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Last night was bowling with the gals and we had our gift exchange too! We proceeded to drink quite heavily and of course I bowled well...189, 140 and 183! It was the booze that made it all fall into place. My average is only a 137 and I don't really enjoy bowling. Truth be told I enjoy the night out drinking. I was smart enough to ask one of the gals (that doesn't drink) to pick me up so I wouldn't have to drive home drunk. The ride home was hilarious as we were all chatting up a storm and being silly drunken jackasses! Char is our team captain and she's probably in her mid 60's. She was sitting next to me on the drive home and at every curve in the road she fell into my lap because the driver was driving erratically (to say the least). We were trying to get pulled over by the cops just to prove that we were smart enough to designate a driver. We laughed so hard I almost peed my pants!!! Good Times!
Christmas is NOT my favorite time of year. I am not a "shopper" and I do not go to the malls unless I absolutely must. Unfortunately, I must go to get my nieces their requested clothing store gift certificates, but I'm NOT happy about it. I've just about completed all of my shopping on-line using ebay and other various on-line shopping sites. There is nothing better than having packages delivered right to my door.
My favorite gift to give this year will be the Michelangelo's David statue that my sisters and I got for our gay cousin Brien. Brien's mother is my mom's sister, Janet. Aunt Janet married a Philippine man and so Brien is dark haired, dark eyes, olive skin and very Asian looking. He's your typical flaming faggot and works as a makeup artist at the MAC makeup counter in Macy's!!! He is hilariously funny and our family LOVES him! Brien's philippine grandmother used to have a larger statue of David and Venus, but covered their private parts with fig leaves for David and a knitted bra for Venus...so I'm going to knit a little thong for Brien's little David statue. It will be fun to see his expression when he opens it!
Oddly enough I was given an opportunity at work to take a completely different position within the company that also offers quite a large raise. This offer really threw me for a loop because I never expected it. As a matter of fact, I was beginning to feel like I didn't even have job security in my current sales position and was seriously thinking of looking for a new job. I haven't made my final decision yet, but it looks like I may take the offer...more later.
Have a Great Christmas and Happy New Year!Current Mood:  contemplative |
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Dec. 1st, 2006 @ 03:44 pm
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OOPS>>>My Real Men Knit video did not post...so go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYa_rJyG18 |
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Let's imagine a hard-core dirtball biker bitch riding down the highway with the wind blowing in her hair, and saddle bags full of yarn and knitting needles. Not very likely eh? Well, guess what? This HussyBiker has taken up knitting and it's quite fun and relaxing; although a gal here at my office seems to recall hearing that women who knit are doing so as a way of releasing sexual tension. If that's true then why do men knit?
I knit to make nice warm snuggly things to wear and it's fun to give away my projects as gifts to family and friends! Someday I'll get good at it and then I'll move southwest where there is no need for warm snuggly things! In the meantime...don't forget...REAL MEN KNIT!
 Current Mood:  working Current Music: silence |
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Bought one of these at the PetSmart by my office for the turtle aquarium and now my little sister wants one. Don't get more than one though...cuz they BREED like rabbits!
 Current Mood:  amused Current Music: Sia - Breathe |
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Two fleas from Detroit had an agreement to meet every winter in Miami for a vacation.
Last year when one flea gets to Miami, he's all blue, shivering and shaking, damn near frozen to death!
The other flea asks him, "What the hell happened to you?"
The first flea says, "I rode down here from New York in the moustache of a guy on a Harley."
The other flea responds saying," That's the worst way to travel. Try what I do. Go to the Metro airport bar. Have a few drinks. While you are there, look for a nice stewardess. Crawl up her leg and nestle in where it's warm and cozy. It's the best way to travel."
The first flea thanks the second flea and says he will give it a try next winter.
A year goes by...when the first flea shows up in Miami he is all blue, and shivering and shaking again. Damn near froze to death.
The second flea says, "Didn't you try what I told you?"
Yes," says the first flea, "I did exactly as you said...I went to the Metro airport bar. I had a few drinks. Finally, this nice young stewardess came in. I crawled right up to her warm cozy spot. It was so nice and warm that I fell asleep immediately.
When I woke up, I was back in the moustache of the guy on the Harley."
