Why Do They Ask

Why do they ask if they don't want an honest answer -or- maybe my response wasn't as funny as I thought.

My credit card company called me today. Actually it was my account manager. To be honest I haven't been using my card much and I think she was worried about me. Either way, she introduced herself and wanted to know how they could serve me better and what I'd like from my card. Without pause, I said I'd really like my card better if it had a zero balance. "A zero balance?" came the cold response. I replied yes, I'd like it better if it had a zero balance, and I laughed at the thought, and said, but I don't supposed you could help me with that.

There was a long, long pause.....followed by a labored sigh. I was thinking at that point my account manager must be having a bad day/week/month or lifetime. Maybe she's heard comments like that one to many times. If so, I apologize.

I also took that as a sign to end the conversation before I dug a bigger hole and they decided to double my interest rate. And really, I understand that sometimes you get lame jokes in the line of business. Can't tell you how many times this week people have made jokes when we tell them that Halloween costumes, accessories, and make-up are not returnable or exchangeable. We're just doing our job, like the account manager was doing hers. But, honestly, she asked first.

Candy

It may, or may not come as a surprise that I sometimes keep a box of candy in the drawer next to my computer. It never hurts to have a secret stash of something sweet at hand. Usually it's a box of Dot's.

Opening a fresh box tonight got me thinking of Halloween candy and penny candy. Okay, I may be showing my age here. I remember coming home from trick or treating with a haul of candy, spreading out on the floor, sorting it, trading some, savoring the surplus. Dot's were a favorite back then, as were tootsie rolls, sixlets, necco wafers and snickers. Butter Fingers were always given to an older brother. Milk Duds (what kind of name is that anyway) were very low on palatability as far as I was concerned. Heck, I can still remember receiving popcorn balls for Halloween. I can also remember penny candy. For a quarter you could get a whole bag full of goodies. Now, for a quarter, I can get about 8 peanut M&M's from the machine in the break room at work. That is sometimes my incentive to make it from 3:30 until quiting time at 5pm-ish. It doesn't take much to motivate me.

Now while my favorite snack is potato chips and cheese, they are not as easy to stock in the drawer of your desk. So, the Dot's come to the rescue.

Oh yes, and don't forget the kit kats, three musketeers, and the Reese's pieces. So many possibilities.....I wonder if a mixed bag of Halloween candy will fit in that drawer, the 2 lb bag - of course.

Java

It was a domestic catastrophe. The Cuisinart Coffee Maker refused to work this morning. For someone I know, it was situation worse than the national economy. In spite of cajoling, encouraging, tampering, it would not, could not make any coffee. Tools were brought in from the garage to check for a loose connection of some kind. Until it was realized we didn't own the tools for the job. It was a sad, sad moment.

Someone, whose name shall remain anonymous, crawled back into bed in despair. Ugghhhh......no coffee......

But, in a moment of inspiration, a little voice said, don't we still have a lowly Mr. Coffee pot somewhere? Sure, it was banished to the basement when Mr. Cuisinart moved in, but maybe, just maybe there is way to make coffee. And lo and hold a jubilant cheer arose from the basement (perhaps you heard it). Yes, YES! There is another coffee pot in the house.

All manner of joy returned, life had value again, and coffee was made. Moral of the story, never ever underestimate the love of a person for their java. And always keep a spare coffee maker in the basement.

To Market - Sidney's Version

Remember the nursery rhyme - To market, to market to buy a fat pig, home again home again jiggity jig?

Well, this is Sidney's version. To sofa, to sofa to curl up in my space, you're out of luck, go find your own place.

With the colder weather coming in, I've seen an increase in Sidney's activity. He can dash in the front door, race to the front room, dive onto the sofa and curl up in a ball faster than I can walk five paces to the living room. Then he gives me the what took you so long look.

He has certainly become accustom to the finer things in life. Like the sofa, football shaped pupperoni dog treats. Well, make that any shaped pupperoni dog treats. For Sidney, they are the equivalent to Pete's Liver Treats OMG Liver Treats.

