Grand AM

The trials, struggles and joys of a "FULL TIME" lady in pink, mom, on her way to the top, with a few pitstops, pitfalls and questions along the way.

Saturday, August 10, 2002

romy and michele's high school reunion

Michele: I'm the Mary, and you're the Rhoda.
Romy: YOU'RE the Rhoda, you're the Jewish one.

You know I'm going to write about it. :)

Today Jennifer and I went out for lunch and then some Target shopping for school supplies. The movie Romy & Michele came up and how it was on TV the other night and within a second, we both looked at each other and cried out .. "I LOVE THAT MOVIE!". Right there in the office supply section. Our kids looked at us, rolled their eyes and went about their ways. I'm sure they thought we were geeks.

Jennifer and I looked right at each other and in almost the same breath, declaired who was romy and who was michele in our friendship. There was no fighting on this issue. She's Romy, and I'm Michele. Though we both agree that the name itself "Romy" is cool, there is no question who is who in our friendship.

Another great reason of why I love this gal!
Google! DayPop! This is my blogchalk: English, United States, Denver, Aurora, Susan, Female, 31-35!

Friday, August 09, 2002

jimmy neutron & foolin around

Tonight I watched Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius with the kids tonight. I knew they had seen it before, but it seemed to be a movie that needed renting again. I missed it the first time. It must have been a daddy night with the kids when I had a MK mtg. I remember vaguely about a certain scene that Beau said he laughed for 5 minutes and the kids were going ewwwww... tonight I saw it, I was rolling and the kids were still saying ewwwww...

... all the kids parents have been abducted by aliens and the kids are partying like it's 1999. Doing everything their parents have told them not to do. Jump to the scene with the kid in the shower and he's peeking out the screen by saying "I'm peeing in the shower, I'm peeing in the shower". What a riot. Jump to a few other kids doing no-nos and then back to the shower, "I'm still doing it". LOL

Second favorite line - [Jimmy's dad burps] Mr. Neutron: "Well, at least it came out of the attic and not the basement". I have GOT to remember that line. I'm such a dippy mom.

Side note.. my friend Jennifer is not only a make-up junkie (we attend Make-up anonymous mtgs.), but now soon to be a blogger like me. Can't wait to add her link to the site. :)

I also sent Julie my link to my journal and told her to curl up with a Coca-Cola (nothing less would do) and have a happy reading. I'm not ready to share it with any other 'visible' friends except these two. Not even my husband is really aware of what I'm doing.. yep.. I'm bloggin on the side and he doesn't know. Shhhhhh. It's our secret.

But I have no idea how I'm going to explain all the new friends I have made in Vegas when I go and hope to visit with them, the next time we head that way. Ideas?
time off

I really took today off. Sent the kids off to school, played on the computer for a few hours, found many more links from other sites to this site and now I have been added to Clix. I need to work on my future site and be ready to transfer it when I get the mon-ay as oddtodd says.. to launch the sucker.

I went and got my hair cut, told the stylist that I wanted something dramatic, and she did, and I loved the look on the girl in the book, but it didn't turn out like that on me! I looked like I just got up from a bad case of sleep and a bad day of hat head. It was only confirmed when I got home did my husband say "did you get your hair cut yet?" and I just arrived from the place. I'm not upset. It will take probably the weekend to get it into shape and work it the way I want. Pictures to follow.. or maybe not.

I sat down to watch Memento, one of our Netflix movies this week. Wow. I will have to sit and watch it again with my husband to get the whole reasoning on it. Wish I could cut out certain parts and just play the thing backwards.

My weekend is here and just to let you know.. I have no plans on doing anything. I do feel slightly guilty that twiggle and Heather are packing this weekend. Twiggle is soon to be setting up in Vegas, while Heather is packing for the move next week. I don't envy them. Though I don't want to be in this house forever, I surely don't want to pack again. Hope I win the lottery before our next move so we can hired people to move us, and clean the house.

Have a great weekend...
S.

Thursday, August 08, 2002



1. Do you have a car? If so, what kind of car is it? Yes. 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier.

2. Do you drive very often? All the time. To work, running errands, Mary Kay deliveries. Kid stuff.

3. What's your dream car? Personal wise - Ford Mustang. Mary Kay wise - the Red Grand AM, then the Pink Cadillac

4. Have you ever received a ticket? Twice. Speeding in Georgia. Running a red light in Florida.

5. Have you ever been in an accident? Three times, but never the cause of it. If you count my childhood years with my mom and dad, add about 4 more!
Changes

I don't even know where to begin, but there are going to be some changes in every thing I do in the next few weeks.

