Loren's Life

Greetings From The UK

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:27:00 +0000

In London for a few days to visit with Karen and the kids before the move to Abu Dahbi. I left Jeff at home with a full bank account and no beer in the fridge. Should I worry?

I'd Like A Side of Fries With That Palin

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:37:00 +0000

Who watch the VP debate last night? It was a blast watching Biden chew her up and spit her out like a bad hamburger.

Granted, she was more prepared for the debate than I expected, but that was just the debate. That was the result of her spending quality time at Camp McCain cramming for her final exams. What about being prepared to be Vice President?

The United States is already a joke to most other major countries. If she were to be VP, from a pop culture view, the material would be priceless. As far as damaging the country beyond repair because of her being in a constant state of denial that she can actually do the job is down right scary. I'm sick of her thinking that she is qualified for the job. She's an ornament, just an ornament.

I'm disappointed that McCain wants this presidency so bad that he is willing to risk the good of this country by choosing this freak show of a Governor because she is a woman rather than choosing someone who could do right by him and this country should something happen. By what means of doing right by McCain you wonder? Not much because his policies are delusional, but I'm trying to throw this war vet some respect.

I hope and pray Obama and Biden can get in to office and salvage what is left. America deserves a break from corrupt, greedy and just plain stupid politics.

Fran

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:15:00 +0000

On the way to a meeting at our Longwood office, I was driving on State Road 436 which is an 8 lane highway. What I thought was a black plastic bag turned out to be a 6 week old kitten in the middle of the road.

I was going about 60 mph when I slammed on my brakes and ran through traffic to pick up the poor thing. How it got there and without being ran over by a car is beyond me. She doesn't have a tail, I first thought she was abused or hit by a car especially since she was dragging herself. Turns out, she just doesn't have a tail. I turned the car around to tell Jeff what just happened and then called a work colleague who was going to be at the meeting to tell the rest of them I would be late.

Jeff took the baby to the office with him to start the process of finding her a home. She was just out of it, very weak and tired and in shock. We fed her kitten formula and after a good night sleep and a full belly, she was beginning to perk up Tuesday morning. We named her Francis, Fran for short, after the patron saint of animals.

She went to work with Jeff again, but by now her appetite was in full force, wanting her feedings on demand. When Jeff would call me you could hear her making a fuss so he brought her to my office for the rest of the day because he couldn't get any work done. By the time I was signing off my computer, Jeff called me with the great news, the kitten has a new home.

I got home from work with the Fran and gave her a meal of formula and wet food, then to the litter box where she immediately figured out what to do. I wanted her to figure the box out before she went to her new home because "making" a kitty go potty can be a lot of work. She ate like a trucker, wanted to hang out with the dogs and explore the house. I was confident Fran was going to be fine.

We me her new mom at Starbucks last night. She is a friend of an associate of Jeff's who has had cats all her life and volunteers for a cat rescue. She has two cats already, but was ready to adopt a third when she got the call. Immediately the two bonded and Fran was off to a good life.

R.I.P. WaMu

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:09:00 +0000

At least we won't have to hear those stupid commercials anymore.

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:43:00 +0000

My phone has been ringing off the hook this morning thanks to Bush's speech last night. I will tell you what I have been telling everyone. FDIC.gov and bauerfinancial.com are excellent resources to make sure your bank is sound and to figure out your FDIC coverage (there are a ton of formulas on figuring that out) by using their awesome FDIC calculator.

I'm not freaking out, but defiantly concerned. I know all this will work out in time, but for the immediate we all just need to be smart with our money. I have already lost about 80% of my retirement, Jeff has lost about half of his mutual funds. It sucks, but we'll have to work just a little bit harder to make that up.

If anything I'm pissed off. I'm pissed off that all these assholes who are walking away with their multi million dollar compensation packages that are a part of this bail out plan and the people who are in my position have to clean up the mess left behind. I'm pissed off that once again the middle class have to pay the bill.

Everyday I read more and more on people living in their cars, tent cities popping up everywhere and how honest people are turning to desperate acts of fraud to just put food on the table. It just kills me because it's not fair. I keep thinking to myself that these greedy suits will get theirs someday and that's what keeps me motivated to stay positive.

I hope Bush and the rest of his money grubbing posse can sleep at night in their warm 900 thread count sheets while the rest of America pays for it.

