The Twilight Zone
People in Orlando can be pretty rude and nasty. Orlando was voted the "Unhealthiest City in America" from Men's Health because of the heat, traffic, over development and congestion. I spend half my commute to and from work giving the finger to other drivers who are rude and drive all crazy and alomst kill people. And if you know me well, I'm a pretty nice, generous and cheerful person.
Yesterday there was a change of events. I had a little old couple who came in to my office looking for a certain surgery specialist (happens all the time). They had the address, but since these buildings aren't marked, where you want to go can be hard to find. I called the doctors office and got directions and landmarks, walked the couple outside and pointed out that they were two buildings away. I gave them each a cup of water from our little water cooler and sent them on their way.
Payback can be nice. After work I had to go to
PetSmart to get a new crate for George. I feel guilty that a 30lb dog is in a crate big enough for a St. Bernard so I bought on big enough for a whole sled team. The crates can be pretty heavy and this woman saw me struggle, so she came over to help. Then after I paid and went out to my car, some dude came over and offered to load the crate in the back of my car! How nice! It was no nice I'm starting to build faith back in the human race. People can be nice.
So there you go. Nothing negative to say about anyone. I had a good day with strangers.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I am FINALLY back at my desk today. I have been in compliance and training meetings all week with this merge and then try to tackle the pile of crap on my desk that waits for me.
If cancer doesn't kill me first, this merge will. I have one more week of crazy insanity and then in June it will mellow out to just insanity. For some reason out of the twelve months out of the year, all things very important fell on this month. I have never had to cancel, move or shift or just not be available for anything this bad in my whole working life.
It's just stupid work crap and I'll get over it. I'm just sick of driving all over creation for a merger meeting, training class or being called in at the last minute to work extra because someone is tired. I need to start getting mean so I can get a break around here.
So there you go, wah wah wah I suffer. I'm such a victim of the corrupt system (actually, I am with all the hours I am logging in next to the people I work with who aren't).
FLAH FLEE FLAH FLOO! I'm done complaining.
I Got A Minute!
North Carolina was very nice. We arrived Saturday afternoon and took Bud and Sharon to church for Mother's Day on Sunday. We squeezed in a day trip to Chattanooga TN to see the new aquarium and water front. Very nice! Spent Tuesday doing a little shopping and visiting some of the Stanford's favorite neighbors.
We got home Wednesday evening and I had a conversion meeting on Thursday. I'm back at the office today (kind of hiding so I can type this). Jeff has an OSC event tonight and his Heart of the Empire event went off with out any craziness Saturday night. Good to know he can be absent and no major disaster will happen. OSC has come a long way.
We have Vino Fest Sunday in DT Winter Park, other than that it's just going to be catching up on rest and loving on the boys.
Has anyone had Maurice's BBQ in South Carolina?
Happy Mother's Day
We are going to North Carolina Saturday for our annual trip to see Bud and Sharon and celebrate
Mother's Day.
Unfortunately it will be cut a little short because of mandatory conversion training and meetings and Jeff has some work obligations he couldn't reschedule. But whatever, we will be there and seeing Sharon on Mother's Day is worth the trip.
On that note I won't be posting at all next week. We return Wednesday and I have back to back work stuff Thursday and Friday.
Peace, Love and Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!!!
Executed man's last request honored -- pizza for homeless
This story is on CNN. It has restored some of my faith in the human race. Even though this man committed murder and was executed (which I do support the death penalty), the message he left behind could hopefully keep others from ever meeting that same fate. With all the news on fires, murders, rape and abuse, it was nice to read this. It is sad that he did what he did and paid the ultimate price, but used his last wish as a message to spread random acts of kindness.
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(CNN) -- Hundreds of homeless people in Nashville, Tennessee, ate well Wednesday evening -- all in the name of a man who the state put to death just hours earlier.
Philip Workman, 53, requested that his final meal be a vegetarian pizza donated to any homeless person located near Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.
He was executed there at 2 a.m. ET Wednesday.
But prison officials refused to honor his request, saying that they do not donate to charities.
That apparently upset a few people willing to pay for and deliver a lot of pies themselves.
Homeless shelters across Nashville were inundated with donated pizzas all Wednesday.
"I was like, 'Wow, Jesus!' " said Marvin Champion, an employee of Nashville's Rescue Mission, which provides overnight shelter, food and assistance to more than 800 homeless people a night.
"I used to be homeless, so I know how rough it gets. I seen some bad times -- not having enough food, the cupboards are bare. But we got pizza to feed enough people for awhile," Champion said.
"This really shows the people here that someone out there thought of them."
$1,200 worth of piesDonna Spangler heard about Workman's request and immediately called her friends. They all pitched in for the $1,200 bill to buy 150 pizzas, which they sent to the Rescue Mission.
"Philip Workman was trying to do a good deed and no one would help him," said the 55-year-old who recruited a co-worker to help her make the massive delivery Wednesday evening.
"I knew my husband would have a heart attack -- I put some of it on the credit card. But I thought we'll find a way to pay for them later," she said. "I just felt like I had to do something positive."
Spangler wasn't the only person to place an order in Workman's name.
The president of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals read a news story about the prison denying the inmate's last request and ordered 15 veggie pizzas sent to the Rescue Mission Wednesday morning.
"Workman's act was selfless, and kindness to all living beings is a virtue," said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.
Not far away, 17 pizzas arrived at Nashville's Oasis Center, a shelter that helps about 260 teenagers in crisis. By 9 p.m. ET, more pizzas had arrived, said executive director Hal Cato.
