Missin' Y'all

So I haven't been able to blog for a few months.  I'm still alive and kicking.  I don't have a computer now, thus no internet.  Well, I do have internet on my phone, but I can't post on my blog. It just takes up too much memory and keeps timing out.  I do get to view my blog, though.  So I have seen everyone's comments.  I was just laughing, wondering how many blog rolls I've been deleted from.  Things are going pretty well.  Driving the truck is alright.  If I had to choose between the truck and the office, I'd pick the office any day.  It was more predictable.  It was pretty much 8-5 Monday through Friday.  On the truck I may work late evenings or sometimes on weekends.  But the pay was better on the truck.  Of course, we still have chickens....and pigeons....and cats.  And of course we still have Max and Minnine, our two little dogs.  Mike is doing well.  He's at home this weekend while I'm at my parents.  I came to my nephews birthday party.  He stayed home because he was working yesterday.  I'm on my mom's computer updating to let you all know I'm good!  I'm on Facebook if anyone wants to be my friend.  I'm listed as Randy Peterson Jr.  I have two accounts with the same name because I wasn't able to get into my old account.  It's still there, but just won't let me log in.  I'll try again and if I get in I'll just delete the old account.

We had a  lovely holiday.  Christmas and New Years were spent with my family.  We had snow on a couple of occasions.  And we're expecting more snow this week.  I could do without the snow....and the cold.  I just don't like the cold weather.  I'm thinking of buying a winter home in the Carribbean or maybe Central America.  Perhaps Costa Rica.  I'd love to spend some time in the Rain Forest. 

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know we're good.  If you can't find me on FB, check with Tracey.  I'm frieds with her and Amy and Anna and Kim and Joanna and others.  See y'all around!!

The Belief Project

Okay, so the title of this post is a bit strange, and probably not fitting.  It's what popped into my head.  You see, I have my cell phone service through U.S. Cellular.  And they have been doing all these changes....new plans, new rules for phone trade-ins, new this, new that.  They call it the Belief Project.  I know very little about the details of these changes, really.  But having a sister-in-law that works for U.S. Cellular, I have been informed that these changes, in an essence, do offer better service to customers, but also increase opportunities for the company to generate a great deal more revenue.  The company advertised changes, but kept the details a bit hush-hush till the beginning of this month when the changes went into effect. 

Well, I said all that to say this.  My big changes are coming.  I start my new position on Monday.  Actually, I got a phone call this morning from my new boss.  I have to drive to Charlotte Sunday night.  I will have some training Monday and part of Tuesday.  It's about a six hour drive, so I will have to get a motel room for a couple of nights.  Of course, all this comes out of my pocket till I submit an expense report.  Yeah!!  Cough! Cough!  I must say, I am a bit nervous.  I haven't had a lot of details about this job, and I will be starting in a couple of days.  I just got the call this morning about going to Charlotte first of next week.  But I won't even have the details to where I need to go or what time till later this afternoon.  I'm anxious, to say the least, but excited all the same.  What if I hate this job?  It's not like I can just walk back and take my old job back.  There have already been 50+ applications.  Oddly enough, many of them came through my office, so I've seen who some of the candidates for my replacement are.  Some were impressive, over-qualified in my opinion, and some were, shall we say, completely unexperienced.  But people need a job.  And I'm sure there are ones out there desperate enough they will apply for any job.  I'd probably do the same.

That's that.  The chickens are doing great.  I had three loosies.  There were three Black Austrolorps that hatched out early this summer.  I just let them free range from the time they hatched under their mama.  I decided that it's time to wrangle them up since a neighbor complained about them scratching in his garden.  I managed to catch two, but the third got wise and wouldn't come near me.  I'll have to give it another shot this evening.  I should have tried last night after the thing roosted, but I was too tired.

Not sure what the plans are for the weekend yet.  Mike mentioned going out to Applebee's for dinner Friday night.  My sister said she was taking her kids to the county fair Friday evening.  She said Tony won't ride certain rides with her, and since she had her baby in July she wants to do all the stuff she couldn't do when she was pregnant.  So, that's something else to consider.  Other than that, that's the latest in a nut shell! 