Blehhhhh

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:50:00 +0000

Lately my work life has been consumed with how bad the market is doing, how foreclosures are increasing, how small business are closing and how savings and retirements have been sucked dry. All I do all day long is deliver bad news to people by pretty much telling them we are out of options and there is nothing more that can be done or that they owe us more money than what they are worth. I feel like the Grim Reaper. I hate it that the people who would come in and chat with me and joke around are now afraid of the news I have to give them when I call, or when I tell them I need to see them in person. I hate it when people in their 40's or 50's burst in to tears in front of me because they are losing everything. I hate it that I'm working more as a bounty hunter and crisis manager. In light of all of this, I still love banking. With this job, you know you have to deal with some pretty ugly stuff, but lately it's just been a lot, all day, everyday.

I just needed to vent, I know things are difficult for many. I'm lucky that so far Jeff's job is secure, my job is secure ( in banking, that's a major plus), our house is secure, us and the babies are healthy and so on and so on. It's just that work is so sad right now. It's been like this for a few months and I don't think it's going to change any time soon.

Since The Last Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:59:00 +0000

Sorry, I have been crazy busy. Here's a brief update since my last post.

1. I got bangs. I have the Katie/Suri doo pre Katie pixie. Everyone loves it.
2. I found out in a meeting the other day that they are doing mega system updates right before I go on vacation and I have an audit the day I get back. Yish!
3. My coworker got engaged so I'm having fun looking at wedding stuff with her. Oh the memories.
4. Getting Jeff ready for his trip to Austin to see the Hollands the to Philly for a conference.
5. Watching Dexter, it's so addicting!
6. Laughing at (demon bitch) Palin. Nominating her was insulting to women, in my opinion.
7. Getting over my mushroom cravings. I hated them all my life, but it seems like overnight I can't get enough of them. Now I'm sick of them again.

Have a great weekend!

Sarah Palin

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:04:00 +0000

I watched a little bit of her speech, but asked Jeff to change the channel before I ruptured a blood vessel.

What I got from the roughly twenty minutes of her yammering on was how much the Democrats suck and how they are going to ruin the country. Okay Sarah, but what are the Republicans going to do to save this country? More beauty pageants? That's what I love about these speeches. The Republicans can only slam the Democrats, toss some one line insults around and declare themselves fierce and ready for battle. They never say what they're going to do to fix the problems we are having. It's like they're in a constant state of denial. At least Obama and Biden brought some really interesting ideas and proposals to the table.

I'm happy McCain chose Palin. Now I'm even more confident Obama will win.

Go back to your igloo Palin, this Hillary supporter is going Obama all the way!

A Little Weekend Away

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:40:00 +0000

We went down to my hometown of Fort Myers and Sanibel for Labor Day weekend. We had a great time filled with the best seafood, beach and lots of much needed R&R. I even surprised Jeff with a bottle of wine I packed when we checked in to unwind with.

I took Jeff to the Edison and Ford Estate for a tour. It's the only thing Fort Myers has to offer and he was to sunburned the last time we were down to check it out. He was impressed with the houses and the labs, but nothing topped the banyan trees. I guess they are a spectacle, but when you grow up around them, it's not that big of a deal, but Jeff was just memorized. Now that I've been away from them for a while, seeing them was amazing. They are the most beautiful tree. I even took him to the one in front of the government building. This tree is special because my mom joined a protest because the city wanted to cut it down for more parking, but she and her group stood their ground and managed to save it.

The only thing that gets you when you go back home is all the changes. Fort Myers and Sanibel used to be quaint and original and just stood apart. Now it's turning in to another Orlando. Where there used to be swamp land and mangroves is now full of new strip malls and shopping centers. It wasn't so bad in 2004, but after the hurricanes I guess they're trying to attract more income. Especially on Sanibel, it's almost tacky.

In any case, it was nice to get away. We missed the babies though, but now we're home and one big happy family.

The Democratic National Convention

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:34:00 +0000

Goodness, watching Ted Kennedy speak last night was like political porn for me.

This is going to be a very exciting election year.

A Great Day To Be From Delaware And Be A Democrat

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:55:00 +0000

Biden! Biden! Biden! This blue blood girl from Delaware couldn't be more pleased.

Looks Like Elliot's Place

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:46:00 +0000

Remember when the government found out where E.T. was staying and how they turned the house to a lab with all the plastic sheets , tunnels and huge machines? Well that is how my office looks right now.

The leaks grew much worse over night, saturating the place and now they are frantically pumping water out and trying to dry the ceiling. I find it comical.

The weather is still bad. My car literally floated home last night. Everything is water logged, my neighborhood looks a mess and the forecast says it will continue through the weekend.

More to come!!!!!

Freakin' Fay

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:01:00 +0000

This stupid tropical storm just won't move! It has been raining non stop since Monday. We do need the rain, so I am grateful for that, but come on!