"We talked to the kids and they understand what this is tied to and they know that this man [Workman] wanted to do something to point out the problems of homelessness."
When Workman robbed a Wendy's in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1981, he was a strung-out cocaine addict looking for a way to pay for his next high, he has said.
He was homeless at the time. Workman was convicted of shooting and killing Memphis Police Lt. Ronald Oliver during the robbery.
Many of the pizzas ordered in Workman's name were delivered anonymously, but the first 17 at Oasis Center came from a Minneapolis, Minnesota, radio station that devoted much of its morning show time talking about Workman's request.
"They were upset about it," said Cato.
He plans to call other homeless shelters in Nashville Thursday and share the pies. "They should be able to benefit from this, too," he said.
Cliff Tredway, the director of public relations for the Rescue Mission, said it's more than pizzas that helped that shelter.
"It's the story of a guy whose execution translated into a generous act," he said. "It's people donating to other people they don't know.
"It's about a group of people who society often writes off getting a pizza party today."
Huh?
In my opinion, I never thought the phrase "Who do you belong to?" was a proper introduction when meeting someone, and lately I have been hearing that a lot.
Whenever I would introduce myself to someone I did not know, or maybe know of but not real well and a random function (usually an
OSC or non profit charity dinner thing) it would go in some way shape or form of, "Hi, I'm Loren Stanford, I'm here with Jeff Stanford of the Orlando Science Center, and you are...," or "Hi, I'm Loren Stanford of M&I Bank Corp, and you are...", always shaking hands and with the whole pleasure to meet you follow up. This whole "who do you belong to" either sounds like I really should be out in the fields picking rice, I'm a four year old child who broke off my leash at the mall and lost my mommy or looking on my arm to find my tattooed ID number.
Maybe I'm old fashioned or still live under a rock and not up with current
etiquette, but to me, it just doesn't sound right. Or, manners were such a big deal in my house growing up that I have high expectations? And don't get me wrong, I can be rude, loud and out of line, but at the right time and place, I have always made it a point to treat that particular event and the people participating in it with the respect and attention it should.After saying that, I will flick off at least a dozen people on my drive home tonight. My middle finger has the reflexes of a cheetah. But I'm not in cocktail attire, so that doesn't count!
Fire-Bad!
Okay, so everything is on fire. There is zero visibility in my neighborhood since the Wekiva State park is a blaze just a few miles down. They also closed SR 46 in Lake County, not good for Jeff's parents since they bought their new house in the Mount Dora Country Club, just off SR 46.
Jeff and I both have been coughing and have had scratchy throats and sinus problems for about two weeks now, but it's pretty bad today. My office is on the first floor of the building so it's all smokey down here.
Could be worse, I could loose everything like people have in past wildfires, so I will take the atmosphere.
George Lucas Loves Apples
Yes he does! Probably not the best treat for him, but when Jeff pulls one out of the fridge, George Lucas goes CRAZY! So far his favorites are golden delicious and granny smith. I want to get some mutzus and fugi apples.
George Lucas does not like asparagus.
Larry likes dog food gravy, peas and lettuce.
Larry does not like asparagus either.
George Lucas is PUGGLE-ICIOUS!
Larry is LARRY-LICIOUS!
Booga Booga Booga
Booga Booga Booga!
My Cereal Just Exploded
When I have to open the branch, I will eat my cereal in the car. No problems because I use the little single serving box and I don't like milk on my cereal.
I'm trying to open my little box of Special K and the bag refused! I kept pulling and tugging at the seams to get it apart and it wouldn't tear.
So, I gave it one last bastard of a pull and POOF! Cereal all over me and the inside of my car.
I was laughing hysterically at myself, I could only imagine what the other drivers were thinking. I was covered in cereal and of course, wearing black so that every little piece of cereal dust would show.
I shook it off the best I could, but it's all over the inside of my car. I placed binders, folders and paperwork I wouldn't really need for the day over the mess so people wouldn't look in my car and judge.
Guess I'll have to bust out the leaf blower this afternoon!
Egg Creams
We have been joking at work about egg creams. We found out the consist of soda or seltzer water and chocolate syrup.
Sounds nasty.
How did the egg cream get its name when it doesn't have eggs or cream in it?
Harry Potter
I am sick to death of Harry Potter! For the love of all that is good, please keep it away from me.
If you know me, I have never been a fan, even considered the whole Harry Potter concept stupid. I saw the first movie and was depressed for a week over the $8.00 spent on the movie ticket.
People say that Harry Potter has gotten children to read again. And did kids really even stop reading? Or was reading the video game instructions more important? What was wrong with the books we grew up with? Why aren't parents taking twenty minutes from the TV and ask their kids what they're reading, why don't you read a book, or even read with them? I don't think the Harry Potter got kids to read, I think the Harry Potter chain or movies, dolls, posters, costumes and games got kids to read so they could find out more about the next movie or toy coming out.
I asked a person who was bragging about their Harry Potter collection, since they were through with all those books that were fit for children to read, why don't you donate them to a school or after school program so that the kids who cannot afford books have a chance to read them, you know, encourage reading?
Absolutely not. Nice to know Harry Potter can slay dragons or whatever the kid does, but he can't encourage sharing.
Whatever, you can like your Harry Potter, it's just not my thing and I'm just over it one how people are calling it a phenomenon. Go plant a tree or volunteer. Maybe we can start a new phenomenon of people crawling out of their holes and being a part of civilization, concerned with what's happening outside their doors and helping one another.