The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly On The Plain

Is it really quitting today?  This morning the weatherman said the rain was gone, except for a couple of pop-up showers along the Pitt County/Beaufort County lines.  I promptly looked out the window to see it was raining still.  I do NOT live along the Pitt/Beaufort county line.  There's still a light mist outside.  We really needed the rain, but this much rain was insane!  I don't know the exact amount, but last I heard it was about 15 and a half inches over the last two days.  I can't help but wonder if any of the cotton crops have been, or will be, ruined by this much rain.  Jacksonville got several inches more, and I heard that Wilmington got well over 22 inches!  My chickens weren't in standing water.  The land is fairly high back there, but the poor things were certainly standing in mud.  One of my roosters, a white silkie, died.  No clue why, except I assume between the cool temps and the rain he may have gotten pneumonia or something to that effect.  I'll have to check them again this evening.  Mike will check them today.

I tried to get rid of a few of them.  I put an ad in the Carolina Bargain Trader, but I only got one phone call.  A lady called, who said her husband told her to call.  She wanted to discuss it with him and call back.  She never called back.  I may have to feed them through the winter, then take them to auction.  C'est la vie.  Oh, and I just sent in another ad to find homes for these kittens.  I have five that need homes.  Otherwise, I'll have to take them to the pound and hope Saving Graces For Felines will pick them up.

Well, I start my new job on Monday, October 13th.  At least I think I do.  My new boss called me last Friday and offered me the job then went on vacation.  To my knowledge he'll be returning to work on Monday.  My current boss didn't give a counter offer.  I really didn't think he would.  It was just too big of a difference.  My current position was posted in the company, and on the company web site (http://www.airgas.com/) and within two days I've heard that they've received over 40 applications.  The position is posted for 10 days, so I can only imagine how many apps there will be! 

So I will be working for Airgas National Carbonation.

I'm sort of looking forward to the change.  Thanks for all the well-wishes.  And thanks for the offer of a good meal, Jim.  How can I get in touch?  It's strange to think I will be driving a truck, especially for what they offered.  No, I will NOT be getting rich.  I don't even buy enough lottery tickets to get rich.  In fact, playing the lottery for me is a rare occasion.  But I digress.  But the difference in pay was worth moving out of the office.  At least, I think....I hope.  (I'm gritting my teeth!) 

Now this is not my truck.  But I will have one similar to it.  I know a couple of the guys I will be working with, and they're pretty cool.  But for now, the suspense is killing me!!

A Sigh Of Relief or A Cringe In Fear

As most, if not all of you know, I applied for a different job within the same company.  I'm not totally convinced it's a step in the right direction, and my boss is not at all pleased.  Of course, I work very hard for my boss, and this company, and I know my boss does not want to lose a valuable employee.  I often handle a lot of different jobs that are not necessarily my job to do, and I try to have issues resolved by the time he gets word.  I currently have a nice, cushy office job with my own office, a plant in the window, a large U-shaped desk, my own coffee pot....I share the fax, laser printer, and ticket printer, but they are in my office as well.  And the pay really is quite fair, in my own personal opinion. 

Now, this job that I have applied for is NOT in an air conditioned office, with a one hour lunch shared with co-workers in the break room.  It is a field job, and involves more hours, most of which will be spent driving a truck all over eastern North Carolina.  Most of my lunches will probably be spent in the truck or at the closest fast food joint.  I will have to deal with hot summers and cold winters.  And I will be on-call most evenings and every other weekend.  It will not be an 8-5 job.  HOWEVER, the pay increase is nothing to sneeze at.  (I know, I ended the sentence with a preposition...get over it) 

I was at a point where I was considering taking on a second job.  I have done that in the past, and I thoroughly hated it.  I worked (supposed-to-be) part time at a convenience store.  I was getting home at 1 a.m. only to have to get right back up at 6 a.m. to get ready for work again.  Plus, while I was working there, one of the employees on the 3rd shift was robbed and shot in the back of the head.  He survived, but who wants to take that chance?!  This new position eliminates the necessity for a second job. 