First - this journal. For years I have never been able to design a website for myself that I have been happy with. It always seemed so dumb and sappy and I was never completely happy with it. Over the past few days, I have been like a wild horse tied up in a stall waiting to get out. I'm ready to get my own domain for the first time. Try out greymatter and see what it can do. Design my site and have it go in a few directions and then maybe, if you don't feel like reading my accomplishments, you don't have to, and if you don't want to ready my sorry ass life, then you can hit the pink bubble section and view that instead. I'm on a mission. I see it in my head, the design, the concept, and the idea... just to put it into motion. I haven't felt like this about design for a long time so I give my journal, and discovering a whole New World of other journals the credit for lighting the fire under my kester.

Second Biz Wise. Tired of working for a cheap ass boss who is once again on another vacation (this time, mid-life crisis.. he's on a motorcycle run with the VP, driving the truck). I'm ready to either find another job soon, or get my butt in gear and find some new customers who are ready to move along with me. I want a good career, I want a successful career, and I don't want my husband working two 12-hour shifts over the weekend to make up for my slacking. God I love him. He is the best.

Third Life in general. I'm ready to lose some weight. What ever it takes, I need to get going. Have been b.s.ing for years about my weight issue and it's time to step up to the plate and do something about it. Reason being, I twisted my knee today doing something quick and my body didn't move fast enough with me. I'm in pain, serious pain, and I know that I wouldn't be like this, if I was in better shape, weighed less and was healthier.

I'm ready to discover some new things about myself with my journal. I have become addicted to this and I love it. For the past 5 years, I have been with a yahoo group that first started off chatting. I needed them in a time of loneliness and fear. Since then, we have gone to yahoo groups and over the past year we have just barely stopped posting. We have grown apart, changed and found what was missing in our life at the time we were chatting. I still need something, but they are not it for me anymore. I will stay with the group, because I still need them, but at the same time, I need to move on, find some positive support for myself, and looking at the list of journals next to the side bar.. they are there and I need them. I'm ready to look at life in a different way, view it different, speak it different and learn from it.

I haven't found too many friends yet in the journal section, I know it takes time. I'm tickled to see that I'm linked to someone for the first time. That just thrills my day. I'm a simple person to please. :)

But if I'm simple today.. I'll be different tomorrow.
a child's mind

Today I got to talk to my niece Rebecca. She is 4, and the last time I talked to her on the phone or saw her in person was 2 years ago. Her daddy is in the service and has been lucky to take the family to Italy and live there for 3 years. The cost to call my sister is crazy, so I chat with her on AIM and sometimes we do webcam stuff. But with the 8 hour time difference, she's either up late her time or I am on my end, so it hasn't been easy to keep up with her, but only in e-mails.

My brother-in-law has changed jobs with the Navy. He was an engineer for the engines, and has become a master-of-arms (police officer). He had to come back state side for training and then take his new orders which will take him to Greece. (when I was in the service, all I got was Key West, a ship and Philadelphia, PA). He has been state side since June, and he finished schooling the day before and is now able to take a vacation for a month. My sister arrived the night before with her daughter and they are here for 6 weeks, then it's off back to Italy and bro off to Greece. It will be easier for visits for them if she stayed in Italy, instead of coming back to the states for a year.

I know if my husband was reading this, he would say "spit it out woman!".

Ok. I called my mom's house today and asked to talk to Rebecca. She gets on the phone...

"hubwo?"

Poor thing. She has a cold.

"Rebecca, it's Auntie Susan.. how are you doing?"

"AUNTIE!"

yells to my sister - "MOM!!!! It's Auntie!"

"How are you doing little one? I miss you so much."

"MOM? Can we go to Auntie's house?"

"Oh.. the kids will be upset when they find out I talked to you fist. I can't wait to tell the kids I talked to Rebecca first."

"Mom?? Can we go see Auntie please?"

"Rebecca?"

"ummm???"

"you my angel?"

"No Auntie, I don't have wings."

"you don't have to have wings, but you are my angel"

"No Auntie, I told you, I don't have wings."

"Aren't angels cute and pretty?"

"yessss"

"then you must be an angel"

"No Auntie, I'm Rebecca.. not an angel"

HUGE SIGH

"Can I talk to your Mom?"



Courtesey of me!...

K-Mart Special!

Onesome: Blue - what is it that bums you out and makes you feel blue? Not having money like we used to. Wanting more things out of life and sometime I feel that I'm just spinning my wheels and getting no where.

Twosome: Light - what is the light at the end of your tunnel? My strength and determination. When I see the people before me, who have been in the same situation have become successful and are living the ideal life I'm trying to achieve.

