What is on your mind

[Orema]

Im up for a promotion and it's on my mind this morning. Have been waitng since November-ish, and should know something soon. I'm incredibly impatient, so I have some anxiety and nervous energy ... I know there will be some talk, or maybe even grumblings if I get it. My manager has my back on this, but she's a decision maker and I'm part of her team that executes her decisions. I have to work with the grumblers to execute her decisions and am now wondering if it's worth it.

For me, it almost doesn't matter what daily challenges I face in my work, but what is really important is if I can get people outside my department to work with me in solving problems. It's easier to get people to work with me if they aren't angry or annoyed.

This is in the context of me working in a department that doesn't generate revenue--all we do is spend money and we spend lots of it, so we're already getting cock-eyed looks.

I'll be glad when this is over and I don't have this concern flittering on the edges of my consciousness

[PatrickIver]

I am thinking that without inflection and tone, words can be inferred however one "hears" them. So that makes me think of a good word for the day: clarification. I am also thinking about last night and convos that I had. Finally, about having a family dinner tomorrow and that I am really looking forward to it, and in the end that is what is truly important. In the words of a chat mate: Shake it off!

[theoddz]

This, from cnn.com this morning:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/16/world/...ety/index.html

This brings to mind something my father talked to me about, on several occasions. When I first moved to Las Vegas with my ex, Pop cautioned me about eating at the various Chinese restaurants in town. Dad was full Chinese (2nd Generation from Canton, China), the youngest of 7 children, raised in Hawaii. and an absolutely excellent cook!!!! No, he didn't do it for a living, but let's suffice to say that, over the years of my childhood, I got to eat some really GREAT Chinese cooking, most of it home style!! My grandmother and aunt would come from Hawaii to our home in Savannah, Georgia, and stay for, sometimes, 3 months at a time, cooking most every day. My grandmother, who taught my dad and his siblings to cook, was second to none in the "chef" arena, and could, via Chinese homestyle cooking, feed 9 people with one chicken (and everyone had their fill!!)!!! Chinese food, in itself, is good, nutritious, economical and healthy. BUT..........

Dad said that one had to be very, very careful about eating in Asian restaurants. Why?? Well, basically, because in restaurants owned by many native Asians (those who come from the "old countries"), the standards of cleanliness that we usually enjoy here in western restaurants, is not maintained in some of the Asian restaurants. In some Asian restaurants, here in the U.S., cooks are brought over from the old countries and, even though they may have to be educated in the use of proper food handling techniques, they don't always employ them in their day to day operations.

Here in Las Vegas, as in may be the case in other big cities, the local newspaper, the Las Vegas Review Journal, carries a column in the Wednesday edition of the newspaper. One of the local television stations also does a broadcast version of "Dirty Dining". This column and show expose local restaurants to the public and maintain a "demerit" system that is used to either force local eating establishments to clean up or simply close them down for unsanitary conditions/food preparation. Incidentally, the #1 reason that restaurants, here in the LV valley, are cited is for "failure to maintain food at adequate temperatures" to prevent spoilage. There are many other reasons, too, and I remember reading about one Vietnamese pho (noodle soup) restaurant getting immediately closed down for that reason and for also thawing a chicken out in the friggin' mop sink!!!! Anyway, here's the link to the RJ's "Dirty Dining" web site, so you can see it for yourself:

http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/dirty-dining

As for Dear Wife and me, we make it a practice to not eat at places that are not well known to us, via personal experience or our family/friend's recommendations. Still, we do try to eat at home, most of the time, where we know how our food is prepared and that our groceries are fresh and stored properly. My dad taught me to cook quite a few Chinese dishes, along with other kinds of foods, like eggs, steaks (I'm great with a BBQ) and I do okay. I'm not him, of course, but I do well enough for Dear Wife and myself. One thing I don't eat, and would not eat, is any kind of raw seafood. I will NOT eat sashimi/sushi or raw oysters. Seafood spoils extremely easily and I don't trust restaurants to keep these foods fresh. Dear Wife is an excellent cook and does most of the cooking at our house. That's mostly because she enjoys trying new recipes and she has some really wonderful dishes that are her own. She does enjoy my cooking, as well, and loves the respite that my cooking brings, from time to time.

I just wanted to share Pop's message about being careful about eating out at restaurants, particularly ones that you don't know much about. The food may taste good, but you never know how it was prepared, or under what conditions. Getting sick from food poisoning is something I don't ever want to do, and I'm certain that you all feel the same way!!!

Bon apetit!!!

~Theo~

[Medusa]

Originally Posted by bright_arrow

Things that did not make it into my boxes..

Jewelry that meant a lot to me, bits of clothing, a book series I had just started.

Hm.

bright_arrow-

On October 25th I made contact with you and asked you to "please please please do NOT post anything that an ex could even remotely think is about them." (my exact words)

And you have been around long enough to know that this is just not ok.

Breakup drama *in any form* does not belong on the Planet.

Because we have already issued a warning about this very type of posting, you are now on a 30-day time-out.

