Memory Lane

Every now and then, it's fun to look at photos taken years ago and remember places I have lived, worked and played.  For the most part these are fond memories and still invoke giggles and treasured moments.

Pregnant with our son but stupid drinking beer.

Gotta love a man in a kilt.

Some castle in Belgium with Jim Watson

 Dean and I riding donkey in  Hydra, Greece

Downtown Athens at night

Ya,you know what this is!

Good ole Switzerland

Kel at about 3 yrs

Castle trip and yes we spent a week in this castle.

See, I told ya, photos invoke memories, smiles and fond moments.  Don't wait for cold weather to review ole photos.

Slip n Slide

What a wonderful weekend, lots of warm weather, hell, at times it was down right HOT.



Now let's see if this show up.  I'm telling ya, a few falls like Clint did, and you'd not see me doing this again but he's a tough little bugger and just keeps going.

He didn't wait for his pool water to warm up either, he was in that pool as soon as his Daddy got it filled and honey, that was some cold-ass water.  His little teeth we're just a clanging but no way was he getting out.

Then, Meme came home and decided she needed to get his pool out and ready at her house too. I was sweating like I don't know what as I had to hold the air pump on the pool value in the hot sun. Once inflated, I could not toss in the hose and move away as it filled.  Move away, hell, I grabbed a beer and sat on the upper deck, under the awning, hoping to cool down as the sweat continued to roll down and off me.  Inside the a/c was going nicely and cooling down the house and here I sat, outside in the heat.  Talk about stupid.

While us NY kids were doing this, the Minnesota kids were in Duluth at a Jr Islanders hockey tournament and yes, they won the championship.  They sent me the link to the webcam and I got to watch some of the action, really cool and congrats to the entire team. I know the ride home was long and hopefully, all homework was done because Monday was and is a school day!!!

Hubby is back from his "outings" which included places like Albany, Chicago, Milwaukee, Syracuse, Waterloo, Sandy Creek, etc. and now, I can do up his laundry...traveling man is one tired puppy so he's definitely sleeping in this morning.

And the best news is my sister will here over Memorial weekend,hurrah.  We'll fix Patrick a bang-up birthday dinner on the 28th and yes, we'll do the cemetery runs too.  Gotta say hi to our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  My parents did this for years and when they died, I said I'd carry on the tradition, hopefully with other family members joining me.  Doesn't always happen but it is nice when they can join me. Plant flowers, talk to the folks and make sure they know they are not forgotten.

Busy week ahead of me, have Clint on Tuesday, hurrah.  Wednesday Shirley and I should be able to do our weekly lunch number and then, who knows, maybe I'll rip down more boxes if my energy level remains up.  Ripped down a bunch Saturday morning and thought I had done them all until I went to the garage and saw the stack we had out there -- damn!  Mostly tho, I'm gonna enjoy this warm weather and with any real luck, figure out how to set up and use my inflatable kayak.  Ya, I know, I keep talking about it, saying I'm gonna use and so far, haven't taken it out of its carry bag. This has to stop, cause I really wanted use this sucker.

So you all have a good week, okay?

Flower+Grandson+ FUN

 Last year Clint helped me plant flowers and in the process, found the hose and in due course,"hosed" me and the house.  It was quite the party!






This year, he is two and a half years old and I kept the hose away from him...he used the watering can.

Ya,he looks so innocent here, right?







I know, this year's photos would be nice but unfortunately,they are still on my iphone and I have yet to figure out how to post them directly to my blog via the phone.  I can post them on Facebook but -----  regardless,this year's flower planting was much easier and we both worked hard and got exhausted in quick order.  Fun day tho.

So here's my summer game plan or as it stands at the moment. First my sister will come up over Memorial weekend and help with the grave site flower number.  Then in August the Minnesota Rourk's shall arrive and let the good times roll.  In September, if all goes as planned, head to Vermont to meet up with my Nam buddy and continue our memory lane number.  Its amazing how much we actually remember from those days in Nam,40 some odd years later when we get together.

Oh and this weekend Alex is playing in some Jr Islanders hockey tournament in Duluth and so far, they won two and had another game to play at 4:30 but I haven't heard that score.  And this afternoon (well, actually around 10 a.m. ) the final of the Rome, Madrid tennis final - soon the French Open shall begin and once again, I shall be stuck to the TV.

