New Job?

Well,....
I think it's almost offical... why the operative word is almost, is
because as I type this out I have a 150,000$ rig sitting in the
driveway.. can't believe Im not almost in if they wouldn't let
me have the truck, but don't want to hex my chance, so enough
said.
Spent the better part of the other day sanding, and steel-wooling
all the rust spots of the rims, and then priming,and painting them
I don't own the truck wish in a way I did but if I owned it, it sure
wouldn't have sat out in one if not both of the hurricanes that
ripped through Florida last year. There's too much internal
rust damage, and the fiberglass roof on the cab part has too
much damage for normal wear and tear. That coupled with
who ever has been driving it has no regard for other people's
equipment that I spent all day spiffing it up. I take pride in what
I drive even if it's someone else's truck. It's embarressing to pull
into a shipper or consignee in a filthy truck, you know their
wondering is my freight going to be safe in that truck!
Had Worst-Buy take out the crappy, tinny sounding stereo
system,and install mine, added my XM satellite radio to the
system, the same station the whole run of I-10 from coast to coast
no listening to a good tune, only to leave their broadcast area,and
recieve static grrrrrrrrrrrr so irritating, best toy I ever bought for
work, even better than the CB radio, Oh yes, if your out on the
interstate highways and hear SideSwipeSquirrel on the airwaves...
that's me. Sadly I earned the handle I have sideswiped others:-(
not in a commercial vehicle but I've been there done that deed.
I added Squirrel to my handle. because there is another SideSwipe
out there, so I have company!!

First Date in Like I Don't want to Remember

Well good people....
It went off as planned... are these things ever planned at my
age I'm not so sure. It was like my first bona fide date in well
over 40 years!
The sweet man called in the afternoon, want to go to a concert?
ME: Sure whose playing?
KC& the Sunshine Band.
Me: WHO
You've never heard of them and your a Detroit native?
ME: Guess not, doesn't matter I love all music sure, I'll go.
Pick you up at 6:30 okay?
Me: all right.
It's 5pm great what the F do I wear, ack I hafta shower,
wash my mane, find something decent are we sitting on the
lawn, or in the Pavillion, go buy some crackers for the wine
and cheese ahead of time in the parking lot.... go girl GO!

OMG he was on time..... asks me after we pass the last
corner store did you bring glasses for the wine?
ME: Nooooooooo the wine was your responsibilty.
oh well he says we'll just pass the bottle back and forth
We get there, he has all these special passes gets us right up
to the front gate VIP parking, Okay who does this dude
know that he can get tickets at the last second, and park way
up front?
We park he goes to get the tickets, pops the trunk asks me to
set stuff up.... the stinker brought glasses, some divine
cheese, 2 bottles of wine,( thinks he's gonna get me plastered
does he) We never got to bottle #2 or I might have.
We had a spectacular time, he knows alot of people there, they
were coming up all night Hey! man how ya doing, as they
ogled me... the ladies hugged him, glared at me, just kidding
but I told him they'd all be talking when they went back to their
seats...he said why? OMG sometimes guys are slow.. because
you brought someone new with you, and their all curious,
told I still hear stuff about my ex in another country no less, almost 10 years later.. he finally admits Im right!!! He hears stuff about his
ex too, and Yes, they will talk do I mind? And I looked at him,
and said not at all, shall we make the gossip good? He roared!
After the concert, which by the way I reconized the songs, and
yes, we danced in the aisles like everyone else. was good fun.
He brought his binoculars with him... because we are both tall
he's really tall we got the back row.no problem closer to all the
beer...I couldn't hold the binoculars steady, so he held them for me
up to my eyes, I thought it was sweet, we went out for a bite to eat,
listened to some tunes on his stereo, and he played this nice
ballad love song, and sang to me yea it was kinda corny but
it was sweet too, as we danced in a parking lot.then I told him
I know you sing that song to
all your dates.... and he roared again, and admitted yes he does
but, you gotta admit he said it's a nice song well done, and I agreed.
But it still wouldn't get him past 2 base with me too. Age and
a divorce has made me cynical, so keep trying!
He brought me back to the house... tried to get me to his place
by asking if I wanted to see his goldfish swimming! Oh yea?
I didn't see them at your house when I came and trimmed all
your hedges? He said that's cause their in another room...
Oh well not this time but, thanks, he laughed again.