Threesome: Special - who is that special someone who has seen your bluest of blues and your light of the tunnel? My family, and my dearest friends. To get more direct.. My mother and sister, we have been to the same dark places, and have come through at the same time. Beau, my husband who has seen my darkest days (when my dad died) and now, with the hours he works (2 full time jobs on the weekend) to help keep our home a stable one. Julie, my best friend in the whole world. She has seen some dark sides and she's been there at the other end helping me get through some rough spots. I hope I do the same for her. Jennifer, who has done, lived and is writing the book for me to read... another friend that I could not live without and I wonder how I did for so long.

Leave us a note so we can find your answers...

Wednesday, August 07, 2002

snippets

Oh how I wished I belonged to snippets

This is funny as ever.. from Rupaul's site.

THE TRICKLE DOWN THEORY


i was released thursday morning with the instructions to “not over do it” and “to take it easy”, which is exactly what i’ve been doing. sunday, i got behind the wheel of my vehicle to drive to tom’s house. the driving aggravated my back a little, but i had to see THE ANNA NICOLE SHOW. i loved it ! what a train wreck ! i can’t wait to see next week ! she had to have been on the same medication i was on when i was in the hospital. ANNA looked just like the late, great GINGER RODGERS, right before her death, all bloated and painted up like a “baby jane sex doll”. how perfect would she be for the next JOHN WATERS film ? when she gets her settlement, she’ll be excellent for the los angeles economy, everyone will benefit. i mean, the trickle down theory will be astounding, doctors, drug dealers, lawyers, plastic surgeons, hustlers, interior designers...etc. it’s a real live BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.
Wednesday

I recieved an email today - am I 'guestin' tonight? In other words, am I bringing a guest to my meeting tonight? Nope. I did invite my co-worker who was in the hospital last week, but she declined due to therapy but wants to when she's finished with her medical stuff. Understandable. It didn't bother me when she turned me down, I want her health better then anything in the world.

But for me, I had a long battle over the week about it. I was told not to let the disappointments get to me and I had. Then I said I would never bring someone with me again, and I know that's not true, just not right now. In the same token though, this is my one night for fun for myself. I enjoy going out and meeting with my other friends, enjoy the accomplishment when I recieve praises for the work I have done. Setting myself up for guests and then being mad the whole night because they bailed on me is not fun on my one night. So why let them ruin it for me? I just don't ask. If they want to go, they will have to invite themselves. But I'm not going to get worked up about this. This is my night and they will ruin it for me.

So tonight, though I have slumped this past week biz wise, the only praise I can see coming from anything will be the website I have designed for the Unit. I'm wondering if I added the greymatter stuff to my Unit's site would it jazz it up a bit. Can't think of what I would use it for right now, but the possiblities are endless. I guess foremost, I'm just itching to try out greymatter for my own personal use, and I don't have the money at this point to get my own webspace. I wonder if attbi.com has Perl stuff.

Geesh.. boss is away and all I want to do is journal. :)
simple pleasures

Life is fun... when the boss and VP is out of town.

Tuesday, August 06, 2002

Thank you very much

Elvis week is coming up. The anniversary of his death. Do you remember the day? I do. I was about 9 years old, summer was still hot, school didn't start for another week or two and my mother had just gone back to work that day, for the first time in years.

It was also one of the first times that my sister and I stayed home all by ourselves with no sitter. She is 3 years younger then I. I don't remember much of the day. With my parent's strict rules, I'm sure we didn't do much. No one could come over to the house while my parents were gone, we couldn't go to a friends house while they were gone, couldn't talk on the phone, but at that age, talking on the phone hadn't hit me yet.

The most I remember was, we were sitting watching TV in the afternoon and in the middle of a show, there came this special report. Something that just wasn't done in the mid afternoon in the 70's. Back then there was only about 3 to 7 channels. No newsman came on earlier then 5:00 that I was aware of at time. I swear it went to a commercial before the news man came on, because for what seemed forever, my sister and I were on the edge of our seats that some lunatic had escaped jail and was on the loose near mom. My mother delivered newspapers to the stores outside of town and bundles to carriers so they could do their paper-routes. This route was at least 40 miles out of town, up and down the highway with deliveries, sure to find some weirdo along the way.

We panicked waiting for the guy to come on the air and tell us what happened.

The newsman came on and announced the death of Elvis Presley. My first thought was "that's it? No lunatic?" My sister, who up till then was never a huge fan, or so I thought wasn't, started crying and wailing. I wonder now if she could have put those girls at Elvis' concerts to shame. I felt bad that he died, but for me who was into Shawn Cassidy, Elvis was not a thing of the day.

