Tina's Multiplyin'

From my real blog on Tina-cious.com...

I was listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about a company in Chicago that instituted a "no gossip" policy. Heavily punishable and can even lead to termination.

Man the entire patent department at GE would be on the chopping block if they ever adopted THAT policy.

OMG -- the GOSSIPING there was unlike anything I had ever seen. Seriously, it was like an art form.

And the woman who used to sit next to me in the cube farm (bless her heart) was one of the worst offenders. Which is why everyone thought I was "too quiet". My rule of thumb is, "No one will ever start gossip in the office with -- 'Tina said...'"

Every now and again I would slip and actually mention something about myself and it hit the rumor mill with lightening speed. I'm not kidding. It was the telephone game on crack.

For instance, I remember one time, I had just gotten into work -- it was 8-something in the morning -- my cube farm neighbor asked me if I was going down to the cafe to get breakfast and I said,

No, that's ok -- I forgot my money at home.

One minute later this other employee walks into her cube and I can hear them talking through the lovely grey "wall" and she says,

Oh, Tina needs money.

What in the bloody HELL was that??? Are you KIDDING me?? So I yelled back for her not to tell people that -- that it wasn't true.

Ok, it was true, but still, what the hell?

This is when I adopted the "keep your trap shut" policy -- and it follows me from job to job. If I want to gossip about people at work, I'll tell Jess.

...or ummm, you guys. lol

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Does anyone else think this is the sloooooooooooooooooooowest week in history???

Tomorrow I get paid, Friday Jess gets paid and -- let's just say -- we needed it about a week ago.

Come Friday at (roughly) 4:30 pm, I am ON vacation.

...and it couldn't come soon enough.

Luckily the office manager and my boss will be off on Friday -- which means I will be "Windows®" shopping for Krix-Miss -- at least as much as I can with this blasted firewall anyway.


Today's featured blog: CO-Grumpy Granny

I started reading granny's blog because she stopped on over here once quite a while ago now. She's a lesbian grandmother who's not afraid to let it all hang out about how annoying that can be. lol

I so get a kick out of her.

I'm totally gonna be a bloggin' granny someday. ;)




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Ugh, do you know the song from the title? It's all over the radio now.

There's something so.... I don't know Barney about this song.

You know... "I love you... you love me..." So, needless to say I find it annoying. ...and now it's stuck in my head. Lovely.




Lessee-- what else... the teaching plans are constantly transforming... ARC is now out of the question.

UB has a program that is not yet state certified that I would take if it were... the state has been "reviewing" the program for the last two years -- so it could get approved next week or in the next 5 years... who know... but there may be a bypass route I can take... I'm working that out.

I'm REALLY hoping that works out. If it doesn't I have to take a much harder road. You know, for a profession that is in SUCH a shortage -- you'd think they'd make it just a tad easier to get into, no?

Sheesh!

As you know, I am a board member at the local LGBT community center. I have been for the past 8 months.

There are 8 members currently on the board (we're looking for 3 more). Of those 8, everyone is white but me and this other girl who is black (let's call her Elvira).

Well... Since I started working with them we meet monthly for board meetings, have retreats and events that we plan and execute together as a board. Not to mention tons of email interactions.

Despite ALL of that, however, there is this board member who CANNOT seem to stop confusing me and Elvira. She is CONSTANTLY calling us by the other's name and confusing what events we are hosting, setting up, or whatever.

At first it was funny and I'd laugh as I corrected her.

But every time it happened it got far less funny.

Several weeks ago this board member sent an email out to the board looking for one (or some) of us to cover a meeting that was happening on a Monday.

I responded that I could not on Monday and that I thought it would be a good idea if we all signed up for covering events at the Board meetings so that we aren't scrambling to do that a few days before these events.

So she writes back to everyone listing the board members who said they could cover this event (including me after I said I couldn't) and what else does she do?

Thanks ELVIRA for the suggestion about signing up for events beforehand. WTF???

Seriously... HOW MANY TIMES do I have to correct her?

Is she SERIOUSLY doing an "all minorities look alike" thing???

I do NOT get offended easily... at least not by people who are not close to me... but now I've about had it w/ this b!tch. So I responded to that email with this:

I vote that "Elvira" and I wear name tags from now on... because J***s can never seem to get our names right! LOL

Also, my email said I would not be around this Monday... but it does sound like we have enough help. Happy about that.

Tina

The taller, lighter skinned one.

