Marietta May Fair 5k

Today was my second attempt at participating in a 5k race and I almost missed it.

It was all I good do to drag myself out of bed and drive 46 miles....( I found out last night that there was a 5k in my town today....aghhhhhh.. It was not listed when I signed up for the one 46 miles away!)

This was the inaugural running of the Marietta May Fair 5k. So there were relatively fewer runners than my first 5k. I liked the larger event!! But this one was still wonderful. It was a Champion Cross Country Course... Very different from my first one. More hills..Fewer Officers :(..

It started out on asphalt, then down a dirt path, a quick jaunt through the woods (very nice), across a grassy meadow and then across a gravel parking area... It was a splendid run, with the exception of the gravel.... I am scared of running in gravel... Prone to twist the ankles!!

The best part of the race was the last 1/4 mile... There was a younger woman running about the same speed as me.. We stayed within 50 feet of each other the entire race.. You could say she was my motivation, and I , hers!! I was determined not to let her "get away".. She was determined to stay ahead!! The last 1/4, I was a few paces behind and nearing the finish, I turned it on a bit... As I caught up to her, she charges forward...hehehehhe ... It was so much fun.. As we approached the finish line, running as hard as we could the spectators were cheering like crazy!! It was AWESOME!! She finished first, but we both received the same time.. Thats how close it was... Damn near a photo finish after that mad sprint to the end...

We both placed 2nd in our respective age groups!! How awesome is that!! And when the awards were handed out, of course the judges had to make a comment on the way we turned it on at the end... "Now, that is how you finish a race!!"

Official Results: Second Place in 35-39 Group Time 30:14

I was very glad I had that birthday... The top finishers in the 30-34 group came in around 25 minutes.. And the top finishing female..... was 11 years old with a finishing time of just over 21 minutes...

Next UP~ Helen Keller Festival and 5 MILE Run!!

The Birthday Post

So last week I celebrated my 26th birthday (yet, again)...

My mother had scheduled a family get together to honor several events that occurred n the month of May...

Originally, she claimed it was a Birthday Party for me and my nephew (his birthday is 8 days after mine). She is very neurotic and changes her mind about things, almost as quickly as the hands of a clock change position... Seriously, forever concerned as to what others might think, how they will react and any impending criticisms, she will constantly alter her plans until she has come up with the "perfect" arrangement.

Therefore, she decided to fore go the Birthday Theme, and just have a family get together...

Dammit! I want a party!!!

Lucky for me, I have an awesome Sister-n-Law.

I arrived in Bama, 2 days prior to the family function (to have Sally pimped). I always stay with my brother and his family when I am in town. So what does SIL do??

She has a birthday party for me!!!!! Complete with cake and presents!! It was a wonderful surprise and made me very happy... So there!! MOM!!

Over all, my birthday turned out to be a relatively nice one.. No major drama!! The entire family was there, except my SIL (she had to work)...

I received some pretty nice gifts... Got to see my entire family (we have a small one) and had lots of fun with the Bri-Baby!!

PS. The Boy Wonder told me I was evil!! Why, because I had cake for breakfast... hahhahhahahah.. Well, it was my cake!!! Thanks G!!!!

Warning: This will put you to sleep

Recently I have been in a bit of a foul mood.. ROADRAGE at its finest... My stress levels were at an all time high and there was no obvious reason for me to be feeling this way...

I did manage to rationalize the cause of my anger and am happy to say that all has passed..

In extremely good spirits, I set out on my journey last Sunday. An alternate route due to work issues (not mine, of course)

So I set off on my course with the first stop being Lexington, South Carolina.. Only a 3-4 hour drive, so naturally I left at late as possible...

After a good nights sleep ( I was 30 minutes late to my first delivery) I began my day. Lexington- delivered.... Charlotte, NC-delivered

BOOM

What the.... I looked in my mirror and saw the large chunks of rubber fly out from underneath my trailer. Luckily there was a truck stop 2 miles up the road. Man, I just checked those tires....

I ended up staying at the truck stop for 4 hours waiting on a single tire to be replaced. Needless to say, at this point my next customer would not be able to unload me until the next morning. So I travelled the remaining 1 and 1/2 hours and called it a day...

In all, I ended up only "working" 4.5 hours on Monday. Normally, this would really get under my skin, but I had decided to just go with the flow... Not. Gonna. Piss. Me. Off. !

