Saturday, May 30, 2009

This Takes the Cake...

I have NOW heard it all... Seriously people, this is ridiculous and not in a laughable way.

I was at work on Friday entering data into our computer system when our "favorite" homeless man came up to talk to me. I noticed he had a black eye and a few bruises, but I was afraid to ask what happened. Besides, I knew he would tell me anyway.

Sure enough, he says, "Did you hear what happened to me the other day?"
Me: "No, what happened?"
Homeless Man: "I was mugged."
Me: "WHAT!? WHO MUGS A HOMELESS MAN!!!!!!??!!
Homeless Man: "I don't know, but they did."

The he proceeded to tell me where and how many guys and that they wanted his money.

Seriously people, how much money do you think a homeless man has?! He had $7.62 to be exact. He had about 6 bags full of stuff, but all they wanted was his money. Apparently if you have a lot of bags then you must have a lot of money. They beat him up, took his money and left him there. After this, some "nice" people from the neighborhood (who watched this all happen) must have had guilty consciences and gave him $5.00 to ease their guilt.

What has this town come to, that a homeless man isn't even safe from thieves?! I hope they enjoyed their value meal, because that's about all they could afford from that heist.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

FOR THE LOVE OF GINGY!!!!!

Most people deal with at least one difficult person in their work environment. It's either a co-worker or a client or whatever. For me, it's a patron. There are a few patrons that drive me bananas. One is my creepy homeless man who likes to stare at me and occasionally hit on me. I can deal with him. There is a lady who secretly tries to get me to do her school papers for her. I'm so onto her, that I can usually avoid that situation as well. But there's one guy who just the sight of him raises my blood pressure. Those of you who know me, know that I have quite a lot of patience and can put up with a lot before wanting to explode on someone. All it took for this guy was 2 minutes and I wanted to strangle him.


We'll call him Ted. Ted likes to come in an "preach" to everyone. He talks and talks and talks about praying to God and how he is a Christian. Then he looks up half naked teenage girls on the internet (usually in Russia or Zimbabwe or anywhere but the U.S.). I'm guessing he doesn't want to show up on To Catch a Predator. Aside from that, he is a HUGE liar. He plays the "poor me" card EVERY single time he is here. If his pipes at home didn't burst, then he can't get on a computer at the right time to talk to his daughter in prison, or he can't talk to his girlfriend on the other side of the planet. Lately, it's his cell phone crashed and he can't download the program to fix it. His pipes are still broken and no plumber will fix them on good faith that he will pay once he gets his tax check. On top of the fact that the city is apparently fining him for painting his living room. Now, I know that I live just outside the city limits, but I am pretty darn sure that my sister didn't need a permit to paint INSIDE her house. And with all the things the city is worried about, I don't think the color inside someone's house is a priority. Just a hunch, but I don't think that even Mayor Moore is that petty.

This man just makes me want to vomit. I really need sound cancellation headphones for work. I promise to only use them when Ted is around. He knows everything about everything. He always has some injury. He recites weather forecasts ALL the time, usually when there is snow involved. However, when the weather man says 10 inches of snow then Ted says we will get 20 inches. He exaggerates just a little bit. All of my co-workers and I try really hard to stay busy when he is around. We try not to ask him how he is doing and get into a conversation because we already know how he is doing.

One minute he will talk about his girlfriend or finding a nice Christian girl to settle down with and within 5 minutes of saying that, he tells another patron that all women cheat and can't be trusted. Hmmmm, not sure he will find his soulmate that way. I know it's not right to judge someone, but is it judging when I can prove that he is a hypocritical liar? He obviously needs attention. I am just not in a place right now to indulge him. Lord forgive me.

Thank you all for letting me vent. I feel much better and can now get back to work.

Much love,
Amber

Monday, February 2, 2009

Blessed

If I had to describe my life in one word, it would be blessed. In two words it would be blessed and humbled.

I have an amazing family and group of friends. This past weekend I was given 2 baby showers. One by my mom and sisters and the other by my girl friends. Both showers were wonderful. I got a ton of cute clothes for my little guy. More on that subject on my other blog: mommarowland.blogspot.com

During my "family" baby shower, my brother-in-law Brad and friends Ryan and Michael came to my house and finished up the nursery for me. They finished painting and then they went and bought chair rail which they then put up as well. I'm sure the whole process went a bit longer then they expected, but the stayed until it was done. And the room looks great! I appreciate everything that was done for me, Justin and baby Ryan this weekend. I am truly blessed to have such great people in my life.

