I worry about the youth of today...

I worry about the youth of today, but specifically my son. I mean, I don't remember being so motivated to get a job immediately after graduating from high school either, but this is ridiculousness happening at my house. It's been 5- almost 6 years now and he's been in community college for maybe 18 months during that time and he had a job for a while until there was a management change and they fired him because the bitch couldn't seem to schedule him when he wasn't in class. At least he doesn't have that grandiose sense of entitlement that lots of people seem to have, but I don't know what else I can do to light a fire under his ass to get him to become motivated.

So I get home and I get bullshit from him as to what he's done with his day, so I hop on line and crank open my fave job aggregator - juju.com , and start looking for jobs he's qualified for near the house. There are jobs listed for Sprout's, Kohl's, others. I ask if he's applied and he says "no". And I'm like if I can find these jobs, I don't understand why you can't. I think he just doesn't want to work. And as long as I'm paying for everything he needs, why should he?

I'm eating out more and staying home less. I'm trying to get some exercise after work. Ignoring the problem is not making it go away, it's just not on my last nerve as much as it could be. I've threatened to confiscate the computer equipment in his room, but that didn't do anything and takes too much effort. I think I just need to kill the internet. Because what do you do when the internet is down but sleep, read or go outside. I told him I want to move closer to work by the end of the year so he's going to have to either be able to pay for half of the rent or move out. I want my craft room. I want to rent the place to get a positive cash flow out of it because my mortgage is so low.

Was that? No...

All I could see was heavy eyeliner staring at me from the rear view mirror of the black Mercedes SLK 500 I got stuck behind today in lane one traveling north on the 405 freeway on the way to work. Maybe it was Snookie, I don't know. It's hard to ignore any car in front of you weaving in moderately heavy traffic. Who ever you are, two hands on the wheel and eyes on the road because I almost called CHP on your erratic driving ass. Stop that texting and pay attention!

Ouch!

2 miles walking around the track near work plus a Zumba class on the same day kicked my butt for the following three days. Damn, I'm old.

The local news...

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Wayward-Dolphin-Bolsa-Chica-Wetlands-Huntington-Beach-149496715.html

Rain? Again? Seriously?

If April showers bring May flowers, Southern Californians should all have bouquets of flowers in their yards this year. Last weekend, the weather casters said Wednesday it would rain. Well, it rained Monday. Then it was cold. then it was hot. Then it looked like rain again last night, Wednesday. It's Thursday and it's still raining.

I know it's nothing I can control, I only have to deal with it.

With purple raincoat in tow,
Judi.

Yesterday was a great day

I just absolutely love a bright, sunshiny day where I can feel the surface of my skin become warm from the sun's glow and yet not feel so warm to where I need to escape into the cool of the A/C to be comfortable. I think it's seratonin's effects kicking in for me: http://www.angelfire.com/hi/TheSeer/seratonin.html

I did a little gardening on my patio:

• I did my weekly watering. 
• I chopped the flat leaf parsley down to nothing, 
• trimmed the mini roses,
• pulled the dead growth off of the strawberries,
•  replanted one strawberry plant, 
• I think ruined splitting one strawberry plant. Live and learn.
• I noticed I have two baby sprouts from the Chika seeds!! I'm truly elated. My first tomatoe plants grown from seeds I harvested.
• pulled weeds
• I have two bulbs sprouting from last years plantings. I think they are some variety of gladiolus? I'll know better after they bloom.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

O.K., so now work is weird. I usually post industry stuff about other companies, but this is internal strife but then again, it's non-strife because it's officially over. So company A decides it may be advantageous to buy, err "merge" with company B. Expanded member base, ATM network, higher capital ratio, etc, etc, etc. Work ensues. Decisions are made. Work stops. Decisions are made. And then we all, as in the royal "we" my building, the operations center and the "mothership", aka headquarters, get a catered hot dog lunch from Pinks and dessert from Pinkberry. Is it a kiss off? Is it a last supper- type meal? Is it a tie-in for an upcoming charity walk? Or is it the simple gesture that we are appreciated as people but not good enough as a company on the balance sheet to be a viable business opportunity?I hope its the latter.

O.K., guys are weird

I went out on a dinner date maybe 3-4 weeks ago with an Irish man. I thought everything went well, and then he put me on radio silence. It turns out he was in the hospital and the doctor's are trying to figure our what is wrong with him.  Maybe Epstein-Barr ( hope it's not mono), maybe Lupus.

Now what do I do? Damn. And then I got to thinking, why do guys date when they are thinking or planning on moving? Does this make sense? I mean, are they thinking if it doesn't work out, I'm moving anyway so I won't have to see/deal with her? O.K, guys are weird.

Ukulele Anyone?

I finally did it. I bought a ukulele. While I was at Costco last Friday night, they had a stack of them in the hall near the front door. I checked out the quality and the contents and saw it was real one and not a toy at $89, so I got one. http://kohalaukes.com/ukuleles/kk-c/

I wasn't having much luck with the tuner that came with the uke, so I found this website online and now it sounds nice it's in tune when I play. http://www.get-tuned.com/online_ukulele_tuner.php

The ukulele fits my tiny girlish hands better so now I can play better. It's not hard to play, it's just the chords are different than playing a 6 string guitar.

Resources:
http://ukulelehunt.com/
http://ukuleleunderground.com/
http://thebeatlescompleteonukulele.com/

As my friend Kenny would say, "Rawk on!"

Easter 2012

Happy Easter 2012

My Easter Sunday was filled with watching Oliver Twist on PBS until I decided I was hungry and then got ready, hopped in the car and drove to Von's to pick-up whatever I felt like for Easter Dinner. Because that's what you do on American religions holidays when you're not a church going person - ya feast.

Menu:
Ham
Green beans
Boiled new potatoes with onion
...and for dessert, a simple strawberry shortcake using angel food cake, prepared strawberries in a simple syrup and cool whip.

I don't eat chocolate because of the milk, so all of the candy received from people at work I gave to my son.