Tuesday started off fine.. 2 stops delivered in Youngsville, North Carolina.... Another in Richmond, Virginia... With the delays from Monday, there was no way I was going to make my Philly delivery on Tuesday, so I just strolled in the appropriate direction and found a spot to camp out at the truck stop in Elkton, MD..(Only an hour from my next stop)

Tuesday evening turned out to be a rather nice surprise... I ran into an old friend (okay, so we actually had spoken and knew we would both be in the area) and he bought me a lovely birthday dinner. We watched a movie and cut up like teenagers... We bring the silliness out in each other!!
Tuesdays total work log- about 6 hours.

Wednesday went rather smoothly. Final 2 stops delivered and 1 return pick-up made... I was heading home... This should have been a quick 2.5 day trip, but in all in ended up being 4 days.
And surprisingly, it really did not bother me a bit, which is unusual. However, because of the shortened mileage, I had to schedule myself to make an extra trip this week... Which normally irritates me. I hate having to work extra!!! So a quick trip down to Tifton, Georgia and i am done for the week...

There were several situations throughout the week that should have caused me a little stress and grief... But I am really over it!!!! Wooooo hooooo.. It is good to be back!! ( to being myself)

Holy Smoke Batman!!!!

I am sure most of you have heard the news reports of the fires in South Georgia. Well, this morning.... OMG!! While out and about I got to noticing the smell of smoke and was looking and listening for news of any locals fires....

You can see this smoke ....You can smell it in the air.. You can look off in the distance and notice the entire sky is VERY hazy. It is a very eerie landscape...

Here is part of the news clipping....


High levels were measured Tuesday in McDonough, near downtown Atlanta and in Gwinnett County. Last week, the smoke also affected the Athens and Augusta areas.
The smoke, from fires about 250 miles away, began moving into metro Atlanta between 4 and 5 a.m., reducing visibility at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from 10 miles at 4 a.m. to only 3 miles an hour later.
The airport reported visibility of just 1.5 miles at 7, 8 and 9 a.m. By 10 a.m., the visibility had improved slightly to 2 miles.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service said southeasterly winds sent the smoke over metro Atlanta, and a low-level inversion - where a layer of warmer air was on top of cooler air at the surface - pushed the smoke to ground-level.
The Weather Service said warming temperatures later in the morning, along with a shift in winds, should help dissipate the smoke.

Freebies

The Trucking Company has a uniform policy and every year they credit each employee $150.00 to purchase new uniforms.



Every year, this has been a problem for me. It always ends up taking about 6 months to fulfill my order properly.... The order gets lost or the items are not sized appropriately..One year, the pants were so big, I swear we could have all worn them together.. Okay, that may be an exageration, but seriously, they were at least 12 inches too big in the waist. Last year, they fit in the waist, but no where else. The shirts managed to come in a separate package that someone had dropped and run over... The package was torn, the buttons were ripped up and there were rubber stains on the clothe... TIRE MARKS!!



From the beginning of my employment with these folks, a few folks have fussed about me not following the uniform policy... So I wore them.. And they laughed!!! The issue itself, seemed to fade into the past, but the clothes have forever been a source of humor...



I should take a picture, right... To let you see why I call them "My Clown Suit"



Well, it is that time of year again... I received my order pamphlet and just as I was about to discard it (I have only 2 months left here), the assistant suggested I order me up some freebies..

They do after all, offer things like boots and coats, gloves, toboggans, etc....



Well, they offer these things to normal size people :(



They had a nice pair of work boots, but don't offer them in anything remotely small enough for my feet. The coats are typically too large.. The gloves~ fahgetta bout it!!



So after glancing thru the brochure, I placed my order....



5 Hoodies



2 Parka Liners.. ( I already have the Parka)



I placed my order on May 16th.......



On May 21, my order arrived..... HOLY MACKEREL.... I have never received any order items within 3 months of placing an order.. Seriously, but 5 days.......



So, The hoodies are perfect for jogging in cooler temps!! Although they do display the Trucking Company logo.... But hey, 5 free hoodies, RIGHT!!



The Parka Liners are awesome too. I could not imagine actually inserting one of these into the parka and wearing it, unless I was living in a frozen tundra.. Seriously... I brave the colder temps of the NE every winter and these things could serve as insulated weight loss attire when worn together... So suffice it to say, it is like I got 2 more free coats...And this time, no Company logo...they are liners after all... And SMALL, really did mean small.. They FIT PERFECTLY!!



