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Viewing 1 - 9 out of 19 Blogs.
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For the most part, I'm doing ok with being unemployed for the time being. After a very emotional 2 weeks, things seem to have leveled out. But I was having a moment this morning, feeling sorry for myself at the prospect of having to find a job and once done, start said job. Oh woe is me. I got up, got dressed and dragged myself and my family to church, all the while thinking how bad I have it, and how much I still have to go through before things get better. We had a guest speaker at church today. Our old (previous? ex?) Pastor, who is now retired. He spoke to us about a charity that he is involved with called 'Food for the Poor'. They provide food, housing, education, health care, water, etc. in the Caribbean and Latin America. He's been to Haiti a few times and recently to Hondorus. He spoke of the conditions in these areas. People living in tents with no clean water to drink, eating dirt just to curb the hunger pains for a little while. "We are all rich." He said, plainly. "You may not think you are, but to them, you have more than they even dream about." I couldn't have felt any smaller at that moment. Yeah, I'm between jobs at the moment, but I still have a roof over my head and food in my belly. Even if I were to lose those things too, I have family and friends who would not let my family and I go hungry. Am I really suffering? No, the truth is, I'm not. We've become such a rich nation, that we have no real concept of what suffering is any more. Even in this horrible economy, we're still rich. True suffering is more than having to give up the luxuries we've become accustomed to, ie your car, your cable, your internet connection. Imagine losing everything you own in an earthquake. Now imagine everyone else you know losing everything they own too. Imagine living in a country that doesn't have the little perks we have here. No unemployment, no disability, no welfare. Imagine having to rely on the generosity of strangers to provide your next meal. That's where I'm at right now. Completely humbled and feeling like a total ass!
Tags: charity suffering food for the poor
If you remember, about a month or so ago I posted on my status that big changes were coming, but I didn't know if they'd be good or bad. Big change has come, and I suppose it's good AND bad, depending on how you look at it. The company I worked for went belly-up. As a title agency, we lost our only underwriter, who also went out of business. Because we have been struggling to hang on for so long in this terrible market, no other underwriter would take us on either. Though the owners wanted to ride out the storm, they have no choice now but to dissolve the company. I've been out of work for 2 weeks now, and started job searching just this past Monday. I had 3 interviews on Thursday, and was offered one of the positions, but I turned it down because it wasn't a good fit for me. It just felt wrong. As my Dad said "I can't find peace with it". That was a major leap of faith, as I feel like I should take anything I'm offered, just to have a job (especially in this market). I'm not one for sitting at home and collecting unemployment. I WANT to do my part, but I would've been miserable there. Of course it was the OTHER position that I wanted and I haven't heard from them. I'm not expecting to. Not that the interview went badly, but I feel I didn't make as good an impression. I have another interview on Monday, however it's per diem work and I didn't think until after the phone conversation, that I guess I can't do that AND collect unemployment. A few other things in the works, but I'll have to wait and see. The last 3 weeks have been very stressful for me. First wondering if I'll lose my job and then actually losing my job. I've been on an emotional roller coaster... still am. I have a strong sense that everything will work out ok, but once in a while my little worry monster goes into overdrive. If I'm to be completely honest though, I was stagnant at my job. It was SO slow and SO dead that I wasn't learning or growing any more. Just biding my time. I was also grossly underpaid, which I didn't make a bid deal over as some days were spent, not doing work, but writing blogs just because I had nothing else to do. I was still collecting a semi-decent paycheck for doing nothing and there was virtually no stress. I knew it would come to an end sooner or later. I've missed interacting with you guys here, but I was just not able to do so for a while. My head's been spinning and I couldn't put any energy into writing coherently. I'm still stressed but things are starting to level out. I'm doing what I have to do to find work, I'm convinced that it will be for the best in the long run, and in the mean time I'm home spending time with my boys. Nicky and I get to spend all day together... just like mothers and children used to do. In all honesty, I wish THIS was my only job. I wish I could put 100% into being a mother. But in this world, in these times, I have to have an income or we can't afford to eat. Anyway... I just wanted to give you an update with what's going on and to let you know that I haven't forgot you all. I miss you, and I hope you're all doing well.