The next night my oldest called me from Vancouver... so Mum
you went out on a date, eh? Uhm yes. then I got the investigator's
question period, job, responsible, shower, wealthy, wise, of course
he asked me out, can't get much wiser than that! Then the next
night youngest kid calls same questions different format... I know
they hash over the answers and woe to me if I answer differently!

We've talked a few times on the phone, no second date at least he
deosn't have to have his date stand on a milk crate to kiss her
goodnight, so who knows might snag another.

Sometimes It's good to know....

Today I received a somewhat interesting email, and I say that
rather loosely because I can't believe I got it. The email came
with a set of directions on how to proceed through it... I read
them, so... so what am I going to do? Ignore it, probably for a
myriad of reasons... I am not a walker around the neighbourhood type, people here are paranoid of others, and Im not going to be the
first one in the neighbourhood to get shot at. One of the excer-
sizes is find a playground....... hmmmm none around here,and
if there were the chances of finding kids playing in them would be
slim to none. I might see lovers in their arms, feverishly touching
through clothes, devouring each others faces, some how or
another I highly doubt they want an observer.
So the meaning of this post?
Sometimes it's good to know what your friends are on, because
in this case I don't want any!

WOW 53 people I think

Yes well I think it's people who have been stopping by but for all the comments left behind it's really a crap shoot if they were people or not!
AHEM!!!!! People be it ever so humble a small note that you were there
goes a long way to providing fodder for the isatable thirst that writers have, just like applause, and standing ovations it help keep the creative
juices flowing:-))))))) Do see if you can toss out a crumb or two next time through... I might even get a HNT if I thought it would feed the masses!

LOL Couldn't have made it 3 in a row...

Still undecided on font colour, let's try this, sheesh having/ still back spacing more than I am going forward, why worry about the colour let it be enough that I am posting, thank God for spell check, everyone will look like brainiacs even if their not!!!
The ongoing, looks like it will be forever saga of getting on at Landstar. Because they do ALOT of their contracts with the big cheese companies, the background investigation is right up there with crossing the border @ the Detroit Tunnel ,and what happens to YOU when THEY don't ask the right questions... hey not my fault my oldest kid is an Investigator for The Pacific Region of Canada Customs & Excise. I can play the cat and mouse game as well as they can, trouble is I got to sit in teenie tiny seemed like 6' square box while they thought I was stewing, when it all actuality I was resting my eyeballs. I finally after a good nap asked them hey! do you want to see my birth certificate? Oh it was comical when they said yes, why didn't you show it before, and I told them straight up hey you didn't ask to see it. Cardinal Rule of US/Canada broder crossings DON'T OFFER ANY INFORMATION!!!! Answer the questions as short and concise as possible................don't drone on.
Anyways it appears the previous companies I have driven for are resisting sending in my experince with them.... some of the reasons have been down right comical, I am a tad unimpressed with FedExCC in being so slow. But, sure as the sun rising in the East I figured GoBlair an independant company based in Louisville would drag their feet. That the owners are out of the country, and that all their previous driver's records are sitting in their house and the manager can't get to them seems about right. Anyways after talking to the very nice people in recruiting ( sounds like Im joing the Forces) @ Landstar and discussing the afore mentioned companies seems I am again at least a week if not more from getting back on the road:-( <--- BIG SAD FACE
No it doesn't mean I can publish a blog a day as my good friends on the west side of the State do, but I'll see what I can do.

Two days in a row, Bro are ye impressed???