Within weeks, my sister had Elvis posters all over her room, and his records playing. I couldn't even come into her room if I had intent to tease her about the whole situation.

Time went by, Duran Duran replaced Elvis on her wall and the Go-Go's was on the record player.

But I look back on that moment every time the nation goes into Elvis week and think of my mom going to work that day.

My mother gave me some of her handwritten diaries after I had my children in 1995. For a month when I had time to read, I read her journals and it was like reading a novel. It went back to when she met my dad and they dated in 1965, all the way to 1977. I laughed when I remembered some of the moments, and saw it from her view, and I cried when I realized what was going on in her life that she shielded from my sister and I. And I was ripped when her journal stopped on August 16, 1977. Mom had gone back to work and didn't have time to write after that. It was as if someone tore the pages at the end of a mystery book and I have no clue who was the murderer.

Mom has since taken up writing in a journal again, and I know I won't see the pages until after she passes away. I look forward to finishing the novel with a few missing pages. As for Elvis - another novel that was never finished completely. But he had manners.. thank you, thank you very much.
to drive or not to drive

So I have wondered if my title is a little wierd. Drivin My Life to a Red Grand AM!. I mean, it makes sense, it's the goal I'm trying to achieve, but is it too log for this journal? Then I thought of VH1 and the show "Driven". How the stars take the hard and long road to success but don't give up, or at least take a pitstop on drugs and then get back on the road and get to that point of "I am the king of the world" status. So I thought, how about "Driven" for my blog title? But I'm not there yet, I don't have the car or 'driven' the car yet.. so now I wonder if I should say "Drivin" or just leave it the hell alone.

I'm in a funk. UGH.

On a lighter note, the link was replaced with the naught site is fixed and is just blank now. Not sure if they got my email or not. Julie and I got a giggle about it. She was a QA person when we worked together a few years back.
three times a no no

Ever done one of those "oospie" moments? I not only did it, but so did Mary Kay.com. We have an intranet area for consultants full of goodies to surf around. Today they launched a cool new section and I was idling surfing. I click on one of the links to download some pdf file and all these porn pop-up windows show up on my window. I'm AT WORK with this happening! Heart failure kicks in and I'm trying to find out how this happened.

After composure sits back in, I surf Mary Kay again and I do a roll-over of the links. There it is.. that pdf file say "download here" but the link to says triple x . com. A quick placement of the link while they get the file ready, I understand.

Use a different link next time. I'm sure there is going to be a ton of consultants freaking out when they hit that link.
100 Things

I have seen this on a few other sites, so decided to add my own. Once I get my own web space, I'll have all this easy linked to:

1. I'm in my 30's

2. I'm 5'2

3. I'm over-weight, but wasn't like this in high school

4. I'm brown haired

5. I don't tan easily

6. I'm left handed

7. I'm the oldest

8. I have a sister

9. I'm a Gemini

10. I was born in New Mexico

11. I was born June 21st, at 12:31am

12. I have a good relationship with my family

13. My parents were still married when my dad died in 1996

14. I suffer from Depression, as my sister does, my father did and so did my grandmother and great grandmother.

15. I met my husband at a Naval Base bar in 1990

16. I was married on a Naval Aircraft Carrier, the USS Lexington, with my Commanding Officer giving me away in marriage.

17. I graduated from high school in 1985

18. I was in band - I played the flute

19. I was voted "Biggest Dreamer" in my Senior year

20. I was a JV Cheerleader my Junior year

21. I was not a popular girl in school

22. I've lived in 5 different states

23. I wear glasses, even owned a pair of red ones like Sally Jesse Raphel

24. I love to read

25. I love hot weather

26. I love to golf, even though I suck at it

27. I love music

28. I had the chickenpox when I was 5

29. I got braces when I was 8 , then because I did not wear my retainer, had to wear them again at 11

30. I hate to argue or fight

31. I get pissed off at stupid drivers

32. I hate being tickled

33. I could never be a vegetarian - I love meat

34. I hate seafood

35. I am too concerned with what other people think about me

36. I have 2 children, a girl and a boy

37. I wasn't supposed to have kids, many surgies later they arrived

38. I had to have my appendix taken out when I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter.

39. I have a Labador - Shadow

40. I used to have a mixed Corgi - Tuppy. She bit my daughter and I had to give her away

41. I was sexually assuaulted in the Military, he was let off, 5 years later, he was brought up on charges for raping 6 naval students