Tags: life unemployment
This is not your typical urban legend dating back generations with subtle variations. It is also atypical in that it is not about the spirit or ghost of someone who was "done wrong". This is a UFO story, and it took place November 24, 1992. Southaven Park is a county park located in Shirley, NY (and less than 10 minutes from my house). It borders Sunrise Highway, a main drag running East/West and William Floyd Parkway, one of the few roads in the county that runs from North shore to South shore. It is also important to mention that this park is a five minute ride from the federally funded Brookhaven National Laboratory. On the day in question, people living near the park and people travelling on Sunrise Highway reported seeing a "tubular object" falling from the sky, which disappeared into the woods in Southaven Park (among these eyewitnesses was the father of a friend of mine). Within minutes helicopters were circling the park and scientists from the lab were on the scene. Police and firemen were turned away by military personnel. William Floyd Parkway and the Sunrise Highway service road were blocked for hours, and the park and surrounding area were closed for weeks, heavily guarded by park and county police. When asked why the park was closed, the police responded that it was duck hunting season. During the incident and the weeks that followed, nearby residents reported power surges, electronic interference, drained car batteries, and telephones ringing when no one was on the line. Aerial photos also showed a large area where the trees were flattened, but residents also reported hearing the sounds of heavy machinery from the park, during this time. 
A UFO? Some experiment from the laboratory, gone wrong? Town and police records do not indicate ANY type of occurence that day.
Tags: Southaven Park, Shirley, NY, UFOs, Urban legends
Lake Ronkonkoma is the largest lake on Long Island, NY and is surrounded in mystery. A long time ago, the lake served as a boundary between four Indian tribes: the Nissequogues, the Setaukets, the Secatogues and Unkechaugs. The name ‘Ronkonkoma’ is an Algonquian word meaning “boundary lakeâ€. Once thought to be bottomless, it is now known that portions of its irregular basin are 65 feet deep or more. Though it has no outlet and is not fed by streams, it seems to rise and fall with no relation to rainfall. A study in the early 20th century reports that over a seven year period, rainfall was below average by 52 inches, but in that time the lake rose seven feet. But the most mysterious is the story of ‘The Lady of the Lake’. Though there are many variations to the story, the one most prevalent to us natives is as follows: In the 17th century, an Indian princess fell in love with an English settler by the name of Hugh Birdsall. Living on opposite sides of the lake and the princess having been forbidden by her father from seeing Birdsall, the lovers would meet secretly. Legend has it that one fateful night, the princess tried to swim across the lake to meet Birdsall, and drowned. Overwhelmed by her lonliness in death, she returns once a year to claim the life of a young man to join her at the bottom of the lake. Locals, historians and even county police claim that every year for almost 200 years, someone has drowned in Lake Ronkonkoma. That’s not so unusual, really. Where there is a large body of water, there will almost certainly be people who have drowned. What is unusual though is, not only the consistency in which this occurs, but the victims themselves. Almost every one of them was male.
Tags: Lake Ronkonkoma, Lady of the Lake, Long Island, NY, Urban Legends
Lake Ronkonkoma is the largest lake on Long Island, NY and is surrounded in mystery. A long time ago, the lake served as a boundary between four Indian tribes: the Nissequogues, the Setaukets, the Secatogues and Unkechaugs. The name ‘Ronkonkoma’ is an Algonquian word meaning “boundary lakeâ€. Once thought to be bottomless, it is now known that portions of its irregular basin are 65 feet deep or more. Though it has no outlet and is not fed by streams, it seems to rise and fall with no relation to rainfall. A study in the early 20th century reports that over a seven year period, rainfall was below average by 52 inches, but in that time the lake rose seven feet. But the most mysterious is the story of ‘The Lady of the Lake’. Though there are many variations to the story, the one most prevalent to us natives is as follows: In the 17th century, an Indian princess fell in love with an English settler by the name of Hugh Birdsall. Living on opposite sides of the lake and the princess having been forbidden by her father from seeing Birdsall, the lovers would meet secretly. Legend has it that one fateful night, the princess tried to swim across the lake to meet Birdsall, and drowned. Overwhelmed by her lonliness in death, she returns once a year to claim the life of a young man to join her at the bottom of the lake. Locals, historians and even county police claim that every year for almost 200 years, someone has drowned in Lake Ronkonkoma. That’s not so unusual, really. Where there is a large body of water, there will almost certainly be people who have drowned. What is unusual though is, not only the consistency in which this occurs, but the victims themselves. Almost every one of them was male.
