Yeah, Well...

Johnny and I don't fight. We just don't.

We would if he were to reply to my political remarks.

No Woes

Thank Gawd, Johnny came home in a good mood today. :D

A Natural Blogger -- Who Would Have Known ??

You wanna read something really funny ?

No Vegas for us...

I'm really bummed that John and I cannot go to Vegas. We've been looking forward to that for so long.

Raven's Radio

Edited. :-)

Internet Radio

I have a secret.

I used to be part of an Internet Radio Show. It is really not a big deal. I would just record music (usually from the 60's, 70's and 80's) of my own choosing -- music that appealed to me, then using Cool Edit Pro and J's microphone, I would record a comment or two at the front of each song, upload the files, and that was all there was to it. Royalties were paid so I was free to use anything I wanted.

I've been asked to do it again. It's not a job (I still need one of those). It's just for the fun of doing it.

My Oldest Son and the Big City

Well, I'm finally beginning to feel more comfortable about my oldest son being a whole continent away. He's in Boston.

We talk every weekend and yesterday was the first time I have heard any real happiness in his voice. He's made friends at the school, and several of them went out together this weekend.

He mentioned a young woman more than once, but I cannot remember her name.

He walked her home from the club.

"How far from you does she live?" I asked.

"Six miles."

Welp. That's all it took.

"You walked six miles back to your apartment in the dead of night in a strange city... a big city?"

Now, keep in mind that my oldest son is a grown man. He has worked full-time ever since he was 18 while going to school at the same time, but he has too many degrees. He's too book smart.

Unlike his rambunctious little brother, he was never even in a fight when he was a boy.

"Please don't DO that." I begged, "You could be killed. You could disappear..."

"Mother."

"Yes."

"I'm a grown man."

"But you've never lived in a big city like..."

"Mother."

"Yes."

"I took a cab home."

"Oh." I squeaked, or at least, I must have squeaked... because suddenly he had the upperhand.

"You really don't need to worry about me." he stated. Not said. Stated.


Oh, this is impossible. It was so easy when the kids were little. I could control their environment. I could control where they were, with whom they were, how long they stayed... yada-yada-yada.

I'm such a Mother.

Mystery Photo

Since I'm the only person who was concerned about preserving our family's history, I inherited boxes of ancient photographs from both of my grandmothers.

I'm in the process of scanning them and trying to 'clean them up' to digitally preserve them (in case anything happens to the actual photos).

Anyway, I came across this one (mixed in with some other strange pictures) a few days ago.

Now, despite the fact that Cousin Claude is my double fourth cousin, my family is far-removed from that ole Southern tradition of cousins marrying cousins 'to keep the land and assets together.'

The people in this photo are not related to me. I'm certain of that...at least none of my ancestors wanted to claim them since the photo is unmarked.

I don't know who this man is, but he sure looks like a product of inbreeding to me.

Intense Relief

Unlike a cyber-friend who will remain nameless, I am obviously not psychic.

Intense Dread

I woke up experiencing such an intense sense of dread.

Don't know if it's related to Hurricane Ivan or not.

...and another thing

I broke my good reading glasses and am having a heck of a time trying to read and manuever on the computer.

Am wearing my old pair and if I squint just so, I can see fine. Yeah. Makes doing artwork a real chore.

I'm Angry

I desperately need a vacation. So does Johnny.

His small company was recently bought by a larger company, and it's been a disaster from the get-go.

The insurance has been changed and this newer, larger, more progressive company is taking $200 a month out of everyone's paycheck, and they are not adjusting incomes... which I personally think is scandalous in light of the fact that the former owner 'Steve' had originally promised his employees that this was unacceptable to him, and that it would be a deal-breaker.

Yeah. Right. Uh-huh.

It wasn't. While that rat-bastard 'Steve' has just acquired millions for his business, his 'former' employees have been given the shaft.

I am livid. We cannot afford to lose an additional $200 a month.

This 'progressive' new company has also reduced everyone's vacation to 0. Nada. Zilch. Zero...another "deal-breaker" SOB 'Steve' had spewed to his employees when he learned of this.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Right. He later stated that if They (the newer, larger, more progressive company) were adamant about enforcing this, he would pay his employees for their vacation days lost.

Yeah. Uh-huh. Right.

Guess what. That didn't happen either, and since Johnny began working there a year ago, he was looking forward to a week's vacation. Now he has nothing. The employees who have been there for 20 years now have nothing. No vacation. No pay in lieu of vacation.

I think I may have a heart attack over all this because I'm so damn angry.

I'm angry that 18 months ago Johnny along with so many others were 'laid off' by Boeing...Johnny had 17 years of continuous employment. All of those who were laid off at that time had excellent work records. (Over the years Boeing has reduced the former McDonnell-Douglass to a shadow...from 40,000 employees to around 2,000 in Long Beach alone. Boeing is also now a monopoly in the large aircraft manufacturing business in this country, but most Americans are not aware of this fact.)

I'm angry that 'Steve' broke his promise to his employees.

I'm angry that workers no longer have power.

I'm angry that my country has been sold out to large Corporations.

Long Weekend

Long weekend ahead.

Official end of summer.

Beginning of school for the noisy kids in this apartment building.

Yeah.