Sometimes I'd like for it to be about me.

Lately, I just want to be alone and curl up with my thoughts and a good book. Blocking out the rest of the world and their problems. But in the same breath I would love for someone just to pick up the phone and ask me how I'm doing. I would probably fall apart in tears because I truly don't know how I am. I'm not happy nor sad...I feel like I'm just here. I feel like I've been fighting everyone and everything. Yelling at Greg for no reason, yelling at my computer at some of the idiots that I work (Not like they would actually hear me, but it helps), yelling at the idiot drivers. Are you seeing a pattern here? I can't tell you why I'm yelling so much, I just am. Greg says I have issues, which is true. But don't we all?

I have a girlfriend named Dawn, she is one of my best friends. But I don't think I could call her that anymore lately because the past 100 conversations, have turned out to be all about her and usually goes something like this...

Me: Hey, it's me... whatcha up to????
Dawn: Well. Blah.. blah...blah.. (and 30 more minutes of Blah, Blah and more Blah. Durning that time I say maybe 20 words)
Me: Call me back when you get time, got some things to talk to you about.

And of course no calls. E-mails from her are the same way. All about Dawn and a little about wondering how her friend is doing. What is so sad is, Dawn didn't even know about half the stuff that was going on with us trying to have a baby until 2 weeks ago. I told her over lunch, from that point she could see the pain on my face and understood for one freaking moment the world didn't revolve around her life's issues.

Thinking it's time for me to go make some new friends.

My Name

My first name is Laurie (for those of you who didn't already know this). It is pronounced LAWR-ee. It is is a variant of Laura or Lori. Now I don't believe I have a very difficult name to remember. Half the time people call me Lori and I don't even twice about correcting them. Because it just isn't worth my time to correct them. But I do pronouce my name as Lawr-ee not Lori. So my point here is that the one thing that really makes my skin crawl is when people call me Laura or Lauren. I hate it. Hate...Hate...Hate!!!! That is not my freaking name and it will never will be.

So now, please explain to me why folks I work with (and have for a while I may add), that are on my daily calls and recieve mulitple e-mails a week from me still fuck up my name? Huh...Huh????

The thing that is most annoying is I've already corrected them verbally and in e-mail. For the Love of God get it right already!! My name is not that hard. Is it to much to ask that you do me this one favor and get my name right. Come on! It is L-A-U-R-I-E not L-A-U-R-A!!!!!

Visit from the Pet Police

We had a visit from the Pet Police first thing this morning. I of course was pretty pissed that the even showed up. But anyway that's just me. All he wanted to know is what had happened and how I got bit. I explained to him all the lovely details about the 2 hours being cooped up in a carrier then being man handled by the Vet assistant. He completely understood and agreed that it wasn’t the cats fault. He just wanted to see that she was up-to-date on her Rabies Shoot and all was well. I had to sign a paper that said she would be in quarantined in the house until the 9th. Which means nothing to me because she is a house cat and never goes outside. So this should be the last time we ever get a visit from the Pet Police again. Now I can put this whole mess behind us and move on.

3 pissed off Cats and 1 infected finger later.

Friday afternoon we had a 4:15 appointment to take all 3 of our cats in for their yearly check-up. Of course we had the normal I'm not getting in that damn carrier from 2 of our cats. But that was to be expected. So we get to the appointment about 10 minutes early with the hopes we would be in and out by 5, which is normally the case. While Greg entertained our cats, I checked them in. There were other folks waiting and so I didn't think much of it. We sat, waited and watched all the cute dog and cats that folks were picking up or bringing in. It was very entertaining for us, but the cats weren't as amused.

Time kept ticking away and the cats became more upset. By now they have been coped up in their carriers for well over an hour. I could tell by the growls and the occasional hissing that they were beyond mad and getting pretty pissed off. Not only do I have 3 pissed cats on my hands, I also had to deal with the attitude from my husband about how we shouldn't be waiting this long to be seen. By now it's well past 5:15. I'm beginning to get pissed myself. Then....one of the many assistance working there calls us and takes us back in to one of their many exam rooms. She tells us the vet would be a few more minutes. I think...well okay, no problem.

