Friday, October 28, 2005

It's free and very helpful.

I have been researching our family genealogy for months now. I have found that my favorite website is
  • Roots Web
  • This website is free and I have been able to uncover many lines of our family here.

    You can enter simply the name or dates and places if you have them as well. It will bring up anyone that matches that criteria, and hopefully you will find other family member's names and dates related to that person. In some case people have also posted stories and information about people, which I truly love. Not only do I want to find my ancestors, but I also want to know more about their life if possible.

    Give it a try. Start with you grandparents and see if you don't uncover something you didn't know, or people you didn't know existed.

    There is also Ancestry.com which you can find a lot of information on and is a very useful tool in your search. I have found it really cuts your search time in half, but it costs about $200 per year. I used their two week free subscription and really got the ball rolling on my search, but I can't afford their site right now.

    Happy hunting

    Wednesday, October 19, 2005

    Beautiful Fall



    One of my favorite times of year next to Christmas.

    OUCH!!!!!!

    My body is screaming ouch this morning! They weren't joking when they said the loading I would be doing would be hard physical labor. I've got bruises all over and so many sore muscles. But I keep reminding myself it's all worth it for the benefits, pay, potential to advance and the added bonus should be the fat it will work off of my ass.

    The team I'm working with is great. Everyone is friendly and very helpful. I found out some of them are doing this job as a second night job. One teaches English at a school in Rathdrum and my manager works in security at the hospital. They are all hard workers. I never saw a lazy bone all night. Which is so amazing. I have worked at Lowes, Wal Mart, Office Max, and other small businesses. In all the large places I have worked I have always been very frustrated at the amount of people they hire that don't pull their own weight. Definitely not the case here.

    I got to work in the "can" (trailer) stacking boxes all night. It was very fast pace and before I knew it the night was over. My manager called me in and said I was doing a great job of keeping up and that it would get easier, but for the next few nights he would send me home early. He doesn't want me to push myself too hard and not be able to be much use to them the next night, or risk an injury. I appreciated that. As much as I need the hours and money my muscles were feeling like jello, so it was probably a good idea that he sent me home when he did.

    I think I have finally found where I can settle in long term, and maybe even retire with this company. I have many skills in sales that aren't needed here, and it may seem like a waste, but I don't think I could find another company in my field that can compete with all the benefits at UPS, the security of a well established company that I can retire with. I'm finally happy where I'm at.

    Monday, October 17, 2005

    Employees are Assets

    If you will remember I did a post a while back about how so many companies treat their employees more as a liability then as an asset. I think I have found an exception to the rule.

    UPS definitely treats their employees as an asset to the company. I will be starting at $8.50/hr. Which really isn't bad to start for this area. But what makes this hard labor worth it is the benefits. My family will now have full medical, dental, and vision benefits at no charge to me. The company pays in full all of it! Not to mention the vacation time, sick days, personal days, retirement and much more.

    However, they really do work hard to pick employees that they think can handle the hard work and who will dedicate themselves to the company.

    By the way you can apply now for UPS online at www.ups.com. They will also be hiring for temporary Christmas help soon.

    I spent my first day going through orientation by watching videos and filling out all that fun paperwork. But all the people that I got a chance to meet today had great attitudes and I liked. Let's hope that everyone is like that.

    Monday, October 10, 2005

    Wal Mart Countdown.

    I only have five more days left at Wal Mart. My last night will be Friday. This week however is going to kill me. I work till midnight for the next five days. I am so glad I made Friday my last day so I have the weekend to recover before starting at UPS next Monday.

    Sareena, Update

    Thanks everyone for your supportive thoughts. I'm happy to report that Sareena is home with us. She is recovering and still needs more rest, but it looks like she will be fine. My pocket book is screaming OUCH! But she was worth it.

    I turns out the she somehow displaced her back which caused pressure and swelling in the spine. Therefore pinching off nerves so her back end didn't function any more. They gave her steroid shots and pain medication. She is now up and walking.

    We are so glad she pulled through this, even if it did cost me an arm and a leg!

    Saturday, October 08, 2005

    Pets can be costly



    We are in the middle of dealing with a dog who may or may not recover and is killing my pocket book. It's almost as expensive to have a sick dog as it is to have a sick child. However, we don't have insurance on the dog.

    Sareena became a member of our family about three years ago. We had had a Cocker Spaniel. We eventually realized that dumb dog was not a fit for our family because he would get aggravated and bite at our son. So we found a home for that dog, and then my husband started look for another one. He has always wanted an English Bulldog. He loves all the extra wrinkly skin. However, we knew we couldn't afford one, nor could we afford a dog that is notorious for many vet bills. So he started looking at the humane societies.