And in the yard, he has one speed only - full speed. He doesn't have the smoothest of gaits, but he more than makes up for it in speed. Today he has about 12 tomato's he's pulled from the vine. It's good to have a dog that plays well independently. Usually I would care, but frost has gotten the plants anyway, so it's too late to get excited.

Last winter he spent freezing in a small rural shelter in Oklahoma. This winter he'll know the good life of foster care here in Nebraska. Maybe he'll have a home to call his very own.

To market to market to buy a fat hog - Sid will find his forever home - diggity dog.

Report Phishing

Every time I look at the emails that arrive in my junk mail, and subsequently report them as phishing scams, I have to wonder. Who's job is it to deal with all the reported phishing scams anyway? And how bad does that job suck?

Honestly, think of the massive numbers that would get reported on a daily basis? Way more than one person could wade through. Is there a whole team of phishing scam specialists out there burning the midnight oil to keep my junk mail box as empty as possible? How does one train for such a job? And talk about job security? Do they go home at night and say, wow, you should have seen the scam I saw to today. Or holy crap, I'm exhausted from phishing today.

Perhaps they just get routed to a black hole somewhere. Because truthfully the notices that I've won lotteries in foreign countries streams in on a semi-regular basis. Perhaps there is a team, or needs to be, just for phishing scams of an international nature.

Whoever this fine folks are I would like to thank them for their diligence, and encourage them to keep after it. I'll do my part to eradicate phishing scams if they do theirs.

Opening Day

My favorite boys, well two of them, are out hunting this morning. It's opening day of pheasant season. I have to admit I rather envy them.

I used to hunt with my Dad and brothers when I was young. I felt kind of torn about that, wanting to be with the men in the family and wanting to be the little lady my Mom hoped for. In the end, walking the fields won out. Getting up at 4am, packing lunches, layering on the warm clothing, hitting the fields and railroad tracks at sunrise. Back then you could hunt the tracks. I remember always being afraid a train would somehow sneak up on me.

Granted potty breaks were a little problematic being the only girl in the group. But otherwise I was just one of the guys. I have a wonderful photograph of my brother and I in the field when I was probably 15 yrs old. Those were the days.

My son would rather hunt than do anything else. His dream job would be to work on a hunting preserve, we just have to find him that job. My Dad must smile from the heavens on him today and every other day of hunting. They never met, but they have the same love of the sport.

Funny thing is, once I had kids, I never got back out in the field again. Maybe some day I will. Someday I need to do that. What a kick it would be to hunt with my son. We never hunted with dogs back then, now we'd have several which would make it even more fun.

When you think of it, each day is opening day for us. A chance to start again, to do something we love, to make time for our bliss. So for those hunting today I say, be safe, have fun, find the beauty in your walk in life and with nature. Happy hunting. My Dad and I are with you in spirit.

Three Days of Rain

What do you get then you have three days of rain and four dogs? A whole lot of pent up energy and 16 paws trying to burn it off. And you know that place in the yard where the drainage is bad and this summer was the year it would get fixed?? Well, it didn't get fixed. There is still a mud puddle right before the porch.

Not to mention the standing water in the yard in the low spots. Wow, it's fun the see the water splash as the dogs plough through the puddles, to hear the thunder of their paws. Not so much fun when they come in with belly's and legs splashed with mud.

I shouldn't complain -it's a treat to send them out to run, sniff, investigate the yard and all it's smells. They need to exercise and burn off that energy. We're lucky we can just send them out in the yard. And I know, some folks would wipe each and every paw as it comes back inside. Oh to be so efficient. Oh, to have so much time. Oh forget it - it ain't gonna happen.

I do have a housekeeper who comes twice a month to do the floors and bathrooms. All I can say is boy, she's gonna hate us next week. I'll be sure to tell the dogs to look particularly adorable when she comes. Maybe she will forgive them for their paw prints of indiscretion all over the floor. Maybe the sun will come out tomorrow and dry things up a little.

I sure hope so.