I am also continuously humbled. My brother-in-law Jonathon was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) a couple weeks ago. Since then he has been at the University of Chicago for treatment. His wife Katie is there with him, as well as his mom. Throughout this process I'm sure he and Katie have gone through a million different emotions. Who wouldn't. But the strength and humor they have kept through all of this has been amazing. Jonathon is not much of a complainer. I'm sure he has his moments where he complains to Katie or even his mom and brothers, but overall he is NOT a poor me type of guy. He is probably more worried about inconveniencing the nursing staff then he is about himself. That's just the type of guy he is; always concerned with others and putting himself last (unless it has to do with his favorite video game :) ) Seriously though, he has been amazing since finding out. As much as he doesn't want to be in the hospital, going through treatment, he has taken it all in stride. He does what needs to be done to beat this and come home. I can only hope that if I had to go through anything like he and Katie have gone through, that I would be able to handle it with as much strength and dignity as they have. Seeing how they have dealt with this situation and all the support they have been given, puts a lot of things in perspective for me. It's all in how you handle the things life throws at you. It's your faith in God. Your support network. I am humbled by my family. I am blessed to have each and every one of my immediate and extended family members and friends.

Thank you each and every one of you for being an amazing part of my life.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

American Idol

I was reminded tonight on why I wait until the try outs are over to watch American Idol. The auditions are PAINFUL!!!! Tonight was no different. There were a handful of really good people that made it through. There was one guy who literally begged his way through. I think that was the judges one pity vote. He won't survive round
1.

Seriously, what makes these people think they can 1. sing well and 2. that their "props" are appropriate. Are they just hoping to get noticed on t.v. for a minute? A guy goes on dressed in yellow with a banana and sings about a banana...what was he thinking?

Another guy compares himself to Josh Groban....that I think is one of the 7 deadly sins because he was NO Josh Groban. Do these people not have at least one good friend or family member that can be honest with them. If I hear I have been singing since I was 3 one more time, I may throw the remote through the t.v. Just because you have been singing for a long time does not mean you ever had talent. Are there people around when you sing? Does the dog sing with you? Come on people...get a clue!

And STOP SINGING OVER THE RAINBOW!!!! IT'S SO OVER DONE!!!

Now the highlights for me were Jason Castro's brother Michael. He is not as cute as Jason, but he can sing. I do think he smokes a lot of pot with his brother, but he really can sing.

The guy who recently lost his wife was really good! And there were a couple others that were impressive. I really want Anoop to make it a couple rounds, just because of his name. He wasn't too bad either.

I'm excited for auditions to be over, so we can see the ones who can actually sing!

The Things I Learned While Watching the News...

I normally get most of my news online. I read the newspaper online and check MSN and Yahoo as well as some of the other news sites. Today I decided to watch the local news on television before checking my usual sites.

I learned that we are responsible to shoveling our own sidewalks and the sidewalks in front of our houses. Imagine that....we have to be responsible for our own property.

Chrysler is doing some cut-backs....mainly stopping production of the PT Cruiser. As this was being said they showed a clip of a man unveiling Chrysler's brand new company sign in front of their building. Not a real good reinforcement of the topic of cut-backs...

People do not think of their childrens' well being or future when they choose a name for them.
This story really irritated me. I know there are celebrities who come up with strange names for their kids, but there is usually a middle name or nickname that child can eventually use...in most cases anyway. In the other cases, they can just blame their parents drug use or fame.
I have friends and acquaintences that choose names for their children that have some special meaning for them. While I don't always agree with their choices...it is their child and their choice. I'm sure there are people that won't like the name I have chosen for my baby. However, the people I heard about today top the cake...

Copy and paste this video link to see what I am talking about.

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&vid=29490dd0-e015-4fc0-b635-bd0c97858e53



This family wants people to accept the names they have chosen for their children. They want tolerance for the names they have picked because their children will not do the same things that the people they were named after did. However, the names they chose are actual Nazi people. They didn't stop with just naming their son Adolf Campbell. They named him Adolf Hitler Campbell because they liked the name....Give me a break! Their son looks like a little girl. They dad screams hillbilly racist and the mom seems to be living under a rock. How in the world could they do this to their children? I'm not sure taken the kids away is the best answer, but then again who knows how far this family will go. Imagine in 7 years or so when little Adolf is in school learning about the Holocaust and the infamous Adolf Hitler. If he turns out to be a really good kid, how is he going to feel finding out he was named after a man who was responsible for thousands of deaths? And if he doesn't turn out to be such a great kid due to his upbringing are they going to use his name as an excuse then? It's all very sad. The parents used their children to make a statement and the statement was NOT, see how much I love my children.

What also gets me is the ignorance these people have. This all started with ordering a birthday cake for little Adolf. Most parents have Happy Birthday and the child's first name on the cake. These people wanted Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler Campbell put on the cake. They could have stopped at Adolf and noone would have said anything, but they didn't do that. So, the store refused to do it. Good for them. The parents wanted people to know the kids whole name. And they wanted that store to refuse them so they could get some publicity. Another way to use their kids. If you are going to give your children names that can offend hundreds of thousands of people throughout their lifetime then make your own darn birthday cake at home! You wanted to make a statement....Well the statement has been made and now you must live with the consequences. Hopefully, you have learned something. We live in a world that is built on past experiences and intolerances. That is how we evolve. You can't expect people to just overlook a monumental even in our world's history so you can use your children to take us right back there. Drop the poor me attitude and take responsibility for being ignorant people. It's obvious you WANTED this....now deal with it.