Maybe THIS time she'll actually make an attempt to get this sh!t right. Sheesh!





So my cousin, Monica aka Monchichi has now dropped her pending visit originally set for Wednesday - Sunday of next week to Friday - Sunday.

Taking wagers that I don't see her at all. LOL

(Hi Cheech!! ;)



Been a minute since I've done one of these...

And now... your Moment of Zen:

Video not working? Download it HERE.
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Hey, remember when we used to WRITE stuff???

Take a gander...

There's a house around the corner from mine that has a sign on the lawn that says "Not Here" and it's a picture of a dog in full-on poop mode.

If you look online you can find a bazillion variations of this sign for people to place on their lawns to dissuade people from allowing their 4-legged fuzzies of the canine variety from dropping a load on someone else's property.

Stands to reason.

If you don't have a dog, you don't exactly love stepping on dog feces when you are trying to enter your house.

So then tell me why it's OK for people to have 85 outdoor cats who are free to use the entire planet as their personal litter box?

Explain that to me.

I'll wait while you try to think of something....

.... in the meantime, WTF!?

Seriously!

Not only does cat poop smell 10x's worse than a dog's do but their urine has to be in league with the toxicity of uranium. I'd bet a week's salary it even glows in the dark.

This morning I was sitting on my couch waiting for the troops (read: dogs) to finish their breakfast so I could take them out.

While I'm doing that, I hear rustling of the leaves outside the window.

So I look out and there is this big a$$ cat doing the tell-tale "circling" on my front lawn. I watched as this bag of hairballs found an "appropriate" spot (yes, still on my lawn) and copped a squat in my grass.

The entire planet makes a big deal about making sure we pick up after our dogs but a cat? Oh nooooooooooooo they have the run of the place.

Those damn cats killed two of my newly planted plants this summer with just their pee and poop. One cat LITERALLY squatted right on top of one of those plants and pooped dead square in the middle of it.

A few days later it was compost. Totally destroyed -- $$ down the drain.

My neighbors on either side of me have about 8 outdoor cats combined. I'm the lucky b@stard who sits nestled in between them and gets to be their sh!t collectors.

THEN (since we share a yard) one of them had the balls to ask me one year to clean up the dog poop in the yard (which we usually do but sometimes we get behind)... oh but do they feel this huge sense of cleanliness when their cats are throwing a poop party in MY yard/garden and are murdering the plants we spent our precious time and hard earned money planting?

Oh noooooooooooo god forbid.

Can I find a "no cat pooping" sign to put on MY lawn?? Nope.

Because cats are so "independent" and "clean"... yeah right, my a$$. They're "clean" because you are letting them out to be "dirty" over at MY house!

Did you know that female cats are called queens and female dogs are called b!tches?? What dog hating b@stard came up with that sh!t?

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate cats. I don't necessarily LIKE them but I don't hate them. What I do hate is all the laws and rules and b.s. put on dog-owners that cat-owners don't have to comply with.

Like paying for licensing, cleaning of the poop, and leash laws and what not.

Meanwhile a lot of cat owners let their animals run amuck causing all kinds of havoc and destruction of property while we dog owners have to remain silent and compliant to a bunch of dog laws and "responsible ownership" courtesies.

Psh. I'm calling you out cat owners. If your cat doesn't live inside with you full time, then you are an IRRESPONSIBLE CAT OWNER.

If your cat is sh!tting anywhere but the litter box YOU pay for and clean out, then YOU ARE AN IRRESPONSIBLE CAT OWNER.

If your cat is cuddled up next to your front door in the driving rains, heat waves and blizzards, then YOU ARE AN IRRESPONSIBLE CAT OWNER.

If your cat is walking around the neighborhood looking ragged and tattered, then YOU ARE AN IRRESPONSIBLE CAT OWNER.

Now come get your d@mn cat!

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So Tina's surgery apparently went well. Yay!

We talked to Kat last night and though she sounded exhausted, all was well. :D

Here's to a FAST recovery!


So ENDA passed without the inclusion of the trangendered. While part of me is glad that at least we got some of the protections we desperately needed -- it boggles the mind that someone SOMEWHERE actually said: "It cannot be tolerated to discriminate in the workplace against gays and lesbians -- but feel free to knock them transgendered folk around all you like."

...ok, perhaps not verbatim, but that's essentially what they are telling the country.

It's really quite disgusting.



6 more work days until I'm on vacation!! Dear god I can't wait.