I took Cleo out of her carrier and got her ready for the vet. Felix and Sophie were in the other carrier still pretty pissed and determined not to come out. So we let them sit in there with the door open. Neither one of them budged. Cleo decide to continue to growl an burry her head between my arm and my side and hide. How she could breath I have no idea. By this time 10 more minutes had passed and still no vet. Tick...tock...tick...tock and another 10 minutes went by and still no vet. By this time, I'm ready to go out front and ask them what the hell is going on. Then finally he shows up. About FUCKING time!!!

So we explain to him that all 3 are here for normal check up and shots. I hand over Cleo and she is hissing away, but she in normally bitchy like that, so no surprise there. So I helped the vet and petted her while he checked her over. All was good. He gave him her shots and back in the carrier she went. Felix was next, now at this point he's pissed and is hissing too. Now I must note Felix and Sophie NEVER hiss - they are laid back and very happy cats. Happy wasn't the case for either one that day. I can't necessarily blame them, I'd be pretty pissed off too if I was cooped up for almost 2 hours. I had to pet and talk to Felix too while the vet checked him over. 1st shot he turned and hissed at the vet. 2nd shot..well he didn't like that one either. So into Greg's arms he went. Then it was Sophie's turn...this is where it all went down hill. The Vet assistant reached in and grabbed Sophie by the back of her neck and pulled her out. OH that was a BIG no-no with Sophie. Hissing all the way. So I talked and petted Sophie while the vet checked her out. She was not having any part of it. Then the first shot went in and she freaked. The vet stopped and the same assistant helped hold her down to finish that shot. Then onto the 2nd shot. With all her might, Sophie tried to leap from the table... back legs straight up on the table and the assistant still had her by her neck. At that point as she was halfway in the air, she let out this very high pitched scream which freaked me and Greg out. So I go grab Sophie to help them and her out and don't you know... she bites me. Now I'm not talking she nipped the top of my skin type bit. She chomped down and went in deep. I was shocked!!!! Our quietest cat just bit me. WTF!!!. Now at this point I apologizing to the vet on how she is acting and there were more worried about me because I got bit. So I wash my hands and asks for a band-aide to help with the bleeding. My first thought was I'm glad she bit me and not one of them. Off Greg goes to put them in the car while I pay. For what will be the last time I plan on walking back into that place.

Now we get the cats home and give them treats and love on them and play with them to make them feel better. I went and took a good look at my finger. Sophie got one good puncture into the top of my finger below the first knuckle and underneath at the same spot, and some minor little scraps a few other places. Didn't look too bad. Until a few hours later. My finger swelled up to double it's size. By this time, I thought maybe I should get it checked out. But it was 9:00 and I didn't want to go to the emergency room. That would just be a big mistake. So I told Greg to take me to the Newark 24 hour Care Center. We headed out and he called his mom who is a nurse. She thought that we should wait and see how things were over the weekend and see the doctor on Monday and give it some time to heal. So my dumb ass decided to listen to her and Greg and we turned around and went home. I had plans Saturday morning with my mom, Dawn and her mom to do a stamping class. I wasn't going to miss it. So i wrapped my figure up and headed out Saturday morning. The swelling looked to have gone down and I figured all was well. Dawn's mom is a nurse and she said she would take a look at it too. GREAT more positive reassurance. Sure enough she said, it looked of and to soak it and keep it clean and all would be okay. I figured okay, I must have overreacted and should not worry. Well the next time, I'm doing what the little voice inside of me tells me to do and I'm not listening to anyone else. By the time I got home, the area's around where she punctured me at started turning red, and my figure was turning a lovely shade of purple. YEA... that didn't look so good. So I told Greg I wanted to go over to our local Emergency Medical Center in town and get it checked out. And after about 5 minutes of me explaining to him that I would like for him to go with me, he reluctantly came with me. Now to him, I was messing up his plans for what he wanted to do that day around the house and I was being a baby. Which pissed me off to no end, because I felt like no matter what I do, I'm on my own when it comes to things like this for me. I dropped and stopped everything when he sliced the side of his pinky finger off three weeks ago. I didn't even think twice... I just went. So the fact that he was choose house work over sitting with me at the Emergency care just rubbed me the wrong way. But that's a different story for another day. I went a saw the doctor and don't you know, my finger is infected and need antibiotics.Not only that I needed a tetanus shot, since I can't tell you the last time I had one.