When you return, please keep in mind that referencing a break up, an ex, or any sideways-type of statements that invite ugliness need to be kept off-site.

Thanks,
M

[JDeere]

Finding a way to get the hell out of this town and state AGAIN!

[PatrickIver]

There was a coyote in my mom's back yard this morning and she has feral cats that she feeds. I am afraid for them.

As a side dish, I feel like a fool. But, I will get over it. Onward and upward.

[Daniela]

Originally Posted by PatrickIver

There was a coyote in my mom's back yard this morning and she has feral cats that she feeds. I am afraid for them.

As a side dish, I feel like a fool. But, I will get over it. Onward and upward.

I hope the cats are ok. Your mom, too!

99% of my life is feeling like a fool, so you've got company. I don't know if it's good company, though.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by PatrickIver

There was a coyote in my mom's back yard this morning and she has feral cats that she feeds. I am afraid for them.

As a side dish, I feel like a fool. But, I will get over it. Onward and upward.

They will definitely eat the cats if they can, but it's cat or dog food left outside or open garbage that might have attracted them in the first place (I'm not saying in your mom's place, just in areas of human habitat in general), or the smell of fast food deep fat fryers, or the dumpsters behind restaurants, etc.

If you google coyote and fast food restaurant, tons of stuff will come up. They've been videoed going into fast food restaurants and snatching food from tables without the patrons even noticing. The "wily" coyote nickname is apt.

My friend in L.A. lost her cat to a coyote. They come down from Griffith Park and the canyons around Santa Monica.

They're hungry and their habitat is shrinking. They eat, then go back to their pups and regurgitate the food for the litter to eat.

The animals that survive our destruction of the earth the longest will be the ones who can adapt to eating our garbage—or eating our pets.

House cats are the safest of course, but I think indoor/outdoor cats have more interesting lives. The best of both worlds, and the worst. And feral cats really have it hard, I guess.

Toddlers left alone in backyards are also not so safe from coyotes, though they aren't the most aggressive canines out there.

[TruTexan]

llɐ ʇı ʞɔnɟ

[Cailin]

Originally Posted by JDeere

Finding a way to get the hell out of this town and state AGAIN!

I think you need a night out. No one "wants" to leave texas.. tsk tsk..... you just need a new city. nods. I wouldn't fare well over yonder either.

[Cailin]

on my mind... so many things, but I'll keep it sweet


as in, I need to do something with all these apples. thinking apple crisps and send them off to my mom, grandma, and my clients wife that i'm going to go see.


also, I need to make my biscotti's nom nom

why is the cat ALWAYS on me.. always... eternally always.. I sit down, and she creeps up and BAM! she's on me within 2 minutes. she's a white cat. I wear dark clothes. this is not a good relationship.

[JDeere]

Originally Posted by Cailin

I think you need a night out. No one "wants" to leave texas.. tsk tsk..... you just need a new city. nods. I wouldn't fare well over yonder either.

I actually want to leave Texas. I am not a native Texan.

[SleepyButch]

Originally Posted by Ginger

They will definitely eat the cats if they can, but it's cat or dog food left outside or open garbage that might have attracted them in the first place (I'm not saying in your mom's place, just in areas of human habitat in general), or the smell of fast food deep fat fryers, or the dumpsters behind restaurants, etc.

If you google coyote and fast food restaurant, tons of stuff will come up. They've been videoed going into fast food restaurants and snatching food from tables without the patrons even noticing. The "wily" coyote nickname is apt.

My friend in L.A. lost her cat to a coyote. They come down from Griffith Park and the canyons around Santa Monica.

They're hungry and their habitat is shrinking. They eat, then go back to their pups and regurgitate the food for the litter to eat.

The animals that survive our destruction of the earth the longest will be the ones who can adapt to eating our garbage—or eating our pets.

House cats are the safest of course, but I think indoor/outdoor cats have more interesting lives. The best of both worlds, and the worst. And feral cats really have it hard, I guess.

Toddlers left alone in backyards are also not so safe from coyotes, though they aren't the most aggressive canines out there.

When I lived in MN on five acres, I had a coyote problem. Saw two at the most but usually just one. There was a pond with ducks, geese, and various little offspring out in the front of the house. I also had dogs and no fenced yard.

Two experiences come to mind.

The first was in the middle of the night. I got up to let the dogs out and it was pitch dark aside from the light on the house. I let the dogs out and they stayed close to the deck and I could see them. All of a sudden, a coyote howled. It was extremely close and very loud. Scared the hell out of me because of course, I couldn't see if there was more than one. So I got the dogs in quickly.

Another time, I was out on the riding mower and as I came around the side of the house, it was creeping down to the pond. Well, I turned off the blades and hit the gas and took off after it and chased it to the back woods. Went about my business and came back around and it was there again! I went and got a shovel out of the shed, got back on my lawn mower and chased it again, screaming at it to get. The lawn mower was really old and really loud so I doubt it could hear me but still. So it went into the brush of the property line where I couldn't go and turned around and looked at me. We had a staring contest and then it took off.