Hummina hummina there is a woman that came here for a meeting and she is HOT. Woooooo nelly. LOL

Totally not my type though -- she's about 18,000 times femmier than I am -- and well, I can't have that. ;)



You know, barely anyone is signing up for bowling -- I'm starting to think this isn't gonna happen.

I am not committing to this thing with 12 definites and 85 possibles. So get to recruiting people!!! ;)



So I took this quiz that I found on Hahn at Home's blog. You answer these questions and it tells you which Presidential candidate is most aligned with your beliefs.

AND because any thing that says "my$pace" in the link is firewalled here -- I couldn't get the code to post it all purty like she did... but... I also matched Kucinich by 70%. We just didn't agree on the line-item thing.

Told you baby! :P I think he rocks. Wish he had a snowball's chance.

If you want to take the quiz, it's HERE..



Today's featured blog: Cap'n Dyke, Pirate Queen & Rogue Blogger

Man I've been reading her for quite a while now. Very cool blogging theme -- as you can see -- it's all pirate and with a nice, unhealthy and obsessive subtle adoration for the gorgeous (but entirely too skinny now) Angelina Jolie.

I do find the "pirate talk" a little tough to follow sometimes so I tend to do hit-and-run reading but she's definitely a great asset to the lesbo bloggin' world.

So go check her out. ;)

Gotta fly...



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Before I get to today's post I want to wish our friend Tina the best of luck on her surgery today. We're all pullin' for ya and know that everything will turn out just fine.

We love you and Kat and are here if you need ANYTHING -- now if I could just remember what f'ing hospital...

Whatev -- we'll be there!! :D


Can you believe I have YET ANOTHER headache??? Sheesh!


So everyone in the house went to bed on Nyquil.

...this is not a good sign.


This morning Katie (Katie which blog should I be linking to for you???) -- cracked me up on the highway...

This little pickup truck was riding my bumper and was alllll the way to my left on the highway -- totally aggravating me.

Well, at one point this guy ended up in front of me and I noticed that he had one of those "How's my driving?" signs with a phone number on the back.

So I tell Katie that I think it's funny that I was just annoyed w/ his driving and then saw that sign and what does she do??

...yep. She called the number. LOL

Frickin' nut.


After I dropped Katie off at work I was driving the 3 exits to my exit and on the highway (and I wish I could've gotten a picture)... was a sign on the overpass that said...

"Te Amo Princesita"

For the linguistically impaired that means I love you princess. ;)

...anyway -- I thought it was the sweetest, most romantic thing... can you imagine driving down the highway and seeing a sign from your sweetheart for the WHOLE world to see like that??

That guy/girl DEFINITELY got some brownie points for that one. :)

< .rant. >
< .panic.>

So I'm in full-on panic mode about what to do about the school/teaching thing. I've decided to do the ARC program but -- it's about $3,500 AND my bachelor's degree has to be done by the time I sign up (May 16th) -- though I think I may have a WEE bit of wiggle room if I'm just finishing up when that time comes. HOPEFULLY.

I've also gotta take my Praxis I still... which I want to do next month so in case I fail it I have time to re-take (I can re-take it up to 6 times -- once per month -- within a 12 month period).

I also found out that I will be one history class short when I finish my B.S. so I have to figure out how to fit in another history class BEFORE May -- which means I may have to pay out of pocket since my financial aid won't cover another class in those terms. Am I pissed that the University of Bridgeport didn't tell me I needed all these history classes? You betcha.

They knew my goals. Now when I'm down to 6 classes left I find out I need 4 more history classes? Which would be fine if I didn't still have 3 non-history classes yet to take. Grrr.

I also have to find time to do some volunteer work with youth -- which I've started looking into.. It's part of the application process -- though I could waive out of it -- but I need every advantage I can for getting accepted into this program (there's only a 30-50% acceptance rate for getting into the ARC program).

There's just SOOOOOOOOOO much to think about and do in the next several months just to get INTO the program... not to mention the work involved after I'm in.

I'm this [ ] close to just throwing my hands up and giving up. It's just all so overwhelming.

BUT... Jess has been great and very, very supportive and encouraging and she swears up and down that I can do this.

And for my own sanity -- I have to at least try.

....sigh....

< /rant >
< /panic >


Can you explain to me the purpose of having a fake scrotum hanging from the trailer hitch of your pickup truck?

I'm just wonderin'....


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God I have a headache.