So you all have a good Sunday, for once we are having a nice warm,dry weekend...loving it.

More Birds

Yes, yes and yes, its a hummingbird.  The first one to visit my feeder this year and yes, I am excited.

My grandson saw this and said, "Oh how cute, he's small Meme."

And while the hummer is enjoying his seemingly "solo" diner, the cardinals are having a blast.  Now if I have this right, the bright red ones are the males and the less attractive are the females.

Yes, the female cardinals are red but not as bright and a bit more cautious than the males.  The males tend to stand guard and allow the female to venture forward to get food.

Now even the females are coming on to my deck and they are some fat birds...maybe they are pregnant?

Oh yes, the damn rain continues and while hubby did manage to get the lawn mowed Sunday, its been raining off and on every since...but without mowing we'd need to hire a farmer and baler.

This is Clint's tomato plant.  We started from a seed, and Saturday we transplanted into this bigger container.

Oh stop, we did this last year too and it worked nicely and we had tomatoes up the eye balls.  He doesn't like tomatoes but he loves catsup.  And if we make salsa he likes that too.

Of course Woody Woodpecker has to show up and show off too.  Why pound his beak into a tree when a bird feeder is so much easier and less noise!

So its Wednesday, lunch with my sister-in-law and my turn to pick the spot and at this point, I am clueless...well, guess I'd better think real hard, eh?

Have a lovely day.

Measured

If this doesn't make you laugh, you might be humor impaired!

The Air Force found they had too many officers and decided to offer an early retirement bonus. They promised any officer who volunteered for Retirement a bonus of $1,000 for every inch measured in a straight line between any Two points in his body.. The officer got to choose what those two points would be.

The first officer who accepted asked that he be measured from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. He was measured at six feet and walked out with a bonus of $72,000.

The second officer who accepted was a little smarter and asked to be measured from the tip of his outstretched hands to his toes. He walked out with $96,000.

The third one was a non-commissioned officer, a grizzly old Chief who, when asked where he would like to be measured replied,

'From the tip of my weenie to my testicles.'

It was suggested by the pension man that he might want to reconsider, explaining about the nice big checks the previous two Officers had received.
But the old Chief insisted and they decided to go along with him providing the measurement was taken by a Medical Officer.

The Medical Officer arrived and instructed the Chief to 'drop 'em,' which he did. The medical officer placed the tape measure on the tip of the Chief's weenie and began to work back. "Dear Lord!", he suddenly exclaimed,

''Where are your testicles?''

The old Chief calmly replied, '' Vietnam ''.

I Love This Country!
It's The Government That
Scares The Hell Outa Me!

4-Wheeling

Hello,

Yes, it is Sunday and yes, I have my heat back on -- this damn weather is driving me bonkers.  I cannot believe I needed to turn the heater on because this house and I were chilled to the bone!

Yesterday was great fun and a first for me. First my grandson took me for a walk in the woods, over to the gravel pit and of course, he had to hike through every puddle he could find.  He was doing good until he slipped and now, he was thoroughly wet but didn't seemed to care.  His mother and I were most anxious to get him home, changed and dry but that wasn't his agenda (however, we did that in due course too).  And while on this hike,he talked constantly and pointed things out to me. As Daddy had recently "brush-hogged" the area, stuff was sticking up in places and he warned me;"be careful Meme, don't trip!"

Then, back to the house and dry clothes and now he wanted to ride motorcycle with Daddy. Well, Daddy is game and once his helmet was on, it was off they went.  During which time, my daughter decided Mom should go 4-wheeling!  Well, that was also gonna include "mud-bogging" too.  Talk about laugh, we just roared and I kept saying; "I'm sliding down and on your back," to which she replied, "Duh, like I didn't know this!"  But the mud holes were the most exciting once I got use to the idea that we would get thru them and tho my butt hurt it was great fun.  She didn't go fast, thank goodness...and I did not fall off but I did lose my hat and we had to stop to get it but other than that, it was a laugh-ride and great fun.  Hell of a way to spend a Saturday morning.

Then, later, after we both had showered, grandson sleeping, we headed into town to do some light shopping.  I needed potting soil so I could transplant the "grow from seed tomato plant" into a bigger container.  And while doing this, I'd also grab a bag of sunflower seeds for the birds.  I mean, if the cardinals continue to visit and like this seed, so be it!  Of course in due time, dau announced she was hungry and we had to get something to eat. So, off to the Chinese place...where we chowed down until we could not eat another bite.