WOW !!!!
Look at this another blog... but, seriously every single day?
That's for people who have interesting 9 to 5 days...
trust me when I get back on the road there will be weeks
that go by, and I'll not be adding to this BUT when I do
you'll get to read all about the BS that goes on in the
commercial driving world, the accidents, the doofuses
that ply the highway, the action at the truckstops, the
creative ways that the cops lie in wait for unsuspecting
fools, the endless droning on the CB from Sesame Street,
channel 19, might even give you all a brief synopsis of the
horrors of some of the more hideous rest rooms I've been
in...:-(
My soon to be hopefully new co-driver just called me, she
wanted to know what PCMiler was being hawked at online
at the company's store.... OMG 3 grand, no flipping
wonder all the freight companies have it and the driver's
don't....
Well I have managed to nearly slip into the afternoon, so I
guess I'll finish my java jolt,and get on with the day activitites.

Activity @ the feeder

Good Morning People:-)

I think that this colour is probably worse than the red but, let's see...
We have a hummingbird feeder set up on the redbud tree in the
backyard, it is about 5 feet from the edge of the deck, and has
provided some interesting observations all spring and summer
long, first there was the staking of the area as a prime feeding
site, and the competion was furious for about a week as several
pairs of hummers vied for ownership of said feeder, the resulting
victors then assailed the feeder in the early morning, mid after-
noon, and another assault just before the sun set for the day.
Often during the day there would be no activity at the feeder
and a stray hummer would chance upon the sweet nectar, and
proceed to lick at the feeder, they would get about 1 minute at
the feedeer, and the 'owners' would buzz in and chase them off.
We have never been able to locate the nest, but they laid their eggs,
hatched their off-spring, and we now have the parents and their
young foraciously feeding at the holes. It appears that there are at
least 2 young, and their parents, perhaps even more, as there are
often at times 4 young or more hovering in the air waiting for a
chance to load up. Their antics are often quite hilarious as they
immate their parent's as sometimes they seem to just stab the
feeder with their needle beaks, and bury it to the hilt as though
this is their last chance to partake of the sweet juice.
A word on the nectar that we provide... it is clear, no red
food colouring.. just sugar and water syrup boiled, and then
refrigerated. We learned a few years ago that if we added the
red dye to the liquid that we in effect were adding the demise
of these colourful characters of the birding world. So now all they
get is clear, sickly sweet laden water, the ratio of water to sugar
varies, in the early spring it's more sugar to water to entice them
to stake 'your' feeder as their's, we taper it off somewhat as the
season progresses, building it back up to the same or greater
ratio as in the spring for their long flight back to their winter
areas. You can use the hummingbird nectar that is sold in
garden shoppes, or bird stores, but the sugar/water blend
works just as well.
Another way to keep the little hummers in your immediate area
if not your yard is to provide them with the ingredients that they
use for their nests. These are cattails, their fuzz in particular, or
if you haven't any near by that you can harvest in the late winter,
or early spring, and if you have climbing clematis vines, the hummers
will use the fuzz that comes on the seed heads of this vine. Also grow
in your garden flowers that the hummers enjoy to supplement,and
increase their use of the feeder, these plants include but are not
limited to bee balm, trumpet vines, honeysuckle, anything that is
red, or orangey/red in colour.
You will be provided with hours of entertainment,and be assured
that next year you will have them back again with their youngsters.
The only down side to all this is that next year we are buying another
feeder, it seems we have become a regular stop, and woe to us that
we don't provide that which they have come to expect, and honestly
it is a small price to pay for the enjoyment that these small creatures
bring.
http://fohn.net/hummingbird-pictures/

I've been told Im supposed to blog everyday!

And........... not only that but not to use red letters....
hmmmmmmmmm I think the red on black looks rather
interesting.
Well, having a usual weekend here... haven't budged too
far from the espresso machine, or my rooms. I am either
painting my retro 60's flowers on some material that will
eventually cover the futon in the livingroom, or goofing
off online. And thinking.... OH! what a dangerous com-
bination that is... thinking bout my life the turns it has
taken some I have purposely taken, others foisted upon
me by events, and people.
Having just erased the next 100 lines........................
I am outta here, and will return another day when Im in a better mood,and not fighting the dragons!
Stay thee well......I am, honestly

OH! Doesn't life throw Lovely Curves

Well, people...