So, Willow has now had 2 out of 4 series of booster shots. We took her this weekend where we found out the poor thing had worms. :( We were wondering why she looked so skinny.

Anyway, she has bounced back rather nicely though. Her coat already looks better and she's already fattening back up.

We also talked to the vet about how much to feed these dogs. All over we get conflicting reports. The food bag says one thing, Mickey's old vet said...

"Dear God no! Don't feed him as much as they say on the bag! One cup 2x's a day is enough!"

The other vet says...

"Dear God no! FILL their bowls and whatever they eat in 15 minutes is enough!"

WTF? Seriously?? Anyway, so we've gone w/ the latter. At first these f#ckers at the entire bowl filled to the top. I was floored.

But now they are slowing down to a normal pace.

Mickey is also getting far more exercise now than ever before... both in the house playing with Willow and going for far more walks and runs... so all this extra food should not turn him into Jabba the Hut.

...so that's cool. :)



The quitting smoking and losing weight situation isn't going so great.

I'm not doing either well.

Hopefully I'll get my act together soon. You know what they say... if at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again. :)



Apparently my Google Chat is back up and running -- don't know why it wasn't -- or why it's back but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?



A big ole HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our friend Maggie!



Hope you have a great one!! :D


So Jess and I are probably going to a women's boxing match on the 24th. The boxer's partner is her promoter it seems. She sent me her girl's mysp@ce page. HERE'S THE LINK.

I haven't checked the page out yet myself... but I've never seen women's boxing in real life (men's either come to think of it)... but hey, what the heck...

The tix are a bit pricey (the cheapest are $35) but we need to support women's sports -- and lesbians in those sports... so there ya go.


I wonder if anyone noticed/deciphered the hidden messages/jokes in yesterday's entry? Hmmmmm

Well, gotta fly.




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...of defeat.

On so many levels:

#1 - the quitting smoking thing made it 2.5 days and I buckled. 3 homework assignments, 2 exams and a paper apparently was more pressure than I could handle. It started with a "borrowed" cigarette on Saturday and a pack bought on Sunday.

BUT -- I knew this might happen -- what's good is that I KNOW I can do it. I could feel it. I just gotta see it through.

#2 - So because I was focusing so much on not smoking -- I was paying very little attention to what I was eating (read: I was eating everything I could find).

Now I've messed up the smoking and the eating.

Lovely.



#3 - It would appear that work finally caught onto the httpS sneak around to get to GChat -- which was my last hope of IMing at work. Bastages.

Back to the cave days for me... omg does this woman look happy to you!?! ...sigh...

So I guess I'm back to the old-school methods of communicating -- and this is what I have to say to my nosey a$$ employers:






So there.

In the meantime, I've logged in to Yahoo Messenger on my cell phone. Hit me up there ;) (my SN is tina4her).


So, I've thrown the bike situation back into the hands of Jeremie's school. I realize that I rarely speak of the good things Jeremie does on here and now people think I'm raising the devil's spawn... but he really isn't THAT bad a kid.

Yeah, he talks back, has very little sense of how to make good choices, and does really idiotic things as a result -- he is still a very good kid at heart. He's sweet, funny, can be very thoughtful when you least expect it and he's very sensitive.

Anyway, why I'm saying all of this is because sometimes people say things that makes me think that the world has a really REALLY poor opinion of him... and that's my fault... and that maybe what I say about the kids should be more evenly distributed.

People think Kristie's perfect and Jeremie's evil... and they can definitely swap positions sometimes.

But I blogress...

ANYWAY -- the way I see things w/ this bike situation is that Jeremie was on his way home FROM school. I believe he was bullied/pressured into giving up the bike. From the same kid that "borrowed" $20 from him (you know him with no allowance or job) weeks ago and never returned it.

I believe Jeremie is afraid of this boy but won't own up to that.

And that my bike has been lost in the fray.

I gave Jeremie every opportunity to recant his side of this story and warned him of the battle yet to come and he is adamant that that is what happened. So that is what I believe and that is what I am going with.

So... I've contacted the school and demanded that they help me see this thing through. The passing of the buck has already begun. But the way I see it, when my kids stole stuff it was ALL about me jumping through hoop after hoop to fix it. Now someone else steals my stuff and I'm still the one jumping through hoops.

I will not have it.

................... boy a cigarette would be nice right about now.

...sigh...

Ahem... alright. I'm going now. Get on Yahoo messenger and chat w/ me d@mn you! ;)


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