The babies are having the worst time ever. They don't want to go outside because it's so wet. George will eventually give in and make it fast, but Doris will just weep at the mere thought of getting wet. So we have come to terms with the princess making on the back porch and rinsing it out every time. Sounds gross, but better on the covered patio than inside on the wood floors. Life with pets is full of compromising. On a good note, Larry is stoked with all the rain, more to window watch!

My office has three leaks in the ceiling and from a cosmetic stand point looks great with the garbage cans catching the water. Our house is fine, just a lot of debris everywhere and water.

Hopefully Fay will leave by Sunday and we can all start to dry out.

Tragic

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:54:00 +0000

I was on my treadmill this morning and dropped my cd player. Not only did it break, but my Britany Spears' Greatest Hits was destroyed as well. I blame tropical storm Fay.

No, I do not like Britany Spears, but her music has a good beat to exercise along to and her Greatest Hits has a nice mix of dance beats then sappy ballards to cool down with.

So at lunch I bought a new cd player and the Spice Girls Greatest Hits! Woot woot!

The Books I'm Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000

So now that we are in baby planning mode I decided to go to Borders to get a few books on the subject.

So far we are reading...

Pregnancy Sucks: What to Do When Your Miracle Makes You Miserable: by Joanne Kimes

Pregnancy Sucks For Men: What to Do When Your Miracle Makes You BOTH Miserable: by Joanne and Jeff Kimes

Pregnancy for Dummies

If anything the books are very entertaining and very funny. When I asked the Borders guy where the pregnancy books were, he guided me to the What To Expect While Expecting. Needless to say I am staying far away from that book.

The Doris Update

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:04:00 +0000

No diabetes.

The BUN level in her blood work was high which is a sign of kidney distress but since she is so young and this was so recent, her prognosis is very good.

She is on a prescription diet to help regulate the levels and we are hoping that is all she will need. The vet feels confident that she will be okay and there is no real need to be gravely concerned (like I was yesterday while on the phone with him), but to just be aware of any other abnormal behaviors.

She had a better evening last night. Daddy bought her and George new chewy bones and just like our Doris, she refused to share and chewed the bone down to nothing then attacked George for his chewy.

Dear Doris Day, Please Don't Be Sick!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:12:00 +0000

For the last couple of days Doris has been drinking a large amount of water and hasn't been her usual bossy self. On top of that her eye turned bloodshot! So off to the vet.

The bloodshot eye was a result of her rubbing her face in some kind of chemical, either from yard pesticide from one of her walks or possibly Febreeze. She is on eye drops and they eye is already looking better.

As far as the excessive water and lack of energy it can be one of two things. Either the chemical she rubbed her face in which caused the bloodshot eye could also have bothered her mouth, throat and nasal passage and she has been drinking tons of water to get rid of any taste or sensation and just feeling crappy about the whole thing OR she could have diabetes and the excessive water drinking could have caused some kidney damage.

My sister's cat had diabetes for several years. The shots three times a day wasn't so bad, but when he was on IV's because the diabetes affected his kidneys, that was tough.

I'm hoping she's okay. I don't want my sweet Doris sick. Jeff said whatever happens happens and we will deal with whatever comes her way the best we can. I should hear back from the vet today with her blood work and urinalysis. Keep your fingers crossed.

Bud Would Be So Proud

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:29:00 +0000

This weekend Jeff and I did things that would make Bud proud.

Saturday we loaded the pick up with our mower, edger and other various yard tools and hauled them to my sister's place to do her yard as a surprise. She had been in Key West for several weeks and wanted her place to look nice for when she came home Sunday evening.

Sunday we took in a ball game at the Tropicana Field in St. Pete. Jeff's contact at a radio station hooked us up, however we drove ourselves instead of taking the party bus. We had a great afternoon of beer, hot dogs and people watching.

This morning I drove by a guy trying to hitch a ride while carrying a crow bar. Thinking about what Bud would do, I did not offer him a ride.

Top Gear

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Probably one of the best shows EVER!

We were introduced to it by Karen and Paul when we visited them last November. The show is centered around three British guys and their love for cars. Each show they have a challenge involving a trip and a car that would be the worst possible choice.

Some of the episodes involve driving an old 2 wheel drive beater across Africa and getting stuck in the salt flats, or purchasing a car for under $1,000.00 in Miami and driving from South Beach to New Orleans. While through Alabama they are challenged to paint red neck offending slogans on their cars and get through the state without getting shot or arrested. When they stopped for gas, they were almost jumped by a dozen good ole' boys because of the "Hillary For President", "Nascar Sucks" and "Man Love Is Okay" painted on the sides. It was hilarious!!!