It seems that the ballgame is still not finished:-(
My excellent friends on the west side of the State
informed me today that the newest current ex in my
life (and I mean as in ex boyfriend) still hasn't got a
clue, or maybe he does that our relationship is kaput!

Zig's informed today that he recieved a phone call
from ex b/f.... I perked, bad girl! I really should keep
those emotions under control!! Just kidding I didn't.
I said, " Oh really?" Ex b/f was calling to discuss ways
I could lower MY cell phone bill that I pay for with MY
money, so that I could keep the phone I added to MY
plan for him ( that was a bad move on my part, but it
was one of the how many times do you allow yourself
to be led things) see a previous post ( self advertising)
Anyways most of my family/friends lives on the West
Coast of Canada ( Lucky fricking people), so I make a
ton of calls every month, whenever I damn well feel like
it, time zones accounted for, and his first suggestion was
that I not call as often!!! Oh for fuck's sake not call MY
family........so YOU can have a phone?
You know what go get a job.............any kind of job
who cares if it's only slinging burgers, or sweeping up
after horses, or whatever....its a job... be creative
send a resume as a shot in the dark every week to
someplace you don't think you have a rats ass chance
of getting into. Sell yourself...
Anyways.......... he called to ask Zig to interfere into
my financial affairs!! Wise man that Zig's is told him I'm
not stepping in that puddle! I am truly thankful that
you only think its a puddle... it's a deep, bottomless,
cash flow sucking sewer pipe connected to God only
knows what with an insatiable appetite for cash!
Anyways the phone gets turned off tomorrow, hope
he called all his other atm friends... OMG this reminds
me of .......... another ex bf who had the gall to call me
and ask for money too.......to which I told him what
the Fuck do you think I am.YOUR PERSONAL ATM?
I'm finished ranting............. at least on this bf.....
I'll try another more uplifting we're really sick of your
personal problems, do you think you could write
on a different slant/story next time. I really gotta
wonder who read these things... oh wow maybe
ex boyfriends will read them someday.......
c'est la vie if they do I hope they seriously see
themselves in the story,and try to amend their ways.

Stay thee all very well...
TW

More Musings from the Mystic Pen

http://www.tumbleweedwanderingtoo.blogspot.com

Tumbleweed Wandering

Tumbleweed Wandering

Summer's snow, winter's heat
the world's all gone awry
Yesterday's morning I arose to sleep
and tonight I fell to wake

Allowing LIfe to Unfold

Hello friends...

Wow another chapter is about to close in my life...
pretty well decided the next course of action but thought
I'd share with my friends, and others who happen to chance
upon this blog to add their thoughts.

The question I pose to all who read the following is
How many times do you allow yourself to be led
where you know you really don't want to go. Once, because
you think to yourself that perhaps the person who is
leading is just having a rough time,and needs some moral
support, twice because you can't really believe your can be
so gullible... I haven't gone past twice, well, maybe I have...
anyways I'm no longer gullible, the wellspring of support
is rapidly drying up. I've realized that things they have
promised to do with me, I can do on my own, its just a question
of making the time to do them. I have come to understand that
most of the conversations we are having seldom mention me as
a complete person, that it is only a portion of me that they need.
That doesn't cut it... its all me or nothing. I m not a beauty
queen, nor, am I a hag of the swamp, I am some of each.
But, what really counts is my inner self, and she has been
screaming for months get the heck out of this. I can and do
enjoy my own companionship... if needs be I can carry on
an intelligent conversation in my head,and agree to disagree
with whatever Im telling myself at any givcn time... why else
would I still be entertaining ideas of a relationship with this
person?
So I ask you readers to post your comments. They may
agree they may not... While your at it... if your in the same
scenario as I perhaps this will be the break you also need
to end a going nowhere relationship too...
I leave you with Merry meet, and merry greet, and may your
roads be smooth with rocky outcroppings for time to sit
and contemplate the reasons your traveling the roads you are