That's enough of my soap box for now. This is why it's not healthy for me to watch the news. :)

Friday, November 21, 2008

When did Jesus get left out of Christmas?

I was taking to one of the guys at work today about Black Friday. The Friday after Thanksgiving where people wake up as early as possible and hit the mall and shopping centers looking for great deals on Christmas gifts.

I personally am not a fan of shopping malls and crowds of people. Partially because I am claustrophobic and that just gives me a panic attack. I would rather buy the items online and have them shipped to my house. Back to my point though...

Joe and I were talking about the NEED to buy gifts for people. Last time we checked Christmas had something to do with this guy named Jesus and not how much I can spend on my friends and family. We both decided that baking cookies or making a little ornament were just as good as buying me something that may be outdated in a few years. When did our need to buy things for others take over our gratitude to a God who gave us His ONLY son just so we could be forgiven of our sins. We concentrate on being Thankful at Thanksgiving and greedy at Christmas. Shouldn't we be Thankful on both Holidays?

Don't get me wrong, a lot of family and friends of mine are Thankful and teach their children that Christmas is more than just presents and Santa Claus. I'm not saying everyone fits into one particular category. I love Christmas....I love having my family together and eating really great food and watching the kids get excited over their pile of gifts. I love the decorations and the lights. But I also love going to midnight mass and feeling a presence greater then myself in the sanctuary full of candlelight and Christmas songs.

It's time that we bring Christ back to Christmas and put aside ourselves. Love our families and be grateful that we have a place to spend Christmas and people to spend it with.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Life

After receiving some alarming news about my grandparents I thought I would spend some time with them yesterday. It was very nice, short, but nice. They are wonderful people. I spent a good portion of my adult life and even my younger years with them; living with them, spending the night, looked after while dad was at school and mom worked....They are more than just my grandparents, they are like another set of parents to me. I have been exceptionally blessed with my family. I have wonderful parents and grandparents, a couple amazing sisters who have overcome quite a bit in their lives and now are raising their precious daughters. I have a pretty cool brother, who doesn't always make good decisions, but he's always had a good heart and great personality. All of my in-laws (brothers, sisters, mothers, father, etc..) are really great people too. I have seriously been blessed. I can't forget my husband. He has put up with more than any man should or even would put up with. He's pretty great too.

Back to the point of my rambling. Spending time with my grandparents made me remember how God has blesses me with these people. My grandfather has not been doing very well for several years. His health has been decreasing, as well as his independence. Last year they were in a serious car accident which caused my grandfather to have another stroke, which severely set him back. He was in and out of nursing homes, because my grandmother had a broken ankle and couldn't take care of him. Justin and I lived with them for a few months after the accident to take care of them. Then we had Home Health Care until my grandmother recovered.

She is all of 5'0 and 110lbs or so. My grandfather is 6'0 or more and down to 150 or so. My grandmother has always cooked and cleaned and ironed his shirts their whole married life. The women took care of the home and the men made the money and major decisions. Well now my grandma does the usual things, makes the decisions, transports my grandpa, helps him in the bathroom (quite a bit), and some how manages to find a little time to do the things she likes to do. She's amazing. I know her life is not what she imagined. I know she gets overwhelmed and a little depressed from time to time. But she will NEVER show it. She has the most upbeat and positive personality I've ever seen.

As I was sitting there yesterday, she was getting ready to give my grandpa a suppository. She had been taking him back and forth to the bathroom since I had been there. For the first time, I realized the kind of woman my grandmother is. She does these things, partially because she feels she has to, but also because that's what she signed up for. For better or worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. Which got me thinking, could I do that for Justin. Could I give him a suppository if he needed me to. Could I wipe his bottom, and help him with his daily needs? I love him. I did that for a living at one point. I did that for my grandfather at one time. I know that I have it in me to do that, but I couldn't imagine actually HAVING to do that for Justin. I can't imagine what it's like to lose the future you have imagined with your spouse. I can't imagine what it's like to lose the one person who has always been constant and half of you, your entire life. I know that I COULD do whatever was necessary to take care of Justin. I know that I WOULD do whatever is necessary, but I still can't imagine ever having to. It's scary. My grandma is absolutely amazing. I can only pray that I have a fraction of her strength and determination as I get older.

Life continuously changes. Never take the people you claim to care about for granted. Hold them close, tell them you love them, and appreciate their strengths. You can even appreciate their flaws, those are what make them different from you.