Well, my interview was last Friday.  Before the interview I felt confident about my chances.  I applied for the same position two and a half years ago and was passed up.  I knew they regreted it, as the person they chose over me had the job for one week and quit.  Shortly after that I moved out of the warehouse into my current position.  I got a call mid-week saying that there were two more interviews scheduled for Thursday, but I was certainly favored and would most likely get offered the position today.  I got the call first thing this morning and e-mailed information the get the transfer started.  I got the job.  I accepted the job.  If they could offer me the same to stay here, I would in a heart be....and I made that clear.  But there has been no counter offer as of yet.  So, it looks like I will be starting a new job in a couple of weeks.  Ho hum, Y'all!!

Trapped

I couldn't think of what to post about.  My brain was getting fried from the thinkin'.  But I was reading on other blogs about wanting fall to get here.  And that got me to thinking.  I thought about a number of things, but mostly why we are always in a hurry.  Today, we are living in a "give-it-to-me-right-now" society.

As a kid, we only had a house phone.  But today I can't make the short drive to work without seeing gads of people yakking on their cell phones.  And it is my deepest belief that they make the roads more dangerous.  What are they talking about, anyway, that can't wait till they get to a stopping point?  Not that I am opposed to cell phones.  Not by any means.  I have one myself.  I just don't use it when I am driving.  If I think it's important I pull over. 

As a kid I recall having only four channels.  We had ABC, NBC, CBS, and if we were lucky we had PBS.  And usually we had to go outside to adjust the antenna just to get a somewhat clear picture.  Now, everyone has to have the works.  Full cable with all 58 of the movie channels.  I saw a commercial the other day for a sattelite tv provider advertising over 200 channels, plus all the movie channels free from some period of time.  I have cable tv, but it's just basic tv.  No DVR, no special channel to show you what's coming on at 3 a.m.  Just about 50 or 60 channels.  And the funny thing is there's rarely anything worth watching.  Some channels even play daily marathons of sitcoms and other programs I never even cared for anyway.  And what's with paying for channels I don't EVER watch.  I don't watch Spanish channels.  I know a little Spanish, but not nearly enough to understand a tv program.  Give me the good old days when after school meant going outside to play till dinner time.  Then settling down to watch a good family movie together.  Cartoons were for Saturday morning only.  Now, there's 24 hour cartoon channels, albeit, some of them are a bit racey for kids in my opinion.

And what's up with microwaves?  We have one.  We use it for popcorn, warming water for tea and such, reheating leftovers.  But who wants an entire meal that's been pre-cooked and frozed, then thawed and recooked in a micorwave?  I used to eat them.  But that was when I had a job that only gave me 30 minutes for lunch.  Is it so important that you rush a crazy meal together like that so you can go watch a program you're not really that interested in?

Do people ever have family time any more?  We didn't really eat at the dining room table when I was a kid.  But there's a good reason.  It wasn't big enough.  Dinner was usually at my grandparent's house, as the lived less than a mile away.  So dinner was usually for aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.  So we got our plates and ate where we plopped.  But it was never alone in front of a tv or in the bed room.  It was often we family in the living room, maybe with a football game on.  Or on the porch with cousins.  But family interaction was key.  I know of a family nearby me that rarely even spends time together.  The two children, late teens maybe early 20's, are wrapped up in their own goings-on, the wife has a second part time job and is often not home till 9 p.m. and the husband works full time, but runs around on his free time with "his" projects.  I thought "HOW SAD!"