Tags: Lake Ronkonkoma, Lady of the Lake, Long Island, NY, Urban Legends
I'm Anti-Valentine, so pardon me for not being all lovey-dovey today. I resent being told that I must celebrate love on THIS day by buying giant heart shaped boxes of chocolate or some other equally useless crap. It's not that I'm against love or anything. But I'd rather celebrate it when and how I choose, not because it's expected of me. The very fact that there is a day dedicated to it, makes it less special. As if it's a chore that we must be reminded of.  What can I say, I'm a rebel... or cynical... or stubborn... possibly all of the above. I went to Borders Book Store yesterday, and can I just tell you how much I LOVE that store? Any bookstore, really. I could spend days there! So many books, so little time. Anyway, a weird thing happened to me while I was there. I was perusing books on meditation and chakras and what-not, which happen to be located in the "Religious" section, somewhere between Buddism and Hinduism. As I'm reading a jacket, some man comes up beside me and says "you won't find the answers you're looking for here". Scared the bajeebers outta me! I just looked at him. By the time I swallowed my heart (which was stuck in my throat), and processed what he had said, he was walking away. I assume he meant I wouldn't find the answers in the religious section? Some kind of backwards atheist evangelism? The whole thing just left me kind of baffled. Why would a person do that? And why me, when there were 3 other people in the same section? Or maybe he just meant I wouldn't find the answers at Borders? Or on this planet? I guess I'll never know. I'm looking forward to this saturday. Joe has a CT scan at Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. I'm not so excited about the CT scan, but the fact that my mother-in-law is taking the kids overnight so that Joe and I can make a day of it. It's still a little cold to just walk through the park, but maybe we'll go to a museum or something. Not sure yet, so I'd better get on it. I'll leave you with a quote from one of my favorite movies. Name it if you can. "... we were like whoooa! And I was like whoooa! And you were like whoooa!" Have a wonderful week, my friends! 
Tags: anti valentine, borders books, sloan kettering, nyc
What is more important to you? Freedom or security? This is a hot topic in the US lately. It seems that the people of this country are trading their freedoms one by one with the hope that this will enable our government to make us more secure. Personally, I value my freedom over my security, and I'll tell you why. I've grown up in a country that told me that I have the right to my own opinion and to voice that opinion, I have the right to choose what religion I wish to follow, I have the right to choose my career path, to make decisions about my own body, and to do pretty much anything I want to do, so long as I'm not causing anyone harm. I first learned this in school. They taught me that people fought and died for me to have these freedoms. I also learned in school, that not every country has the same freedoms, and that I should be grateful for what we have here. They taught me to love my country and to love my freedom. Since learning the above, I've come to my own conclusions about how MY life should be. I know what I like and what I don't like because no restrictions were placed on me. I always have a choice, and though some of lifes choices may be difficult, they're mine to make. I take responsibility for my success and my failure. I am where I am (and you are where you are) because at some point, this is where I chose to be. Another reason I value my freedom over my security is that, NOBODY can guarantee my security. The government cannot keep me safe from every threat no matter how much power we give them. Nothing in life, except death, is guaranteed. Life is not always easy or fair. That's just the way it is, whether you want to accept it or not. If I die tomorrow, I may not have lived a long life, but I spent it the way I chose to. I would know that I spent it with the people I love, doing the things I love, having my own mind. And that, to me, means more than all the security in the world.