Thanks to Karen, we have every episode on DVD, a gift from her this past weekend. We settled down last night to begin the marathon. For two people who know nothing about cars and don't really care to, we're hooked.

A million thanks to Karen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mini Break Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:05:00 +0000

Jeff and I just returned form a mini break holiday with the Kennedy's and company, staying at a beach house on Galveston Beach.

We flew out Wednesday after work and after a minor flight delay and weird people at the car rental, we arrived at the beach house around 3:00 AM. After a good nights sleep, we set out for a day of sea turtle visiting and ice cream with Julie, her husband Chris and 3 boys and Karen and Paul with their 2, and then some delicious Texas BBQ with Julie's parents.

Friday the boys went out for a round of golf and the girls stayed at the beach house, relaxing in the gulf, getting some R&R on the beach and playing with the kids. I must say, our godson Boris is a water maniac, the kid almost has gills! When the boys got back we had some lunch the back to the beach. Dinner was a traditional cookout with lots of beer. After dinner, Dawn and her daughter came over for the weekend (Dawn used to live in the UK and her daughter played with Ailsa).

On Saturday we had a family breakfast along with some visiting. Lunch was at a seafood place on the beach, where Julie and her family departed. We returned to the house for some more beach time where Dawn's boyfriend and his daughter joined us. After dinner, more friends of Karen's, Bronwyn and David came over for trivia death match.

Sunday we just took the morning off and then went for lunch. From there Jeff and drove back to Houston to catch our flight home, but not without a few tears. I'm going to miss having the Kennedy's so close. Even though they live in England, moving to Abu Dhabi seems so far away.

It was a great weekend, we had a wonderful time with everyone. I wouldn't have traded this weekend for anything.

What's Up With That?

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:05:00 +0000

A few billboards have popped up around Orlando that have sparked some controversy. They have the burning Trade Towers in the back ground and the sign reads "Please Don't Vote For A Democrat". On the bottom is a website for The Republican Song.

Funny, but if my memory serves me, W was in office, leading our country that fateful day.

Republicans are assholes.

www.wesh.com/news/16903976/detail.html

What A Headache

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:35:00 +0000

I have had FDIC shoved down my throat so much that it's starting to come out my ass.

While it is a scary time for the market and in retail banking in general, people need to get a grip and calm the F down. All this panic is making me crazy.

While I understand that people don't want to loose the money they have worked so hard for, their retirement and just plain old survival income, they also need to do some research to get a better understanding of where they're at.

Bauer Financial is a company that researches and rates banks based on their reserves and capital, gains and losses. Their webite is http://www.bauerfinancial.com/ and you should check them out.

If you're curious, my company is a four star rated bank. Woot, woot!

Bush Says Banking System Is Basically Sound

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:37:00 +0000

What???? It's a yes or no issue. You can't say "basically" when it comes to finances. When W tosses words like that around, it freaks the tacos out of me.

Holy Crap, I'm 32!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:16:00 +0000

I can't believe it. I cannot believe I am 32. This birthday will be quiet and mellow with the usual pizza in bed and Brady Bunch DVD's playing.

Some of my favorite birthdays were...

6th- Roller skating party, my dad couple skating with me and fell on his tookas.
13th- I got my new custom made speed skates!
14th- Spent it at Band Camp where a cake was delivered for me and I got my first kiss from the tuba player when we were playing hide-and-go-seek with partners.
16th- My sister took me first thing in the morning to get my drivers license.
23rd- First birthday with Jeff.
30th- Trip to Key West and a toga party!!!
31st- We adopted Doris Day.

Some of my least favorite birthdays were...

9th- I was promised my own cake since I always had to share with my sister (hers is July 17) and at the party in Delaware, we had a shared cake. I know, I was pouty, but at 9 how can you know any better?
12th- I was camping at summer camp and felt dirty and gross because I hate camping. Granted we had cabins and running water, but being outside is not my thing. Also my parents had just separated and all they did was argue. Bahhhhhhhh.
18th- The worst is all I will say.
20th- Walked in on the guy I was dating getting a little to personal with another girl.
21st- My ex boyfriend wanted to get back together, so awkward.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

noreply@blogger.com (Loren) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:36:00 +0000

I think I have said the F word in my head so many times today, I've lost count. I've also rolled my eyes so many times one got stuck. F-ing crappy day at work. Need to think of things that make me smile.

1. When George Lucas take several minutes dragging himself off the couch.
2. When Larry greets me at the door when I get home with a full report of the days events.
3. When Doris Day sits on my feet.
4. Hot bath with a gossip magazine.
5. Last but certainly not least, hugs and kisses from my Jeffrey.