Some times Mike and I will play with the dogs in the yard, mess with the chickens on weekends, have a cigarette on the porch in the evening with drinks.  With all of today's technology we stuck in a speed trap.  I was (am) a big fan of the country group Alabama.  One of my fav songs of theirs goes something like this:

I'm in a hurry to get things done

I rush and rush till life's no fun

All I gotta do is live and die

But I'm in a hurry and don't know why

I love the summer time.  It's my favorite season.  I enjoy spring and fall, as well.  I'm not big on winter, but I still see the wonders and beauty of that cold, short-day season.  The snow is beautiful and the cold restarts life.  This morning as I was backing out of the drive way I noticed the little maple tree I planted last year was just starting to turn red.  Maples are so pretty this time of year.  I bet Joanna @ Boonedocks Wilcox is getting a beautiful show right about now.  It won't be long before there's frost on the pumpkin.  Why not take a look around.  See the wonders of what God has given us.  Tell your spouse, partner, children, parents, you love them.  Take a moment before you leave for work or school to breathe in the cool, crisp morning air.  Do some cloud watching.  Plant some flowers or a tree.  Savor the taste or your coffee, your meal, your dessert.  Bake a cake.  Make life fun.

A Nest Box Giveaway And A Job

Well, I had a nice little visit with my aunt.  Last time I saw her she was in the hospital.  She just had surgery and was a bit out of it.  She just celebrated her 80th birthday!  She looks great for 80, too!  She left Monday to fly to New York to visit friends.

I rounded up the little chicks yesterday evening and put them in cages.  Man, that was hard!  Those things can move!  And they kept running into a little grove of trees half grown with shrubbery.  It took about 45 minutes to catch seven of the buggers.  I caught them because there were nearly 15 or so of them, but they kept disappearing one by one.  I figured predators have had enough of my chickens.  Altogether I have 16 little ones wating to find a home.  NO, make that 19 of them.  I forgot the Black Austrolorps.  Got three of them.  Got an ad in the Bargain Trader coming out tomorrow.  We will see how it goes, I guess.

I've heard nothing on the job.  A friend who works in the CO2 department said they should be contacting me by week's end for an interview.  As of Friday, there were 10 applicants, but my boss sent in another application today.  And I don't know how many more may have applied on line.  I will ceratainly keep you all posted.

AND NOW..... for all you chicken keepers out there!  Pam over at Life On A Southern Farm is giving away a 3-HOLE CHICKEN NEST BOX!!

Ain't she a beaut!!  And she can be yours!  All you have to do is go over to her blog Nest Box Giveaway and post a comment!  You also get extra entries for blogging and tweeting and all that jazz!!  Good luck to all who enter!!

Much Ado About Nothing

That's pretty much what I have to share.  I've been my normal busy person, but nothing really worth mentioning.  I'm still camera-less.  But there really hasn't been much to photograph lately.  I did go play a round of golf the other day with my cousin.  It was only the second round of golf I've ever played in my  life.  I shot a 119.  If you know nothing of golf, then know that that is one horrible score.  If you are familiar with the sport, however, then that's quite an improvement from my original score of 135!  I have an outdated Game Cube that I play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 on.  I LOVE that game.  I have played it so much that I am now a better golfer than Tiger Woods, and I have more money than him!  What a fantasy!

It was an uneventful Labor Day weekend.  We did nothing special.  Spent time around the house.  Messed with the chickens.  I have some half grown pullets that I want to put in with the egg layers.  Mike has been buthering some of the older hens, so I am trying to replace them.  But I know I can't just throw them in, as the other hens will peck them half to death.  So I have a small coop set us adjacent to the larger one.  That way they become familiar with each other.  It worked before, so I'm giving it another go.  I also have some small bitties that were getting too big for the little coop I had them in, so I moved them to a bigger one.  My cousin, who works on the fishing boats, has been staying with us, as well.  They haven't been fishing the last two weeks, so he's been staying with us, just chilling out.  It's just been a weekend of visiting and resting.

No news on the job.  They advertise jobs for 10 days, and September 10th will be the last day.  So I may know by the end of the week, or it may be the first of next week.  I will certainly let you know, though.

I made my blog rounds.  I didn't comment of everyone, but I did read.  What a conglomeration of posts!  When you think of each post as a whole, it's quite funny to think of it all.  I read of hair, illness, loneliness, luggage, regrets, hibiscus flowers, getting back to artsy-ness, regrets, home buying, and so much more.  Altogether I think it would make a fabulous book!  Have a great week everyone!