I just had to share this naughty joke!Current Mood:  cold |
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I've neglected to introduce our turtle. His name is Bracho and we found him in our backyard this summer hanging out by the fire-pit. I thought I was getting a deal on him because he was free, but these little buggars are expensive to house. So far I've spent over $200 on his habitat and this doesn't include the damn electric bill. He needs special lighting UVA/UVB and a heat lamp too! Enjoy my little friend Bracho.
Nov. 16th, 2006 @ 01:58 pm
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| » To be four years old again! |
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It's silly, but I AM SILLY...wishing I had the four-year-old mentality again. Seeing this picture for the first time ever it's brought back some old memories. We were wearing our play-clothes (obviously)! Look at my sister...her striped shirt and paisley pants matched real well eh? This picture was taken by an old family friend back in 1971. He was a free-lance photographer and seemed to carry his camera everywhere he went. He has since retired and is spending a lot of time transferring old negatives onto digital.
Anyway, I will never forget my grandfather telling me how determined I was at four-years-old to ride a two-wheeled bicycle without training wheels. Grandpa watched as I was out playing across the street with the neighbor girl. She was a couple years older than I and had just learned how to ride. Her dad had removed the training wheels that same day. After the girl went inside, I got on that bicycle and tried to ride off down the street.
Grandpa said I kept falling and getting back on. I would not give up even though he knew I had some pretty serious scrapes and bruises happening in the process. He told me it took an hour or so and I was finally going up and down the street! The funniest part (to me) was that the bike was way too big for my tiny frame, but I did not give up!
Some days when you feel like giving up...think about when you were four and knew everything and could do anything you wanted. It helps!
Nov. 16th, 2006 @ 09:21 am
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| » Poopy Puppy |
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Last night I got home from work around 6:30ish to find that my little girl pooped all over herself, her crate and the wall.
Billie is my one year old Brittany Spaniel and she is smart, smart, smart...but her shit stinks! I put her 30 lb ass in the tub and gave her a bath. Pulled the bedding out of her cage, transferred it to the washing machine and added extra soap for effect. Then I wiped all the stray poop off the wires of the crate and brought the crate floor outside to spray off with the hose.
She had poop embedded in her fur. I'm thinking she must have rolled in the shit!
Anyway, just the perfect ending to my already f'd up day.
Today hasn't improved much for me, but I'm optimistic Billie won't poop in her crate again. I didn't feed her as much and made sure she pooped before I left the house this morning.
Poop Poop and more Poop!
Nov. 9th, 2006 @ 02:32 pm
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| » Spinning my Wheels in the Motor City |
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My job title is "Sales Account Manager" for an automotive plastic injection molder. I haven't sold much during my three year sales career (1 million, give or take). It's been a long struggle just to land this amount of business. Unfortunately, the company I work for lost a great portion of this amount in the same time period because of management decisions that I did not necessarily agree with or have control over, but have to live with because I am not the final decision maker.
I have instead become the most awesome customer service representative. There are notable differences between the two. Those that know me and understand what I do on a daily basis have another opinion. These people are mostly co-workers (not the other account managers) who like me as a person, but really don't understand what it takes to "sell" in this industry. They tell me that I am the best salesperson in the company. They are wrong. I am certainly not the best salesperson FOR the company. What they see is my multi-tasking skills. I stick my nose into every department's business. However, this is not by choice. I'd rather not step outside the sales department, but if I want to get something done "on-time" I push people to do their jobs and/or offer to help. So naturally these people from the other departments "like" me because I make their jobs easier in most cases. The sense of urgency in this business is like a three-ring circus and either you join or you don't. There's no time to think about how to react. You better know or you'll end up as an unemployed circus freak!
Salespeople are still expected to perform by bringing in business and generating revenue. Of course "old school" sales people used to make commissions off every part produced and then some. Those were the days! They did this through hard work, dedication, and by building relationships with people. They didn't necessarily like or care to spend time with these people, but because it was a large (if not the largest) and most important aspect of their job they did it. They "entertained" clients in various ways that are now considered inappropriate and/or unacceptable by today's sales standards. They're expected to understand the industry and the up and coming programs/car lines that are available for bid in an expanding global economy. In the old days they were provided the necessary "tools" such as; car allowance/company car, company credit cards and a final say or influence in the decision making process. This was the glamour that drew me in. Holy crap have things changed!!!!
