives in Arkansas calls me almost daily. When the ball first dropped on the whole divorce thing my dad took it really hard and would cry often. He would reverberate on regrets, changes, hope and other issues. Then he moved on to other topics just to chat. I understand why he calls so much. I've gotten used to it. I think we've talked more often and more intimately the last 8 months or so than we ever have as I grew up. Sometimes I dread the phone ringing b/c I know it's him. I hate being the sounding board sometimes. However I had a sad epiphany one evening after our brief chat that hit me once I pressed 'end' on my phone and set it down. One of these days I'm gonna miss those nitely phone calls from my dad. I guess I should enjoy it while I can no matter how much I want to avoid answering the phone.

Romance: On the flip side of the dating world I have been seeing this one guy that I do know that he likes me. I was hesitant at first, one being that I already knew him from my previous job, and two the fact that he met me & one of my girlfriends one night late in the winter for a nite of music and dancing. Drinks and music always paints a distorted picture sometimes when it comes to romance. We all had such a good time and I had a blast dancing in the wee hours of the night to 80s music. I had my moment of revisiting my college days drinking and dancing until I couldn't stand it any longer. So after that night he would text my girlfriend about me. Stuff like when she & I were going out again b/c he wanted to see me, wanted to know if I was single, he really liked me and so forth. When my girlfriend would tell me this stuff I would just roll my eyes in disbelief. I joked that it was my boobs flopping around from dancing and that it was just a guy thing especially since there were drinks involved. He was just mesmerized in the moment and wanted to get a little lovin' if you know what I mean. I finally relented after a few texts from each other and to make a long story short I have really enjoyed getting to know this guy better. There has been no pressure of a sexual relationship which is nice. We get together for dinner and drinks and just talk. It's a nice change from previous dating experiences. I'm enjoying the courtship of just getting to know one another. And I'm surprised at myself for really liking him. Hmm...we shall see how it all turns out. Nothing wrong with a nice slow romance. And that's all I have to say about that. Happy Spring! elizinashe