I actually think , they made a mistake with this order also, because don't liners usually have a way to fasten themselves inside the item they are lining.... The parka has a zipper that should attach the liner.... But these so called liners have no corresponding zipper...And the liners are reversible, and they have the little hidden hood tucked into the collar and they are fuzzy and warm and water resistant and.... Well, they are just the nicest damn parka liners I have ever seen. Can you tell, I like them?



So, Score One for the Trucking Co... Items that actually fit, delivered in 5 days!!



I think, they are trying to entice me to stay.... But too little, too late there buddy!



Wednesday May 23, I officially accepted the offer of employment from The New Employer. ( Honestly, I was beginning to worry that they had not made me an offer yet)

Firemen..... Yummy

I just cant get enough. Yes, I am crazy infatuated with these Civil Servants...

But this is absolutely hilarious!!

ENJOY!!

Some Like It Hot .....

And some sweat when the heat is oooooooonnn. Some feel the heat and decide that they can't go oooooooonnn......



During all the gift giving that has been going on in Queens lately, I asked the fellows if they liked hot food. Jimmy and Rich both nodded in enthusiasm..



Oh Boy, so I have a treat for you!!!! he heee hehehe ah hhahahahh ahah muuuaahhhh



I found these little jewels at a Truck Stop in Virginia and like any good addict, I purchase my stash on a weakly basis. The first time I tried them I was hooked, however it did take me an entire week to consume all the contents of this little 2oz. bag. I gradually worked my way up to eating a bag in an hour period, but still take several moments in between bites to "Feel Alive".



On one such visit to Queens, I dropped off a few bags and Rich, claiming he loved hot foods agreed to eat the entire contents without liquid.. He did manage to accomplish this feat, poor fellow. But by the time he was finished, his face was glowing red and his tear ducts were working overtime... Occasionally you would hear an outburst such as "Damn, that was a good one!"



Anywho, I love these things and on a recent outing to the local Mexican Restaurant with Brother and family we got onto the discussion of hot foods. Me and Mr. Spumanti decided to indulge a little . So we doused our nachos in not one, but 2 varieties of habanero hot sauce... Boy howdy was it good. I mentioned the potato chips and everyone was eager for a taste.. So this week I manage to produce several bags for the family to enjoy...



Although I was not present to witness the consumption, Kiddo ate his entire bag with no liquid refreshment....



I guess that must mean I am just a wuss!!



Freakin Show Off!!!

Congratulations Are In Order

Did I ever tell you just how much I love my Brothers??

Well, last week I had the pleasure to make a quick trip over to Bama to help celebrate my oldest brothers latest accomplishment.. On May 12th, he earned his 2nd BS Degree.

During the past four years he has been very busy with work, school, Internet sales, greenhouse, landlord duties, husband, father, and other assorted obligations...

He is now qualified and certified and edumacated.... He will beginning the next phase of his life as an Elementary School Teacher.... HUH????

Everyone in the family was quite astonished when he announced his intentions a few years ago. After all, WE KNOW HIM.... But it turns out, he is actually good with kids. He has really enjoyed the ride and is looking forward to teaching his very own class.

So, I guess this is my official salute to you Bobby Jeff (not his real name)...

I am so proud of you!!

And yes, I had to post that goofy-ass picture of you.. That will teach you to make silly faces!!

One Hot Momma

Before......

And After......

Ain't Sally Grand.....

I Love You Mr Occifer!! YOU ROCK

Okay, so we are all well aware of my lust for The Boys in Blue, and or Red for that matter!!

And most of us are probably aware that when an officer of the law is cruising down the highway, that at least a few of the other people driving are going to act~ well, lets just say stupid, shall we!!

This is a pet peeve of mine.. Big Time.

I think it is absolutely hilarious how people will slow to match the speed of the Cruiser... I mean if a cop is doing 10 below the speed limit, inevitably the cars around him will also reduce to match his speed.

And then as soon as the Officer makes his exit, or disappears into the median... the mad dash to the finish line begins again... Hahahahhhahaha, ohhhhhhh how this kills me!!

Really, folks, he ain't gonna eat ya!!

Not me, tho.. If Mr Smokey Bear is cruising down the interstate and holding up traffic, I will be the first to pass him... I ain't skeered!!! This essentially applies to my personal travels, because my Big Truck is not fast enough to pass the old man in the broke down travel trailer weaving in the right lane with his fourways on!! You get the idea, the Big Truck is slow!!