All in all it was a fun Saturday and it actually got warm...I mean, many were outside wearing shorts and light tops,and while I did eventually put on shorts, it was inside wearing only -- hell, I haven't shaved my legs in weeks!!!

So that was my Saturday and altho my legs ache a little today, I was pleased to discover I wasn't as out of shape as i imagined and I'd like to do this again...maybe next time, without the damn mud!!!

Buck Wheat

Another famous American becomes a Muslim

It is becoming a very scary world out there . . . . .

Another Famous American converts to Islam ...

It was announced today that Buckwheat,

Of Our Gang fame, Has converted To

The Muslim faith and changed his name to: Kareem of Wheat.

I just hope he doesn't become a cereal killer

*********************************

I just wanted to share my visitor with you -- it has taken a long time for Cardinals to actual visit my bird feeders and trust me, landing on my deck was a treat beyond words.  This is one very hard bird to photograph but amazingly I was in the right place, with camera and at the right time.

However Mr(or Mrs) Squirrel has no issue with eating bird feed wherever s/he can find it. And yes, they are cute but they are also hogs!

And now it is May 4th and so far this month has seen damn little sunshine and lots of rain.  However, in all fairness the temps haven't been too bad, chilly at night and some wicked thunderstorms but temps during the day have been bearable.  My that I mean, a light jacket is sufficient and in some cases, could be too warm if one was wearing a sweatshirt.

Have no idea what the weekend shall bring. Still waiting for a decent day so I can try out my kayak but so far, that number hasn't been possible.  Oh well, it will happen.

I just like this photo,the little guy fishing is no relation but he was having a good time and his Mommy was very patient and helping him as much as he would tolerate. Ya, as this damp weather continues, it makes me wish I was still in Florida but I know that state is heating up big time, so I probably wouldn't like it all that much now...April is the perfect month to visit.

Hey you all have a great weekend, okay?

Dog Wedding

Two families united this weekend in Palm Springs, Calif., at a beautiful wedding - for their dogs. The bride, Scruffy Rubin, wore a lovely custom dress, veil and leash. The groom, Snickers Carter, wore a white tuxedo. The $5,000 affair included a live band, cake, open bar, reception and "priest" to perform the vows. The Twitter users quoted above are outraged over the price tag, but one thing to consider before you join in: The dog parents, Ernie Rubin and Ann Carter, used the event to raise money for the Orphan Pet Oasis Humane Society of the Desert in North Palm Springs.


Ya, this is for real and yes, I am laughing my head off (tried to laugh off my butt it didn't work).  Can you imagine doing this?  I mean this is taking "loving my pets" a bit too far in my book!  Gotta tell ya, my pet rock has no such desires, thank goodness!!!

Never Copy to Copy

Monastery  Life    A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand. He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript. So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies. The head monk, says, 'We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son.' He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years. Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot.  So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing. 'We missed the R ! We missed the R ! We missed the R !' His forehead is all bruised and he is crying uncontrollably. The young monk asks the old abbot, 'What's wrong, father?' With a choking voice, the old abbot replies, 'The word was... CELEB R ATE !!!

Yo Weather

Woke up Monday morning to snow -- yes snow and thought I was dreaming, so I tried to go back to sleep but each time I woke up the same scene was there, so it was real, damnit!

Not only was there snow on the ground, but it was still snowing, that kind of slushy snow that makes for slick roads and as a result, many schools were closed for the day.  Plus, many accidents as black ice claimed many drivers and in some cases, totaled cars in quick order.

However, with this goofy weather more birds showed up to pig out in my recently filled bird feeders and most surprisingly a red cardinal.  I had seen this bird at my daughter's house and while in Florida but he had yet to grace my yard with an appearance.

Nothing like a bright red spot on snow-covered ground to show off his colors. And he came off and on all day and again Tuesday morning.  Love it.


Here I am ready to venture onto the beach -- I think this was Fort Myers and that was one crowded beach -- notice the bag on the ground...that my friends was an ice chest and you know we had lemonade in it, right?