A few days later, I was working in my office and heard the geese squawking. I jumped up and went to the front door and saw the coyote had something in its mouth. I took off out the door towards it and as I got closer, it dropped it and went off a little ways. I stopped, looked to see if the animal was alive and it wasn't. I thought it was a rabbit. So I left because it shouldn't die in vain. The coyote needed to eat. Later I learned it was one of the goslings. I was upset already but that just upset me even more as the parents came back every year to have their young.

I know that animals of prey need to eat other animals to survive and I'm sure she was feeding young, but that didn't need to happen to my wildlife! Anyway, I asked the landlord for a BB gun to scare it away with the noise and he gave me this rifle that shot pellets. I had no idea how to use it, never shot a gun before so watched YouTube and learned how to load it. Went out side to load it and shoot a can and as I was loading it, the coyote came out of the woods right by me. It saw me with the rifle and took off. I never saw it again. I would have never shot it but it must have thought I was going to.

They are definitely smart and cunning animals and how stupid was I to chase after the damn thing? lol. Oh well.

[starryeyes]

The Grateful Dead are doing a final farewell show July 3, 4 and 5 in Chicago at Soldier Field. I am constantly thinking about getting tickets!!! Only a few more weeks until they go on sale!!!

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by SleepyButch

When I lived in MN on five acres, I had a coyote problem. Saw two at the most but usually just one. There was a pond with ducks, geese, and various little offspring out in the front of the house. I also had dogs and no fenced yard.

Two experiences come to mind.

The first was in the middle of the night. I got up to let the dogs out and it was pitch dark aside from the light on the house. I let the dogs out and they stayed close to the deck and I could see them. All of a sudden, a coyote howled. It was extremely close and very loud. Scared the hell out of me because of course, I couldn't see if there was more than one. So I got the dogs in quickly.

Another time, I was out on the riding mower and as I came around the side of the house, it was creeping down to the pond. Well, I turned off the blades and hit the gas and took off after it and chased it to the back woods. Went about my business and came back around and it was there again! I went and got a shovel out of the shed, got back on my lawn mower and chased it again, screaming at it to get. The lawn mower was really old and really loud so I doubt it could hear me but still. So it went into the brush of the property line where I couldn't go and turned around and looked at me. We had a staring contest and then it took off.

A few days later, I was working in my office and heard the geese squawking. I jumped up and went to the front door and saw the coyote had something in its mouth. I took off out the door towards it and as I got closer, it dropped it and went off a little ways. I stopped, looked to see if the animal was alive and it wasn't. I thought it was a rabbit. So I left because it shouldn't die in vain. The coyote needed to eat. Later I learned it was one of the goslings. I was upset already but that just upset me even more as the parents came back every year to have their young.

I know that animals of prey need to eat other animals to survive and I'm sure she was feeding young, but that didn't need to happen to my wildlife! Anyway, I asked the landlord for a BB gun to scare it away with the noise and he gave me this rifle that shot pellets. I had no idea how to use it, never shot a gun before so watched YouTube and learned how to load it. Went out side to load it and shoot a can and as I was loading it, the coyote came out of the woods right by me. It saw me with the rifle and took off. I never saw it again. I would have never shot it but it must have thought I was going to.

They are definitely smart and cunning animals and how stupid was I to chase after the damn thing? lol. Oh well.

Interesting SB! I think what you describe is the dance that a lot of people go through as they negotiate space with the creatures that were there first or were somewhere else and got pushed into our territory.

I saw coyotes now and then when I had a house upstate with my Ex. Coyotes look like smaller, more down-and-out versions of wolves. They have that crouching, furtive kind of trot, heads down, sidelong looks left and right, constantly on the watch.

I read that when wolves chase them, they go uphill, then race downhill. Apparently they can run downhill with a lot more skill and agility than the larger wolves or bears.

I also read that when wolf populations are low, they will mate with coyotes. But when wolf populations are high, they kill coyotes.

Sorry for going on so much. But coyotes kind of fascinate me.

[Kätzchen]

Insanity

[Bard]

Work and the upcoming accreditation team that will be here, everyone in command staff is going crazy. The political BS is getting deep and the road patrol is paying the price. Just have to remember to come in do my shift and stay out of the line of fire...


And yeah lots of stuff

[satindoll]

I have been thinking a lot of my "hometown", and sharing it with the people I love. I was born in Minnesota, but I miss the magic of being in the south. Being able to hear the trains as the last sound that I hear at night and the first sound that I hear in the morning. The Smell of peaches at the end of the summer. The cicadas and crickets while sitting on the drive port at dusk. What I miss MOST is being able to climb the tree in my Grandmother's front yard. Magnolias, are magnificent!
I can't even express how excited I get when I see Magnolia branches. Yes, I think a trip "home" is in order. I am HOMESICK

[cinnamongrrl]

How quickly good can turn to bad....

My own personal black cloud

How the mouse plays when the cat is away