But in me Pony Car, I am hell on wheels... And of course, being a Mustang I should probably drive slower, because after all don't they look for speeding red sports cars??

So, anyways, on to the story...

Thursday, while travelling over to Bama, I run up on one such procession... Mr. Smokey Bear was cruising down the freeway doing about 72 mph.... When it dawned on everyone that a Great Officer Of The Law was in their presence, they immediately renegotiated their E T As..

Yes, everyone dropped about 10 mph to form a convoy of four wheelers behind the Smokey Bear. I played along at first, constantly wondering why the reduction in speed. Once I became enlightened to the situation, I gradually weaved my way through traffic until I was the lead car in the slow lane.. (Mr Occifer had tucked himself firmly into the highspeed lane, and was not budging) Side by side (we are back up to about 75 mph at this point) we approach a slower vehicle in the right lane, so I tuck in behind the cop and we make the pass. The Copper then reduces down to a slower rate of speed, while passing the several more slow vehicles... When clear, I merge back into the right lane... Now we both accelerate together, he is matching me..

We do this several times...

Accelerate....

BRAKE

Tuck in to the left

Make the pass

Merge Right

Accelerate

The guy in the car behind the officer, is dying to get around, but essentially too scared to make a move. He had several opportunities to make the pass, but always slowed when the officer slowed. I think Mr Smoky Bear was playing with these folks. So about the fourth time we did the tuck and pass maneuver, the guy following the officer decided he was not going to allow me to merge in behind the officer...

He closed in on the Cruiser and made some gesture at me thru his windshield....

The Occifer of the Law also noticed him doing this and lo, and behold... What does the Smoky Bear do???

Well folks, he throws on the Blue Lights, which immediately causes the fellow following him to reduce speed allowing a gap for me to safely tuck in behind the cruiser... Funny thing, the lights then were turned off and the Smoky accelerated to get passed all the slower traffic. When clear, I made the right lane merge and the Officer slowed a bit. As I pulled even with him, he looked over and gave me a HUGE smile and a little wave... Then he nodded and made a gesture for me to "Get on Down the road" At this point, we were both doing about 73 mph... I smiled and waved and accelerated... The Cop then slowed and of course everyone else slowed too. So now I pretty much have the entire stretch of road to myself.... The guy who had been following decides to make the pass to get around the Officer... He eased in the right lane, and never made the pass. The Officer rode beside him for some time....But the little silver car, never did make the pass.

Mr. Smokey Bear, you are my hero and I love you !!

Bear With Me Folks

I seem to be in a bit of a tailspin here lately.

So while I am off getting a grip, I leave you the option of viewing one of current favorite bands..

Hopefully, I will be back to blogging in a week or so but until then.... Enjoy.

And NO, I have not met someone.... This just happened to be the only video of this song I could find... And I do love this song!!

Not What It Seems.....

I am feeling a bit depressed at the moment...

It seems a particular male friend of mine is having troubles with his wife. This friend has never crossed any "lines" when it came to our friendship... Nothing was ever said that could have been considered inappropriate...

Well, he has been contacting a bit more frequently...And it has me worried.

Am I so naive? Is it true that men and women can truly never be just friends.. I have always maintained that it was possible. Silly Me!!

I just received a message from him asking me if I would be willing to go get something to eat next time I am in town.. I did NOT respond.

DAMN IT, I think I just lost another friend!! Great, now I have another awkward moment to deal with. And I am really no good at awkward moments, especially when it comes to having to re-explain something that I thought was already understood. I mean sure, maybe he really does just need someone to talk to....but I personally think that should be a male friend.. I ain't getting in the middle of this!!! Grrrrrrr.....

Okay, let me explain something.. This man is not really a true friend.. He is more like a casual acquaintance with whom I exchange witty banter. We don't go out and socialize together... But we are close enough to know details of each others existence outside of the immediate conversation.. You know, just someone with whom you cross paths on a regular basis, and begin to become familiar with. I have known of his wife from Day One.. And I thought their relationship was wonderful... It seemed that way to me!!

This is just something else to frustrate me, until the situation is handled... Which it will be resolved ASAP.... Grrrrrr.......

Can you people please stop dumping stuff in my lap... I really don't need the excessive stress it puts me through, trying to deal with your crap...

Okay, that last statement was really directed at someone else... but if you don't pay attention, I can't help you... Psychiatrist-5 Cents...... Just call me LUCY.