Yes, I had my suit under those baggy clothes, and although we didn't stay more than hour, I definitely got sun and continued to work on my tan.  We might had stayed later but the family beside us were just rude and the oldest son acted like he ran the family, the mother was a tad tipsy and the son declared she should not have the credit card!  WTH!

This is the bridge leading toward the Jacksonville Beach, I think.  This particular weekend the Blue Fest was taking place near the beach and trust me, parking was the bloody pits.  As we had visited the zoo first, the only one with a suit on was my niece and there was no place for us adults to change, so we splashed about in our shorts and considered that a cooling experience.

Oh one of the things us gals wanted to try was paddle surfing, I mean, come on, we were game for this however, when we checked and learned it was $175 to rental the board and paddle, plus endure a 45 minute lesson, we opted to rethink this game plan!  It's a damn surf board with a paddle and you want how much?  Get a life, Dude!!!

On the way back home, we decided to stop for breakfast -- guess where? The Pink Cadillac Diner!  This is located in Natural Bridge, Va. and its packed full of Elvis memorabilia -- now the Elvis statute that I'm standing in front of isn't the greatest rendition but hey, it was fun to pretend I was having breakfast with Elvis.

This truly is a great diner, lots to see and great service and the food was wonderful too.  If at all possible, we'll stop here again next year and take even more photos.  Love it when we find places like this --!

So its Tuesday and hopefully I can visit my sister-in-law and meet my newest great-niece today too.  Have a few goodies for them all and well, it'll be a fun visit for dang sure.

More another time -- Tuesday is starting to look good, sun is shining, wind is blowing, its still chilly but the damn snow is melting, that is a good sign.

Ole Blue

A young cowboy from Montana goes off to  college.

Half way through the semester, having foolishly

squandered all his money .... he calls home.

"Dad," he says, "You won't believe what modern education

is developing! They actually have a program here in Alabama

that will teach our dog, Ole' Blue how to talk!"

"That's amazing," his Dad says. "How do I get Ole' Blue

in that program?"

"Just send him down here with $1,000" the young cowboy says

"and I'll get him in the course."

So, his father sends the dog and $1,000.

About two-thirds of the way through the semester,

the money again runs out. The boy calls home.

"So how's Ole' Blue doing son?" his father asks.

"Awesome, Dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but  you

just won't believe this -- they've had such good results

they have started to teach the animals how to read!"

"Read!?" says his father, "No kidding! How do we get Blue

in that program?"

"Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class."

The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem.

At the end of the year, his father will find out the dog

can neither talk, nor read.

So he shoots the dog.

When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father

is all excited.

"Where's Ole' Blue? I just can't wait to see him read

something and talk!"

"Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. Yesterday

morning, just before we left to drive home, Ole' Blue was

in the living room, kicked back in the recliner, reading

the Wall Street Journal, like he usually does".

"Then Ole'  Blue turned to me and asked, so, is your daddy

still messing around with that little redhead who lives

down the street?"

The father went white and exclaimed, "I hope you shot

that lying dog before he talks to your Mother!"

"I sure did, Dad!"

"That's my boy!"

The kid went on to law school, and now serves in

Washington D.C. as a Congressman.

Parrots

A woman went to a pet shop and immediately spotted a large, beautiful parrot.. There was a sign on the cage that said $50.00.

"Why so little?" she asked the pet store owner.
The owner looked at her and said, "Look, I should tell you first that this bird used to live in a house of prostitution, and sometimes it says some pretty vulgar stuff."

The woman thought about this, but decided   she had to have the bird anyway. She took it home and hung the bird's cage up in her living room and waited for it to say something. The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said,
"New house, new madam."
The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought "that's really not so bad." 

When her two teenage daughters returned from school, the bird saw them and said,   "New house, new madam, new girls." 

The girls and the woman were a bit offended but then began to laugh about the situation considering how and where the parrot had been raised. Moments later, the woman's husband Keith came home from work. The bird looked at him and said,


"Hi Keith." 

Florida Road Trip

Here we are, ready to begin the Sisters Get-together.  Oh ya, drinks ready and smiles all around.

First off, the drive thru DC was a freaking nightmare and we'd definitely take another route going back (like avoid this at all costs).  But prior to this nightmare we had to deal with an idiot in Pa, who never saw me in the passing lane and nearly caused a horrific accident.  I am proud to say my reflexes remained intact and I was able to avoid a crash. The truck driver behind had his hands to his face because he thought this was not possible, when I did avoid the collision, he raised two-thumbs up to acknowledge that was damn good lady, damn good.