    He came home one day and said "I found her. I found our dog. I've already got her, and she is coming home tomorrow. I couldn't resist. I took her for a walk and when we came back she jumped up in my lap and I fell in love." I'm still standing there with a dumb founded look on my face. Then it dawned on me; this is my soft hearted husband. Yea, that sounds about right for him. So she came home the next day, and I too fell in love with her in a heart beat. She is so interesting looking that she is kinda cute. She is half Sharpea and half Bassett Hound. But mostly she is just a big lovable, sweet, gentle dog. The boys even lay across her sometimes and she doesn't even move, maybe look at them and then sigh and lay her head back down.

    Yesterday she started whimpering, walking funny and just not herself, so I took her to a veterinary clinic near by. We talked about the fact that I had given Sareena cat food the day before just to hold her over until I could get to the store to buy more dog food for her that night. So the Vet. thought that it could be gastrointeritis. So $204 later I have a few pills to give her and a possible not so bad diagnosis. Just a tummy ache mostly. But today that changed quickly. I got up the morning to find that she was almost dragging her butt on the floor. She was definitely in pain as well. So I called the Vet. We talked for a while and determined that possibly she could now be constipated so he told me to give her some vegetable oil in her food to help her and just watch her. But also keep a close eye on her. Worse case scenario she could be experiencing a spinal problem. He told me to watch and see if she gets so bad that she walks like she is drunk almost completely loosing control of her back end.

    By this evening that is what happened. James left work to come home and take her, because he had to carry her. So he comes back tonight, $385 later, to tell me they did X-ray's and her back has gone out. They are keeping her overnight and allowing her to rest. With steroids, rest, and some therapy she may completely recover. On the other hand if she doesn't recover with that and surgery is required we may be forced to make a very difficult decision to let her go. It's one I hope we don't have to make. She is the best dog I have ever had, and so wonderful with the kids, even the baby.

    Veterinary care is expensive, but when it works it can save another member of your family. However, when it doesn't work it's hard to make the decision to let them go even though you know it's not very humane to let them suffer for your own selfishness. The mood at my house is very solemn tonight. We don't want to loose our beloved member of our family.

    Thursday, October 06, 2005

    Woo Hoo!!!!!!

    I got it! Yes, I got the UPS job in Cda! I start in less than two weeks. It is bye bye Wal Mart. No more rude, grumpy, mean customers, although that also means no more fun, livily, enjoyable customers either. But at least now I can work a little less, see my hubby a little more, make more money, and have full paid benifits for the whole family! Wal Mart can't even come close! It has been a great day! I hope your day has gone as well.

    Tuesday, October 04, 2005

    "Enough is Enough!!!!!"

    In Oprah's words "Enough is enough!" It's time we put an end to this epidemic in our country! I hope everyone had an opportunity to see Oprah's show today on Sex Offenders. I don't know about you, but like Oprah I am sick, sick, sick and tired of hearing about another child being violated by an offender who has violated BEFORE!!!!!!

    What is wrong with this country? How many children have to be violated and even loose their lives before we start putting a value on the life and welfare of our children? I like how the one detective classified it "we have a health crisis on our hands." Now does that get anyone's attention? Our children's health and lives are in jeopardy.

    Let’s start today and let these people know they ARE NOT IN ANY FASHION WELCOME in our society. Stop making excuses for them, like “oh his daddy molested him and he can’t help it” Bull shit. These sex offenders are sick. Lets shun them from our neighborhoods, not do business with these ass holes, do not give them jobs, let them know they are nothing more then the dirt of the earth, and I say lets put them away for good!!!! I don’t mean the little offenses like a 21 year old who gets involved with a consenting 17 year old and commits statutory rape. I mean the ass holes who rape and molest, who stalk or even choose their victims at random, and especially if they have re-offended.

    So where do we start, first at home? Educate your self. I have discovered a website where you should start your search, www.mapsexoffender.com. Put in your address and find out where the offenders live near you. How many times have we heard of children being violated by a neighbor that the family knew? Don’t think it can’t happen to you. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you and your family! If your state does not have a registry then you have a lot more work to do then some of us. You have to some how get your state to start a registry and don’t give up. My mother had a way of dealing with the law when they wouldn’t listen to her and do anything about the drugs and prostitution in our neighborhood in California when I was a girl. She called them every night, sometimes several times. An officer told us later that it was her continued, unrelenting, persistent calls that put them in action. So do not take no for an answer. Your hard work will pay off.

