addiction

We have been celebrating our anniversary on July 26th for many of the 24 years we've been together. At some point over the course of those two dozen years we just decided to pick a date that we could call our anniversary. It certainly helped in tracking the years gone by. But the date was basically made up... invented for convenience.
Now -we have a new, 'real' date. So we will celebrate then, but for old times sake, we thought we should at least honor this day with a dinner out.

Plus we were too tired to cook on Sunday.

Tired in a really good way.
Tired in a way where you may just need to nap a bit. Perhaps several times during the course of the day.


So after we dropped off our little overnight guests we went out to be served. To have someone bring us food and drink while we sat, relaxing and enjoying each others company.

It was just after dinner that our addiction reared its ugly head.
We were full.
We were tired.
And yet there, right there, on the way home was...
Starb*cks.
Home to the highly addictive Frappuccino.
What the hell do they put in those things?
We simply
had.
to.
have.
one.

There we were physically exhausted, stuffed full of sushi only to be topped off with a huge cup of frozen caffeine.

Not only did we clean the kitchen, vacuum and put away the port-a-cribs when we got home - but we poured another glass of wine and enjoyed it by the firepit.

Ahhhh. They are tasty. And cold. And refreshing. I actually want one right now.. the morning after... I could use one - just one...a small one - then I'll stop. Really.

Friday

tip-o-day

Today's tip is Pay Attention.

Just this week I called two companies with which I have accounts and got adjustments to my bill. I saved about 60 bucks just by paying attention.

If you are a customer in good standing most companies are willing to work with you. Even if you are calling about a mistake that perhaps you made.
An example of this would be; last month I failed to sign up in time for a savings package to call Ferris while he was in Italy at a discounted rate. The phone company generously back dated the package price and saved us money on transactions that had already occurred.

When you call -be sure you are in a calm state, a state of curiosity...not anger.
If a mistake has been made on your bill - it's most likely a software error. A defect. I work with this stuff all day long. There is no reason to be angry. These things happen. In fact, I like to think of defects as job security... well, for me.
When you make a call all filled with rage - you do nothing more than set the tone for the conversation.

So, be peaceful. Pay attention. Save money.

I love my sensible shoes

I was sitting at my desk at work feeling a little chilly - luckily I had brought a sweater. Sometimes the A/C in the office gets to me.

I went to get a cup of tea to warm up and passed the elevator on my way.
Standing there was a very attractive young woman in a rather clingy short dress. Once I got past the oogling - I noticed her clingy little dress was short sleeved and she wore strappy high heeled sandals. While I was easily able to appreciate every curve - nothing about that outfit looked the least bit comfortable.
I mean I may be a little colder than most - but this woman had very little on, and her feet were completely exposed. Brrr.

A fellow walked up to also wait for the elevator. He was wearing standard business-ish attire. Pleated pants with sensible shoes, I will take a leap and assume he was wearing stylish, yet comfortable, trouser socks. Long sleeve dress shirt with a short sleeve white T underneath.
He looked very comfortable.
He looked warm.
I can understand a woman wanting to look pretty and fashionable - but to me that woman standing there just started to look - -- well ... cold.
I wanted to toss her a blanket.

How many times have I seen a fancy couple out to dinner. The woman in a gorgeous sleeveless dress, and sandals. Her manly date in a suit. In November.
sheesh women...

It's times like these that just make me so happy to be a sensibly dressed lesbian.

Beni's

Today I am signing up for some health/medical benefits at the ginormous, international company that I work for now. First, before I rant --let me just say that I love the people I work with and the company has been incredibly kind and accommodating.

But ... we are ginormous - and there is this huge HR machine. The company is teaming with HR folk.

In order to sign up my 'legal' wife on my benefits, even tho we have a legal marriage certificate, I still need to have papers notarized and show 'proof' of our relationship.
If I were married to a man I would need to show no proof at all. I would simply jot his name down on the web-form and click Submit.

Fine... fine... I'm gay... ok ok.