42. I hate Denver but love the friends I have made

43. I miss my dad terribly, and would like to have some kind of spirtual meeting with him

44. I wish I had been able to get my dad's truck after his death, it was what he loved and I had fond memories of it

45. I hate being broke

46. I'm a loner but I don't like it

47. I want to be successful when I attend my 20 year High School reunion

48. I lack self-esteem

49. I wanted to be a teacher when I was a child

50. Then I wanted to be an airline stewardess when I was older

51. Then I wanted to be a Journalist in my teenage years

52. I joined the Navy and became an airplane washer

53. I am now a graphic artist who works on websites and print work

54. I am a Mary Kay beauty consultant, changing womens lives

55. I am a mom who is trying to instill values and ideas into my children's heads

56. I am a wife who tries to make her husband happy in all that we do

57. I am a daughter, sister, wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, mother, Aunt, friend

58. I have done tap, ballet, girl scouts, cheerleading, band, drama, community plays and youth leadership

59. I love the power of being the cookie mom for Girl Scouts

60. My favorite class in school was drama

61. My sucky class was Math

62. I went to college after my dad died and earned my AA Graphics Degree at UNM

63. My teachers groaned when I came into thier classes, they knew I would do a projected related to Coca-Cola

64. I collect Coca-Cola items

65. I have over 400 pieces of Coca-Cola items

66. I want to have a soda fountain in my future dream home

67. I have loved and lost in my life

68. I'm finding out that posting 100 things is not easy

69. I wish I had more willpower to over come my weight issue

70. I wish I could get the dream job and not fear that I will be laid off

71. I want to move to Las Vegas, NV

72. I want my friends to move with me

73. I own a Chevy Red Cavalier, 1997, I had been looking at a white one 4 years earlier with my dad when he taught me to drive shift.

74. I love reading to my children some of the books that my mom read to me when I was a child

75. I would love to visit my sister who lives in Italy

76. I wish I had the strongness in dealing with people like my sister has

77. I wish I had the beauty as my friend Julie has

78. I wish I had the wise attitude as my friend Jennifer has

79. I am blessed to have people like Julie, Jennifer, MaryAnn, Kim, JC and Stephanie in my life.

80. I am complete because of these true friends

81. I hope to one day have the speaking abilities, pose, and grace as SuZanne Brothers, she is a goddess

82. I wish I had met Mary Kay Ash

83. I want to go back to Disneyland for a week

84. I wish we had never filed for bankruptcy

85. I still have my first teddy bear from when I was 4.

86. I still write to my pen pal - Lisa in Rhode Island

87. I still keep in contact with my best friend Kay. We met when we were 3.

88. I hate my freckles but have come to deal with them

89. I sleep on a waterbed

90. I like to play games on the computer

91. I love NBC Must See TV - Thursday night

92. I'm a sap for chic flicks

93. I like Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as actors

94. I have a secret crush on Nicholas Cage (oops.. not a secret now!)

95. I have seen Huey Lewis & the News, Gloria Estafan, Bon Jovi, Marty Stewart, Garth Brooks, U-2, and Depeche Mode in concert.

96. I love retro 80's but will listen to the Rat pack and house dance stuff

98. I have met Marty Stewart, a Country Western singer

99. I am almost at the end

100. I am so glad this is done.

Monday, August 05, 2002

I have started adding links to favorite journals. Twiggles is another great person I would like to get to know, and ummm excuse me if it seems like I'm fixated on Vegas.. but she's another person who is on the move there. Coolies.. I will have friends there when I go visit! Or maybe live there!

I added Puzzle Falls, very touching journal. I wish him the best.

I posted my latest reading with the Back Porch, take a spell and let us know what you think too.

Ugh.. I dumped a bottle of sample perfume in my purse and after 5 days, my purse still smells better then me. But it's strong. Lucky that I am, it's my favorite scent.. but it's just too strong. Oh well, I had to break in a new purse some how. Might as well be with the perfume and not some sticky thing the kids will put in.


> Still in the running for a possible job
> Pedicure time with Jennifer
> Getting Friday off
> My husband fixing the brakes on my car
> My husband fixing the brakes on his truck
> That I seem to be in a better present of mind and that is great in itself
> Two new customers
> I won this at e-bay today.
ramblings

Lets see.. it's Monday, already I wish I wasn't here at work. I hate when my VP goes wild on an idea. The place smells when he thinks too much, and I end up doing stupid stuff.

Blog Tree This has taken off like wild fire and it's cool. Register your blog and see who you are "related" too. What website inspired you to Blog? Here is my tree.

Movies watched this weekend - Dragonfly (awesome!). Romy & Michelles High School Reunion (my life) and Oh Brother, Where Are Thou? (pretty funny).

Positive Participation coming up...