    Next, common sense, we’ve heard it many times. Talk to and educate your children on what to look for.  Have your children walk to and from school or the bus in a group. Not one at a time. If your child is the only one who rides the bus in your neighborhood, then meet your child at the bus. If that isn’t possible for some reason then demand that the school districts drop your child off and pick them up at your home. Again don’t take no for an answer. You want to know how to deal with the schools and get your way. Take your child out of school until they do what is safe for your child. My mother did that with my brother and a problem teacher one time. Three days later the school agreed to move my brother to another class if she would let him come back to school. Hit them in the pocket book, and believe me it works.

    Yes my mother is a very strong stubborn woman, but her family is the most important thing to her.

    Last, but definitely not least. Parents let’s plug back into our families. I may do a separate post on this later. But to scratch the surface, don’t send your children to the mall with some cash, go with them. Parents, monitor what your children wear. When we allow our 12 year old daughters to dress like a 20 year old hooker we might as well call the predator in our neighbor hood up and say “here Merry Christmas, here is my daughter.” I don’t care how much of a fit my daughter throws. She will never dress like some children I see.  Don’t allow your children to be at home alone! We saw what happened to the Groene family. If a sicko like Duncan can overtake a family and do what he did, think about it do you think your twelve year old daughter can defend herself let alone her younger siblings? There is so much more to this I will cover in a future post.

    Monday, October 03, 2005

    A bad apple in every bunch

    This is just a warning. I have been getting posters trying to advertise their crap or their match maker sites on my blog. If this continues I will be forced to require that posters register. I hate to do that. So if you are not posting a comment related to the topic at hand then take your crap else where. I will continue to delete your posts.

    Thank you

    Sunday, October 02, 2005

    The Missing Ingredient

    I was just talking to a co-worker the other day about something that I feel very strongly about. It's the missing ingredient in our young people today.

    Have you ever stopped to think about how much homework our children have? How much book learning is crammed down their throats? Yet so many of our young people after graduating from high school are no where near being prepared for the work force. Why is that?

    In our society we are so focused on book smarts and bringing our test scores up to the level of other countries that we have over looked the one ingredient that would help our young people start a healthy productive life after school. It's not college, or a degree, or high grades. It's a combination really of work ethics, common sense, honesty (both to themselves and others), and responsibility.

    I remember when I was in high school many years ago. We had a required course called career training. Ha, was that a laugh. Sure you learned pretty much three things. How to look for a job, create a resume and cover letter, and go through an interview. Great so you get the job, now what? How do you keep it? How do you blend with other personalities? How do you take responsibility and be honest about your mistakes? How do you use common sense to deal with issues and avoid big mistakes? These are all things I see young people everyday in the working world lacking in.

    I encounter young people who are amazed at how seriously I take my job. Well they are the ones that some day will have a degree, but won't be able to keep a job or move up to a place of leadership. Then they will set back and whine and complain that they are being discriminated against, that their boss is a jerk, that the world is against them, and many more I'm sure you've heard. Leadership, well there is another one that is hardly taught either.

    I learned early on that hard work was more important then some education that there was no guarantee that I would be able to use. My first job, I was determined, was not going to be at a fast food joint. Burger grease made me nauseous. So much so that I didn't even like my husband (then boyfriend) to hug me until he had had a shower after work. I finally, after much patients and pursuing just the right job, got a job answering phones and making calls to customers at a photography studio. Two years later I was doing the sales. Then when the studio was bought out I saw they were running it into the ground and left before they fell flat on their face. I got on at Office Max. Again I worked hard even while trying to go to college. With in three months I was the receiving supervisor. It was at that moment that I realized I really didn't need the college education (I was going for a degree in Agriculture business, which I knew I may never use). That the work ethics, dedication, and hard work my dad had taught me was of more use to me then a college education. I was succeeding over other young people my age because they were lazy, constantly complaining, didn't use common sense to solve an issue, and were notorious for doing a half assed job when they did do their job. The list of jobs and then my career of sales goes on. I whole heartedly give my dad the credit for my success today. He created the foundation that I was able to build on. My mother did too, but in other ways, like teaching me not to be a doormate to others. That's a subject for another time. However, it was my mother who use to say "If you can't do a job right the first time it isn't worth doing at all."

    Yes parents should create this foundation for their children, and I hope that I can do even half the job my parents did for my children. But in our society it is obvious to me that parents are not building that foundation for their children, and what our school system is doing really isn't preparing them either.

    Now don't get me wrong. I think college is a wonderful thing. But if our young people don't first have the strong foundation to build on then their building block of knowledge will only crumble to the ground in the real world.

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