Day One

I'm sure that everyone knows this really isn't "Day One" for me. If you took the time to check my profile (I mean, if you really wanted to), you would see that I'm a year and a month away from "older than dirt" status - no offense to those that are 40+ that might happen to stumble onto this blog.

The thing is, age is really an odd concept. Its an old joke, but we begin our lives as a mass of cells, growing and multiplying, we are eventually born; naked, helpless; we grow some more; learn to walk, eat slushy, slimy versions of fruits and vegetables (no wonder all we want is pizza and french fries once we hit high school!), crap in our pants, grow to adulthood, work 30-50 years for one company or another (or 1-3 years for 30-50 companies!), retire, and work our way back into eating slushy, slimy versions of fruits and vegetables, crapping in our pants once again, and then ultimately dying and becoming a decomposed pile of cells -- food for some other creature. It never ceases to amaze me. We are born but to die.

Do I sound (or read as the case may be) a cynic? Nah. Not at all. I love life! I love this stage in my life, I should say. I'm on my 2nd marriage -- the odds are that we will divorce because more than 1/2 of all 2nd marriages do end in divorce. I am, however, against the concept, and have not even entertained the possibility at this point. Larry and I have been married almost 5 years. I have known him much longer than that, and have always believed him to be my soul-mate. Oh quit gagging -- you're just jealous! He is a wonderful husband, and a great step-father, or bonus dad as we call the position, to my offspring. He is, in a word, perfect....AND IT DRIVES ME ABSOLUTELY, FREAKIN, NUTS!!!! But, I love him nonetheless.

I also have the privilege of raising two of the most talented, beautiful, good-hearted, moody, irritating, self-centered, spoiled children on the face of the earth! Tyler is my teenager -- 13. There is nothing on the planet worse than a 13 year old boy in the height of puberty. The first loves (I think he has had about 7), the acne, the armpit hair, you name it, we deal with it -- DAILY. Then there is MacKenzie (we call her Mac) -- 11. She is beginning to grow rapidly and soon will surpass her mother (not a big stretch as I'm only 5'2). Mac is just beginning to enter that glorious time when every girl becomes a woman -- BUT NOT YET! THANK YOU LORD!
They are WONDERFUL kids. Don't get me wrong - I love to tease them. They are God's greatest gift to me - after that of HIS son and I'm thankful everyday for their love and affection. (OK, I SAID SOMETHING NICE ABOUT YOU, NOW GO CLEAN YOUR ROOMS!)

Now, what was I saying before? Hmmm. Never mind. Guess it is the early stages of Alzheimer's. Someone gave me the name of a good memory doctor, but I can't remember where I wrote it down (Ba-dum-dum). Oooh...that was a stinky one. Sorry.

I work for Toyota. Financial Services, that is. When I was filling out my profile and it asks me to put in my occupation, there was a place for Automotive, Banking, Transportation, etc. No Finance. What I actually do though is quality assurance. You know that recording you get when you call a company's customer service department -- "Your call may be monitored and/or recorded for Quality Assurance purposes...HANG UP NOW!" -- That's me. I'm the monitor/recorder. I've been with the company since 1998, I joined up just after my 30th birthday. I spent my first 2 years in Customer Service, the next 6 in Customer Loyalty (long description and a topic for another day), and I have been a PE Analyst (PE is not Physical Education , but "Performance Excellence") since 09/11/06 (ironic date). I love it. I would be lying if I said that I did not love where I work and what I do. And I'm not writing that just because someone I work with just might read this blog. I really do. They have been good to me, and I think I will work there till I retire -- besides, I'm sure that at my age, no one else wants me.

This windy introduction has about come to a close. Actually, my carpal tunnel is kicking in and my stomach is growling to the tune of "We're Off to See the Wizard..."

Much love and God Bless.