Okay, we arrive in Florida and the wonderful warmth embraced us northern gals quickly.  I would return with a wonderful tan and back to the reality of cold temps but for two+ weeks it was sunshine and cold drinks.  We did alot of things but let me share just a few items to give you a sense of what you probably should not do at our ages.  Like try to do so many things in a four-day time span.  Pick one, go and stay put --is the best advice we gave each other for next year's outing.

Here we are being kids, someone should have advised us how to turn our heads to get a better photo but hey, it was fun nonetheless.  The photo on the right as you look at this, is Pen and Jan on the snail-trail. We never saw any snails but trust me, it was like walking in a rain forest and we walked at a snail's pace.

Now we all wanted to see a Manatee, so we went on a cruise...the deal was if you don't see any, you get $20 back. Well, you know damn well we'll see one if we have to stay on this damn boat all bloody day. So, we brought a cooler with us and yes, it contained beer.

On the left is what I thought we'd see, on the right is what we actually saw..what the hell?

This was taken at the Naples Zoo, quite an interesting place but it could take lessons from either Syracuse or Jacksonville Zoos

I really like the Jacksonville Zoo and in particular the Stingray area, nothing like playing, touching and watching stingrays to make ya feel alive.  This is a wonderful Zoo but I suspect my great-niece who is now ten would prefer something a bit more upbeat. So next year,we'd best find a Water Park or something!!

Okay, I know this is pretty boring but hey, some memories are best left amongst the sisters.  We had lots of laughs and that is one good reason to hang out with each other.  

Child Birth at 65

With all the new  technology regarding fertility recently, a 65-year-old friend of mine  was able to give birth.   When she was discharged from the  hospital and went home, I went to visit. 'May I see the new  baby?' I asked 'Not yet,' She said 'I'll make coffee and we can  visit for a while first.' Thirty minutes had passed, and I asked,  'May I see the new baby now?' 'No, not yet,' She  said. After another few minutes had elapsed,I asked  again, 'May I see the baby now?'  'No, not yet,' replied my  friend. Growing very impatient, I asked, 'Well, when can I see  the baby?' 'WHEN HE CRIES!' she told me. 'WHEN HE CRIES?'  I demanded. 'Why do I have to wait until he CRIES?' 'BECAUSE I  FORGOT WHERE I PUT  HIM, O.K.?'...

 

Cat Joke

A little old lady went to the grocery store to buy cat food. She

picked up four cans and took them to the check out counter.

The girl at the cash register said, "I'm sorry, but we cannot sell

you cat food without proof that you have a cat. A lot of old people

buy cat food to eat, and the management wants proof that you are

buying the cat food for your cat."

 

The little old lady went home, picked up her cat and brought it back

to the store. They sold her the cat food. The next day, she tried to

buy two cans of dog food. Again the cashier said "I'm sorry, but we

cannot sell you dog food without proof that you have a dog. A lot of

old people buy dog food to eat, but the management wants proof that

you are buying the dog food for your dog."

 

So she went home and brought in her dog. She then was able to buy the dog food.

 

The next day she brought in a box with a hole in the lid. The little

old lady asked the cashier to stick her finger in the hole. The

cashier said, "No, you might have a snake in there."

 

The little old lady assured her that there was nothing in the box that

would harm her. So the cashier put her finger into the box and

quickly pulled it out. She said to the little old lady, "That smells

like shit." The little old lady said, "It is. I want to buy three

rolls of toilet paper."

 

Don't mess with old people.

*&^((*)&*)*()*\

Well, it is getting close to departure time...oh man, am I ever ready.  Winter hasn't been all that bad, considering some we have had but this year, we got some snow (not enough to even enjoy snowshoeing, which is horrible) but instead we had lots of damn ice.

I don't know about you folks, but ice belongs in a drink not on the damn road and/or sidewalk.  I have crampons but never feel quite secure and unable to get into a steady pace;therefore, walking was a challenge I just had to do inside cause this ole lady didn't care to break her hip!  Ya, call me a wimp!!!

Anyway, tomorrow I head for Florida, well, actually Syracuse then Wednesday we load up the car and, you got it - ROAD TRIP!  Both my sister and I are so ready to get somewhere warm we really think we can wear shorts/capris and light tops for this trip (hell, we're in the car, crank up the damn heat until we hit warm weather right?).