We used to be called sales representatives, now we're called account managers. This is because the job has changed and we are expected to manage the entire account; including prospecting for new business, quoting/bidding, landing/closing, and supporting all of the other departments within the organization; engineering, manufacturing, quality, shipping, invoicing, collecting, etc. The list of duties keeps growing and the amount of greenbacks seems to shrink in direct proportion.
Nowadays account managers generally draw a salary and are still expected to work long excruciating hours with no additional pay or expense accounts. Commissions are becoming a thing of the past. We're still trying to develop strong business relationships with customers as well as suppliers and co-workers alike. The goals are still high, but we're lucky to hit them to cover our own salary; let alone others. Most of the business is being sourced overseas and it's almost impossible to compete their pricing.
My time is spent "spinning my wheels" trying to retain existing business and keep our customers happy. I often travel out of state or country and have to carry these costs for 30 days or more. Retaining existing business has become increasingly difficult considering our company has lost millions of dollars to both India and China due to the economic condition of our country.
This isn't something that has happened over night. It's been a long time coming. I believe we've done it to ourselves. The introduction of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was an obvious sign of the times ahead. NAFTA allowed for free trade across North American borders (Canada & Mexico). Labor was cheaper there, but now we're actually seeing a considerable increase in labor rates in both Canada and Mexico. The bulk of work is going to China and India for the same reasons it went to Mexico and Canada 10-12 years ago. Employers are being forced to outsource overseas just to remain competitive and stay in business. Unions are proving to be a thing of the past along with pensions. This is the "giant sucking sound" that Ross Perot referred to during his campaign for President.
So what's a girl to do with 21 years automotive experience? If ya can't sing and ya can't dance you make the best of the situation and persevere right?
I consider myself a middle class citizen. I own a nice home. I've put money in a 401(k) for retirement. I drive a newer Pontiac Grand Prix and thankfully paid off my '99 Harley-Davidson motorcycle before this "squeeze" came into play. I have no kids (that I know of), two dogs (a Malteepoo named Abby & a Brittany named Billie), a cat named Harley and a baby painted turtle named Bracho. For the past eight years, I've lived with the first boy I ever had a crush on. I love him more now than I ever could have at 15 years old (when I first laid eyes on him). I spent many years in other long term relationships while he married and had two children (not ever expecting to hook up with him). His son is a Marine and his daughter is a junior in high school. They are awesome kids and I'm thankful for having had the opportunity to watch them grow up over the last eight years. My mother is my hero. My older sister is my motivation. My younger sister is my inspiration. My nieces are gonna take care of me when I retire. They just don't know it yet. My dad is another blog post all it's own. The women in my family (both mom & dad's sides) were or still are very independent, strong and determined to succeed.
My dream has been to move southwest like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado or Nevada. I'd like to go back to school and learn something new. The southwest offers more employment opportunities for my boyfriend (in the construction industry). However, the biggest advantage to moving southwest is the year round riding weather. It sucks only having 7-8 months of riding weather in Michigan. We love to ride our motorcycles more than anything else. Am I selfish for never having committed to marriage and kids? Am I selfish for wanting to get out of the state? I'm second guessing myself all the time because I feel guilty bailing out. I'm even beginning to wonder if I'm doomed to fail because every time I try and work toward this goal of leaving; something happens that prevents me from taking the next step. For example, I need to sell my house right? Well it's a buyers market. I probably owe more than it's worth...so my plans are delayed once again. Do I just say fuck it and sell anyway hoping to break even? I'm afraid to leave my family (especially my mother). She depends on me both financially and emotionally. I want to take her with me, but she probably won't get on the back of the scoot.
So if you were me...comments, suggestions, criticisms??? Feel free I'm open to it all at this point.
Nov. 9th, 2006 @ 10:16 am
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| » July 13th Birthday |
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Okay...here's the scoop! I was born on July 13th and I've probably met six others born on the same day (different years, of course), but is it not odd! I find it to be quite an unusual thing to run into people that have the same birthday "day" as me! We must be special...probably special ed, but nonetheless "special"!!!
Oh...by the way d_klein thanks for adding me as a friend! You are the seventh person with the same birthday as me!
Yet another reason to indulge in a cocktail and celebrate (not that I need an excuse to drink)! I think it's my Irish, German and American Indian heritage that forces me toward excessive drinking!
Cheers to July 13th babies...and many more!
Nov. 7th, 2006 @ 12:25 pm
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