The way I always understood it from the movies, the guy in his 40’s or 50’s looks back on his life and what is in the future…decides he isn’t where he thought he was going to be, therefore makes a change…most times…some crazy change that most view as stupid, the little red sports car or drinking too much or “chasing women” and usually was characterized with those well-known words – midlife crisis.  I don’t really even remember there being a problem with women having a midlife crisis…mostly because the women were just so darned busy doin’ woman’s work….

But let me tell you about the mid-life crisis……

Nope…not him…he was just my partner…that is me…I looked back on my life and ahead and thought…hmmmm…I really want to be a cop…because of my age and my fitness level, I was pretty sure I couldn’t handle going to the police academy and totally start a new career on the other side of the radio…so Rod (who is a jailer for the county) and I decided we were going to apply to be reserves police officers in a small town in our  county.

We passed the fitness qualifications, we qualified with our weapons, we trained, we ached, we sweat, we were pepper-sprayed…uh huh…We got to drive the squad car with the lights and siren…we got to use the radar and drive out of the median to chase down speeders.  Once a month, I talked to kids in all of the elementary classes about safety.  It was fun…it was almost everything I thought it would be…although I wasn’t prepared for the boredom…but it was also exhausting and I lasted a year…but I did it.  Sometimes that is what is really important….I went after it and I did it…

Until next time

I had one of those therapy dreams last night…you know the kind…you wake up and know that something is supposed to change…not one of those can’t find my high school classroom and can’t get the lock on my locker open because I’m naked from the waste up..those are my “I’m so confused while I’m awake dreams”.  This one told me to stop taking all of those classes because I’m not going to get my bachelor’s degree now…just enjoy the 6 years left before I retire and look forward to retirement and relaxing.  (by the way…I’m not taking classes in my real life to get my bachelor’s degree) but I am retiring 6 years from March 9th, 2008 with a wow, this has been a 30 year Disney World ride…  There were some other issues that I thought hmmmmm when I woke up but have no idea what they are now…perhaps my first day off is intended to be a cleansing and self-awareness day.  I AM having lunch with Karen and DebtheRN…that usually ends up being 4 hours of intense therapy as those two seem to be able to look into my soul and aren’t afraid to tell me if there are cobwebs….

The critters are all “out” all around the house..Bill Clinton is laying here curled up on his desk bed, devil dog is below him sprawled out on the floor…Sierra and Marley are crashed having their own doggy world dreams..kind of makes me wonder if they party’ed all night while I was sleeping.

Kate emailed me with her flight schedule for her trip home during spring break.  “he” will be having his foot surgery that week also…I’m thinking about doubling up his pain medication so he will be “out of it” a couple of days so she and I can watch our “artsy crap” on TV.  Just kidding, officer.

Have a great day, everybody…..

Made a connection with an old friend yesterday…ya…she’s old – a whole year older than me.  She was a dispatcher back in the early 80’s and was also trying to get her college degree.  After she graduated, she moved on and other than an occassional Christmas card in the early days, we had totally lost touch.  Now after all these years, I find out she is married and living in Allison, Iowa – way up north…they breed cattle…22 years ago, I would never have believed that this woman would end up cattle ranching.  We plan on staying in touch.

Guys probably are not going to understand this at all…but women and their hair dressers, or whatever you might call them, develop some type of deep, loyal bond.  I’ve always known this…it is hard to change beauty operators..even if they suck..once you develop that rapport..we just don’t move on…so here’s my story.

I found Mandy several years ago…I was looking for a new hair stylist because mine was a NUT!  I randomly called a new beauty salon uptown and the girl who answered was apparently new and said she could get me in that afternoon.  She was very, very good.  Very precise and willing to do whatever I wanted…wouldn’t let me out of the chair until it was perfect.  Jenny and Katy started going to her and many of our friends.  Mandy is awesome.  But she became “with child” and took some time off…I sulked and worried…then I changed shifts to the 10a to 6p shift and when Manday came back from maternity leave – our time together was impossible.  I could have scheduled way ahead of time…but I didn’t…she only worked after 6p on two nights a week and I could never get in.  I might add here that I’m a very good tipper.  I always figure if you tip well for a job well done that you will get extra favors…maybe I’m wrong….anyway…

Nicole was just starting out.  I work with her husband and she and Jenny are very good friends..so one night when I was at the end of my rope and my hair was horrible, I called Nicole..she did a good job….I had another occassion when I needed a haircut and did the same thing…well this all got back to Mandy…she told Jenny and Kim that it was okay…she understood that I would do something like that..you know, give a newby a chance…but as time goes…I find out this isn’t okay with her.  We gossip, you know.  So I had Nicole blond my hair last month …and I’m feeling really good about Nicole…who is also out on maternity leave now…and I need a haircut. I would love to go back to Mandy for a haircut…but I don’t want to be in the middle of this crap.  I would like to be able to go to either one…logically …. this doesn’t seem like a problem.  Mandy’s clientele is obviously horrific..the list is endless so it is not like she NEEDS me for the money like Nicole does.  I’m all messed up…don’t know whats the right thing to do…

It’s snowing

I swore I was going to quit bitching and be positive…but I heard the forecast today and they are forecasting measurable heavy snow for Monday…this year, when it is forecast, we get it.

I took this picture on my way to work today…the air was like pea soup…

and here’s a couple of pictures I took on my way home from work

There’s really nothing to talk about from this house, anyway…

Until next time….

On our way home from town yesterday, I told him that I probably should take some pictures so we don’t ever forget the winter of 2007-2008…especially the plowed and drifted snow bank on the west side of the road…Had good intentions, but I just can’t make myself go out there at 7 below.  These are taken from my window beside the computer…they aren’t real clear due to the screen on the window.

This is just the view up to the road

Isn’t the sky pretty….

Here’s a view using the zoom feature on the camera

I hope to get out there and take a picture using something in the foreground for pespective. 

The critters and I are spending the day at home…it looks like a beautiful day but I’m going to just enjoy from the inside looking out.

Until next time…

Wind chill warning….chance of snow all the way thru until next Tuesday…only a 20% chance most days but still forecasted….COLD COLD COLD warming up to the 20’s and maybe 30’s next week.  I’m back at work – working 2300 to 0300 this morning then off until Friday at 0700.  Drove “his” truck to work tonight because the winds are supposed to be blowing the stacked snow into drifts.  The snow along my road is 5 to 6 feet tall now…if that starts blowing over the road, we are screwed…4 wheel drive or not.

I had to take mom to the doc this afternoon…she has a little infection in her leg where she fell getting out of the tub last week.  We took her to lunch while we were waiting for her script to be filled.  He stopped at the video store and picked up second season of Six Feet Under….if you have watched it, you will totally understand when I say I want to have Nate’s children…if you haven’t watched it – you are missing the best looking, sexy, sensitive funeral director ever 🙂

Until next time….

I knew it was a mistake to leave “him” home completely alone…with the critters and with the two old women next door.  He, somehow, figured out my xanga password so he was able to leave a remark looking like it came from me…the clue…he signed it The Saint 🙂

Next thing you know, he’ll be in my closets and drawers finding all of my bargains that I put away so I could pull them out later and say…oh, I’ve had those forever