To some up this really long story, my advice to you is this....always listen to that little voice inside you thats telling you what to do. Because it is usually right. Don't listen to other people around you. They aren't the ones that have to suffer with what is wrong.

As for my cats, they are all back home being very happy and loveable. Greg and I have decided to never take them to that vet again and to go with who our neighbor recommended. She is a vet that makes housecalls. That's right the vet come to you and your animals. She decided to start doing this because she saw how upset the cats and dogs got when they came to see her. She isn't that much more expensive then our normal vet. So if we have to pay a little more for our pets not to be put in that type of situation again the so be it. I'm all for it.

3 sides to every story...

I believe every story has two sides to it...your side and my side. Well sometimes it has three sides...your side, my side and the truth.

A few months ago, my mom told me that she received a letter from our Eye Doctors office saying that Dr. Dave sold his part of his practice to his business partner Dr. Amy and was no longer with the practice. Dr. Amy would be taking on all of his patients going forward. When I heard the news, I didn't think much of it. I soon had to get new contacts so I made an appointment to see Dr. Amy. During my visit, I asked what happened to Dr. Dave and if he moved his practice somewhere else. I was shocked to hear that the office had no idea where Dr. Dave was. They said that he sold his practice to Dr. Amy and was going to spend more time with his 3 girls but would help Dr. Amy out for a while as she took over the practice. They told me he left for a two week vacation and never came back. No one had heard from him. I was shocked that he would just up and leave and not contact anyone. I worried if he was okay, if he could have been hurt, killed or did something stupid to himself. I then crossed those thought out of my mind, because the Dr. Dave I knew was so carefree and easy going that he could never hurt a fly. I hadn't been back to the Eye Doctors for a few months now. But I often wondered whatever happened to Dr. Dave? Would I see him at Acme one day as I had done in the past. Well this morning on the front page of our paper, I got my answer.

As I read this I was/am still in shock. But as I said, there are many sides to every story and to this one I believe there are 3. Her side, his side and the truth. I do believe that what he has done is wrong. I hope the girls are okay and they will all be found safe and okay. I'm sure this isn't the last time we have heard about this.

Things I wish I could say today to the folks I work with.

Read....yes actually Read your e-mails. No I'm not just putting all this information in the e-mail for my health. If it say's in big red letters MUST READ! I think you better read it.

There are processes in place for a reason. Yes - you must follow them.

Make up your damn mind about how many people you freakin need on your team already.

Stop crying about not liking the people who we pick to join your team. Be lucky we are getting you more help. Oh wait... you want to be involved now in the process. Well have at it....the interviews are all yours. I'm done.

I could care less how busy you are. I'm swamped too...stop crying about it. Move on!!!!

Stop playing mother-may-I and do your damn job already. Make a decision for yourself for once. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.5 hours later

Greg left work tonight a little after 5:00. He walked into the house at around 7:45. What normally is an 45 minute drive took 2.5 hours tonight. This extended commute is from the lovely winter storm that decided to turn to an ice storm right before rush hour. Almost every road he could take to get home had an accident on it and shut down the road. I called him an hour and a half into his drive and he had only gone 6 miles. We all know that traffic in Delaware sucks on any given day. But when you add winter weather it gets 100 times worse.

My Smoke-free Mommy

For the first time ever, I can tell you that my mom has officially quit smoking. It's been over a month now that she's not had one of those nasty cancer sticks and I am thrilled for her! I think this time she has quit for good. Congratulations Mom! I'm proud of you...

Typing

I think faster than I can type so there are many times I leave off letters to words or even add letters to the end of words. I normally catch these mistakes after I hit the send button, which makes me look like a total idiot!!!! I must learn to slow down and profread before I hit send... then maybe I won't feel so much like an idiot... Ugh!!!!!

Sorry

If my attitude has sucked lately...I apologize.