Round Two

In my quest for fitness, I had decided to participate (or try to) in at least one 5K run/walk each month.

The last one was such a personal victory for me....

Now I have officially registered for my 2nd event....

I think the 3rd one will be here, so I can actually have someone I know standing by applauding me on... Not to mention, when I visit my Father, we usually have lunch together here. It is sort of our little tradition...And he suggested this race...

Official Results

Okay, so I finally found the official results posted on last weeks 5K.

Out of 364 women, I came in 180th.... Not bad for my first attempt, don't ya think.

Official Time- 33:48

Oh, and by the way.... This weekend I was feeling exceptionally motivated and stepped it up a notch.. I was able to run an entire 5 miles...Took about an hour, so I am good for a solid 12 minute mile.

Book Giveaway!!

Although I consider myself a fairly avid reader, I have probably not purchased a handful of books in the past 5 years.... Thanks to friends and family, I always have a good stash of books lying around...

Imagine how excited I was to find out the Overwhelmed With Joy was doing a book give-away.
Go check out the contest here! The Prize , A copy of Tracey Elliot's Unbroken..

Wise Decision Indeed

With all the changes that are forthcoming, I have been a tad bit apprehensive about my decision to "start over" with the new company. I did a little research to see just what types of positions the current employer might have available for me and my need for transferring home.They do have several opportunities available over in Bama. But I have yet to pursue them any further.

And now I am glad that I haven't!!!!!!

The current employer is taking the loss of this contract very personal. Along with another major account that I recently found out they lost as well! Both to the "new" company.

The current employer has made promises of grandeur to anyone who decides to stick with them!

Well now..

For those who decide to make the switch, hell hath no fury!!

I was completely shocked to learn some disturbing news this week. An extremely spiteful decision on their part, the present company has mandated that all supplies and parts currently in the shop will be discarded before the new company takes over.. They have no intention of even selling the items to the new guys... They went so far as to say that they will haul it to the dump if need be. WOW.. And no new items will be ordered... Um, hello, we still have 3 months until the transition... I need wiper blades, an oil change perhaps....

Even worse, the site manager in our Tennessee facility has been offered the option to transfer..
BTW, Homer will not be given the opportunity. It is official!! So Long Sucka. So, B has been offered the option and has been debating it for a week or so. This week, Corporate goes into her office (at the Aluminum Co) and demands to know her position. She told them that she was seriously considering making the switch and they FIRED HER ON THE SPOT!! On Monday, after a weeks vacation! Then they threatened to have her escorted off the property...

The Aluminum Co stepped in at this point and said that they would do no such thing... She would have time to gather her things and exit at a leisurely pace...After all, this is not the Trucking Company's Facility.... OMG!! Can you believe this...... B has worked with the Trucking Company for over 20 years and she is terminated with no warning because she is considering the transfer.

Next in line is our site assistant... She is just a doll, and VERY efficient, unlike Homer.. She runs the office with absolutely no conflicts whatsoever, when Homer is off... Well, we the drivers are all very concerned for her "safety" We have all made our pleas to her to "fend off the dragon"
Simply put, we told her to lie thru her teeth... "Um, yes, I am planning to stay with the Trucking Company" We would hate to lose her, even if it would only be for 3 months. So she is prepared and has made the call to the new company. They assured her that no matter what happens in the next few days, her new job is secure!! They will even find her a temporary position to put her in until the transfer is complete. That is what they also did with B... She went to work the very next day with the new company, but DAMN how inconvenient is that...To be forced into a temp position for 3 months because someones drawers are up their crack.

Needless to say, I am in no way going to feel any negative emotion about this transfer after all that has happened this week... That sealed the deal for me!! I knew the Trucking Company was_______, but I had no idea how unscrupulous they were....


EDIT: To eliminate confusion, I might add that The Trucking Company threatened to escort B off of the Aluminum Co's property.... The Alum Co stood up for her . The New Trucking CO, also did their part by finding her immediate employment, at an alternate location until the Evil Ones were officially gone!!

How Sally Get Her Groove On

Well, I have had Sally for one year and I thought it was time to give her a little bling.

Step One in the Mustang Modification.

Here she is before:

And After!!

Annoyed IS an Understatement

Everything seems to be going fine.. Life is good. (for the most part) But for some reason......

Everything. Is. Irritating. The. Crap. Out. Of. Me. !!

I cant take much more of this...