Tags: freedom security government control
I just don't get it. When did the people of this country become so indifferent? Why do we care more about what goes on on the other side of the world, than what's going on in our own backyard?  I made a mistake today. I read the news. Once again, in my efforts to stay informed, I have become aggravated beyond belief! The amount of greed and corruption is mind boggling!  First up, our Governor, Andrew Cuomo is an asshat, if ever there was an asshat. *Let the record show that I did NOT vote for said asshat.* His brilliant idea to cut state spending is to cut billions from education, medicaid and state government. While I'm all for cutting from the state government, who has proven to me that they are the opposite of responsible with money, I have a real problem with making cuts to the former two. It's like saying "hey, our kids don't really need to be that smart any way." Never mind that they have NOTHING to do with the irresponsibility of our state. And "hey, the old people on medicaid are going to die soon any way." Never mind that they've paid their whole lives into the system. Never mind that frail, 80 year old woman crying at the pharmacy because she has to pay $500 for her heart medication because medicaid says... well hell, I don't know what they say or how they justify that.   And let's also ignore the fact that our welfare system is ass-backwards. You'll pay into it your whole lives, but God forbid you should ever need it, it won't be there for you. No, the money goes to those who make a career out of finding loopholes and the illegal immigrants, silly. Those who actually work are penalized. No wasteful spending there, eh Cuomo? We don't need to revamp that, you don't think? Oh, right... asshat.  Up next is the Hempstead Animal Shelter in the next county. An investigation into poor animal conditions has led to the discovery that 9 employees of this shelter earned an annual salary of over $100,000 in 2010. All but one of the 9 had "ties to the GOP". I'm not sure what that means exactly, to be truthful. "Ties to the GOP" is awfully vague. Now, I don't live in the Town of Hempstead, but if I did I would be FURIOUS to know that my tax dollars are being spent this way. While I'm all for saving animals, I'm sorry, that's an awful lot of money to do it. Oh and look at that, we're back to wasteful spending again.  Now that I've talked myself in a circle, I guess I'll stop. But I want you to know I'M MAD AS HELL!!! I'm trying to joke about it so that I don't seriously wound the next person who looks at me funny!  In all seriousness, I am so disappointed with the people of, not only this state, but of this country. I'm sad to say, I have very little faith left in our leaders and the American people. Though I loved what this country once stood for, I despise what it has become. 
Tags: government, NY, greed, corruption, asshattery, USA
My little Nicholas is 3 years old today! I must admit, it feels like he's been 2 forever!!! Though I'd like to blame his attitude on the terrible two's, I really can't. That boy is... let's call it "strong willed". I'll tell you one thing, I'm not worried about him being pushed around. Joe has decided to come off the chemo pills a year earlier then his doctor recommended. Man, they don't like it when you go against their wishes! He didn't come to this decision lightly, though. He mulled it around for about 3 months. This particular drug (Gleevec) is so new that the 5 year study isn't even out yet, and it won't be for at least another year or 2. They have no idea what the long term effects will be. I have a friend whose mother is on a different chemo pill for leukemia, and under the list of side effects for her pill is "may cause tumors". HMMMM. That's not good. The type of cancer that Joe had (GIST) is very rare and does not usually spread, so his chances of getting it again are slight even without meds. The size and location of the tumor put him in a slightly higher risk category, though. But the side effects were getting worse as time went on and it was seriously affecting his quality of life. The decision was his, but I fully support him in it. I have very little faith in doctors any more, any way. He has another CT scan in February. I'm really done with this winter too! We haven't seen the grass in a month and a half, and more snow is expected this week. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to live here. Why not move to a warmer climate? Then I remember Joe wants to move further North, while I want to move further South. I may hate the cold, but he hates the heat. *sigh* I was watching the president's speech last week, and while he was talking about green technology, it reminded me of an idea I had a while ago. With all the technology we have now, and all the electronic devices we own, if I could open a company that recycles those parts, I could probably make a killing! The amount of waste we're creating with all these things has got to be insane. Especially when technology is growing at the rate it is. By the time you buy a computer and get it home, it's already obsolete. This idea started a couple of years ago when I wanted to get rid of an old TV. I didn't want to bring it to the landfill where it would sit indefinately. I searched locally for some place that would use it for parts or recycle the plastic, at least. I couldn't find anything. In the end, I put it out on the curb and someone took it, but who knows what they did with it. I'm sure there is a way to recycle the plastic and parts and sell them back to companies that make these products. With all this technology, there has to be, right? Damned if I know what it is though. Maybe I should do some more research. And that's all I have to say about the president's speech. Sometimes it's better to not say anything at all.
Tags: life GIST gleevec technology electronics
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