Well spend Easter with my nephew and then, the 9th head to Tampa to collect the other sister.  Then off we go to explore various Florida sights.  I think this year its Naples, Miami and Key West.  While the fun of checking out places, riding an air boat, trying our luck with paddle surfing, flopping our fat asses on the beach and hitting the water for some snorkeling is great fun the best part is being together.  Now, when the drinks are cold, the reflections are flowing and the thing you hear over and over is:  "Was that the summer I was sent away because I don't remember any of this shit!"

Four Cats

Four men were bragging about how smart their cats were.

The first man was an Engineer,The second man was an Accountant,The third man was a Chemist, and The fourth man was a Government Employee.

To show off, the Engineer called his cat, "T-square, do your stuff."T-square pranced over to the desk, took out some paper and pen and promptly drew a circle, a square, and a triangle.

Everyone agreed that was pretty smart.

But the Accountant said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said,"Spreadsheet, do your stuff." Spreadsheet went out to the kitchen and returned with a dozen cookies. He divided them into 4 equal piles of 3 cookies.

Everyone agreed that was good.

But the Chemist said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said, "Measure, do your stuff."Measure got up, walked to the fridge, took out a quart of milk, got a 10 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured Exactly 8 ounces without spilling a drop into the glass.

Everyone agreed that was pretty good.

Then the three men turned to the Government Employee and said, "What can your cat do?"The Government Employee called his cat and said, "CoffeeBreak, do your stuff."

CoffeeBreak jumped to his feet.......

Ate the cookies........

Drank the milk.....

Sh*t on the paper.......

Screwed the other three cats........

Claimed he injured his back while doing so.

Filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions.......

Put in for Workers Compensation..................and

Went home for the rest of the day on sick leave............

AND THAT, MY FRIEND IS WHY EVERYONE WANTS TO

WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT!

Friendship

We all have friendships, some have lasted a lifetime and there were damn few breaks, meaning a time when we didn’t see each other. Then there are friendships that were childhood days and school chums.  When high school ended, we went our separate ways.  Oh we kept in touch for awhile but eventually we drifted apart, made new friends and well, sadly lost some ole friends too.

What is truly treasured is when you reconnect with a childhood friend and spend time catching up on what transpired during the years apart. Some try to bullshit you but eventually the reality of who we are, where we came from and what we are now wins out and the stories become less embellished and real. 

For Judy and I, we never had those bullshit numbers. We always were straight-forward with each other and amazed at what each had done over the years.  In some ways she was very envious of my life as she dearly would have loved to have lived in foreign lands and explored,experience hands-on cultures, customs and traditions. But on the other hand, she wouldn’t have like the 18 months I spent in Vietnam.  I on the other hand, loved how she tackle various challenges and never lost her sense of humor or desire to keep learning and trying new things.  Never one to enjoy truly physical activity, she always claimed she past gym class because I kept encouraging her and while the gym teacher disliked her, she liked me, so that worked to her advantage (don’t ask me how).  But Jude never could be said to be non-active, she liked to walk, plant flowers and what have you.  In addition, I envied her cooking skills and I mean, this gal could cook -- boy howdy, how I wished I could have eaten some of the dishes she prepared.  She was very creative and crafty which I also admired...but it was her down-to-earth attitude and belief in people that was highly admired and many would emulate over the years.  Hey, she didn't take shit from anyone and that was a good thing because we all run across those who like to dish it out but man, be prepared for water works when it comes back at them.

Jude never had any children so she adopted mine and their children and they adored her. She even sent my daughter her cherish baby silverware and my daughter promptly used with her son, much to Jude’s delight.  However, it wasn’t just my kids Jude adopted and called her kids, she had others and she loved them dearly and hated it when they moved away or got busy and couldn’t see her as often as she would have liked but she never complained, she understood and knew they cared deeply for her but had to live their own lives, just as she had done.

My dearest, closest and oldest childhood friend passed peacefully in her sleep today at 3 a.m.  She no longer suffers and although she would have liked to have stayed longer, she is with her beloved parents now and I know that makes her happy.  I will forever be her friend and miss her but the memories will never leave and in this manner, neither shall she. Go rest high on that mountain my dear friend; your work on earth is done.