So I am making copies today... and I prepared a letter:

Attn: Benefits Team

Please find the enclosed documents:

• a notarized copy of the Domestic Partnership Affidavit
  
• and as proof of partnership I provide:
  
  
  
  • a copy of our valid/notarized Connecticut marriage license
    
  • a copy of our drivers licenses showing our common address
    
  • a real estate tax statement showing both our names on our property
    
  
  

Please note we have owned this home together for 21 years. We are listed as each others primary beneficiary on every account we have, we have joint bank accounts as well as credit cards, and our wills show each other to be the primary recipient. And our children refer to us as their ‘parents’.

Sadly, married same sex couples need to further prove their commitment past a legal marriage document. A document, which by the way, is not required at all when claiming an opposite sex marriage.

Please let me know if you need any other information from me.

Thank you,

Friday

tip-o-day

Have you ever gotten that paralyzed feeling from some silly, seemingly daunting, project.
Perhaps it's straightening out the basement, or weeding the garden, or in my case currently.... filing.

Sometimes - my filing gets ahead of me. And so it waits.
Piling up.
It waits until I find this non-existent block of time... perhaps a rainy day, or maybe a blizzard where I am certain I will just make a cup of tea and sit down and plow through it.

um.. shyeah.. not gonna happen.

Does that happen to you?

So try this.
Just do a little.
No, really... just set a tiny little goal.

Today I filed a handful of papers.


You can't tell from looking at my piles.

But I know there's less now.

And I feel good.

where is weese?

"I heard she and her adorable wife got a timeshare on an island somewhere."

"really?!"

"yup... and there is NO internet access - BUT they have beachfront property and someone to bring them cool things to drink and fresh towels."

"really?!"

"yup... and they don't even have a phone. all they brought was a couple changes of clothes, oil paints and an easel for that artistic wife of hers, and several pairs of walmart reading glasses."

"wow."

"yup... doncha want to go too?"

Friday

tip-o-day

This tip is brought to you by Bammies.
Bammies is my mother-in-law.

Honestly I never expected to get a tip of the day from this woman...

Bammies likes to wear crocs knockoffs.
Bammies noticed tho that on hot, humid days her feet perspired.
Bammies solved the problem.


Had the picture been better I would have left it at that.
But since its kinda hard to make out...go ahead and 'biggin' the picture - notice the feminine pad placed perfectly in her shoe.
It's not only a perfect fit, but the adhesive back secures them in place. Plus... you can change them out as often as needed. What's better than that?

Of course its not nearly as funny until you hear that Pop pop is wearing them now too.
:)

the pregnant pause

I cannot stand reality TV.
O sure... I thought Survivor was nifty -- when it began ten years ago.

But now reality TV makes me want to toss the big backlit box out into the driveway.
Yes, I could just turn it off and walk away - but I am weak and clearly addicted.

You see we have this routine, and I am all about routine.

Each evening my cuddly wife and I retire to our suite to ready ourselves for rest. This inevitably happens 10 minutes or so before the hour. During this time I switch on the TV in preparation to begin some carefully selected show that will be used for the sole purpose of setting the sleepy-timer to.
For the 10 minutes or so before our show on the Great Pyramids, or Mega Movers (a weese fave) or perhaps Animal Cops comes on, there are the final moments in a myriad of REALity TV shows.

It seems to me - granted I don't actually watch the shows -- that every single one of them ends with this cliche, irritating pause before they 'reveal' the big outcome to the nervous contestant.

You know this pause. Maybe once a long time ago - it felt new and clever and left you on the edge of your seat. But seriously, how many times can a pause like this be effective, certainly its no longer gripping.

The host will lead with some ubiquitous unfinished sentence... some examples are (but not limited to):
"The audience voted and ..."
"The amount is..."
"The winner is..."
The camera then pans to the nervously awaiting contestant... and there
we

P
A
U
S
E

And so as quickly as I can I grasp for the remote, fumbling with the buttons only to switch to another channel with another host doing the same stupid pause with a different, yet frighteningly identical set of moronic contestants.

Why oh why do I not toss the thing out the window.