Hello Operator

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF "THEY WALK AMONG US AND REPRODUCE!!
Actual call center conversations!

 

Customer:     'I've been calling 700-1000 for two days and can't get   through;
                    can you help?'
Operator:      'Where did you get that number, sir?'
Customer:     'It's on the door of your business.'
Operator:     'Sir, those are the hours that we are open.'

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Samsung Electronics
Caller:          'Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?'
Operator:     'I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about.'
Caller:           'On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that    
                       I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and  
                      telephone Jack before  cleaning. Now, can you give me the
                       number for Jack?'
Operator:      'I think it means the telephone plug on the wall.'

 

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RAC Motoring Services
Caller:         'Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am
                   traveling in Australia ?'
Operator:     'Does the policy name give you a clue?'

 

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Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while traveling in Europe )
'If I register my car in France , and then take it to England ,
do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?' 

 

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Directory Enquiries
Caller:  'I'd like the number of the Argo Fish Bar, please'
Operator: 'I'm sorry, there's no listing. Are you sure that the spelling is correct?'
Caller: 'Well, it used to be called the Bargo Fish Bar but the 'B' fell off.'  

 

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Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator:         'Woven? Are you sure?'
Caller:              'Yes.. That's what it says on the label -- Woven in Scotland ....'

 

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On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator: 'I haven't got a pen, so I'm steaming up the window to write the number on.'

 

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Tech Support:      'I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.'
Customer:              'OK..'
Tech Support:      'Did you get a pop-up menu?'
Customer:              'No.'
Tech Support:      'OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?'
Customer:              'No.'
Tech Support:      'OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?'
Customer:             'Sure. You told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'.' 

 

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Tech Support:      'OK. At the bottom left hand side of your screen, can
                           you see the 'OK' button displayed?'

 

Customer:              'Wow! How can you see my screen from there?'

 

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Caller:  'I deleted a file from my PC last week and I just realized that I need it.
So, if I turn my system clock back two weeks will I get my file back again?'

 

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This has to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This   is a true story from the WordPerfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department..............
Needless to   say the Help Desk employee   was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the WordPerfect organization for 'Termination without Cause.'

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee.
(Now I know why they record these conversations!):

Operator:          'Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?'
Caller:               'Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect ..'
Operator:          'What sort of trouble?'
Caller:               'Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.'
Operator:          'Went away?'
Caller:               'They disappeared'
Operator:          'Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?'
Caller:               'Nothing.'
Operator:          'Nothing??'
Caller:               'It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type.'
Operator:          'Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?'
Caller:               'How do I tell?'
Operator:         'Can you see the 'C: prompt' on the screen?'
Caller:               'What's a sea-prompt?'
Operator:          'Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?'
Caller:               'There isn't any cursor; I told you, it won't accept anything I type..'
Operator:          'Does your monitor have a power indicator?'
Caller:               'What's a monitor?'
Operator:          'It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV.
                           Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?'
Caller:                'I don't know.'
Operator:           'Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where
                           the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??'
Caller:               'Yes, I think so.'
Opera tor:         'Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's
                           plugged into the wall..
Caller:               'Yes, it is.'
Operator:          'When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that
                           there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one? '
Caller:                'No.'
Operator:           'Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and
                            find the other cable.'
Caller:                'Okay, here it is.'
Operator:           'Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into
                            the back of your computer..'
Caller:                'I can't reach.'
Operator:           'OK. Well, can you see if it is?'
Caller:                'No...'
Operator:           'Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?'
Caller:                'Well, it's not because I don't have the right angle -- it's because it's dark.'
Operator:           'Dark?'
Caller:                'Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is
                            coming in from the window.'
Operator:           'Well, turn on the office light then.'
Caller:                'I can't..'
Operator:           'No? Why not?'
Caller:               'Because there's a power failure.'
Operator:            'A power .... A power failure? Aha. Okay, we've got it  
                             licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and   
                            packing stuff that your computer came in?'
Caller:                 'Well, yes, I keep them in the closet..'
Operator:            'Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it   
                             up just like it was when you got it.   Then take it back to
                             the store you bought it from.'
Caller:                 'Really? Is it that bad?'
Operator:            'Yes, I'm afraid it is.'
Caller:                 'Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?'
Operator:            'Tell them you're too damned stupid to own a computer!'