My cell phone turned up at Nancy's house, under the bed in which I slept. I have no clue how it ended up there, but I'm really glad to have it back. Now we don't have to go to the trouble or expense of switching service to our spare phone. It's weird--I rarely use it, but I'm glad to have it, just in case I need it.

Nancy and I were comparing "screwed over by the USPS" stories during our break this afternoon. I try to be philosophical about it all--I don't derive my pleasure or satisfaction from this job or this place (luckily), only my bi-weekly paycheck. I have Dan, Brad, Sharon, my dogs, my home, my writing, freebies, exercising at the gym, eating out at restaurants, overeating (a problem I must address), favorite TV shows, and venturing out on weekends to whatever interesting things are going on out in the world.

I'm good, for the most part. Sure, I'd love it if my job paid more, but I realize if it did, I'd have to put much more of myself into it--more time, more brain, more stress--and I'd rather not invest any of that. I see what Brad is going through now, the 12-hour days he puts into teaching, and I realize that with greater money comes great responsibility. Bigger bucks almost always requires a much bigger investment of self--and you can quote me.

Gary and Clyde (aka cats) were both absent today; they went to some meeting, so we, the mice, played just a wee bit. (It's just so much more relaxed here without Gary!) I worked diligently for most of the morning, but I've mostly been relaxing this afternoon. I purchased an apple crumb cake for Connie for her birthday, which was yesterday, but she took the day off, so we celebrated today. She didn't want the traditional singing or candles, which is her right, of course, but she could have allowed us the pleasure of giving these things to her, couldn't she? We presented her with a card, which she laughed over and enjoyed. She just learned that she, like her daughter, had celiac disease. This prevents her from eating just about anything, including the delicious cake I'd bought--but at least she got to see the rest of us gobbling it up.

I'm meeting Dan at the gym tonight, his health permitting. His foot's been bothering him since he stepped on something at home and it apparently went up to roost inside his flesh. This is in addition to the painful shoulder, the neuropathy, etc. Lately, he spends half an hour on the bike or treadmill, then dunks himself into the whirlpool. The hot water temporarily makes his pain go away. It similarly helps me, too. Sigh. I wish there were some way to make it permanent!

Kvetch, kvetch, kvell, kvell. I hate when others do that, and I don't like hearing--or reading--such shit from myself, either.

I'm just relieved my cell phone was found, Nancy's pets and house survived another series of days with me, and next week is Thanksgiving. It looks like Nancy and Chris will be joining us for dinner. Let's hope Bugsy doesn't do anything that costs us the house. We'll just keep him full of tryptophan, or whatever it is in turkey that makes you sleepy.

You know what this means, don't you? We've got to clean up the fucking house! Now THAT is stressful!

Love, Robin

First things first--I lost my cell phone. I don't use it much, but if I need to use it, now I don't have it. If I have an emergency, I'm up Shit's Creek. And you KNOW I'm going to have an emergency and need the blasted thing, right? Even though I haven't had one and needed it, pretty much ever!

It's been so busy here at work! I can't believe it! We had Friday off for the Veteran's Day holiday, since the holiday itself fell on Saturday. That meant I had to do all of Thursday through Sunday's drop shipment work yesterday. I worked only 6 straight hours, and I barely left my seat, I was so crazed and busy! It was, to quote a once-famous Eddie, INSANE!!!!

Where did I lose my cell phone? I thought perhaps somewhere at Nancy's, where I spent part of my weekend babysitting her dogs, but to my dismay, thinking over this entire busy weekend, I could have lost it in a lot of possible spots--the groomer where I had Bugsy clipped (he looks adorable!), one of the thrift shops where I browsed and shopped, the bagel store where I had breakfast, Wal-Mart, the gym. I searched my car, my jackets, my house, and called my phone to see if I could hear it ring, but I couldn't hear it anywhere nearby. For now, Verizon has deactivated it so if anyone finds it, they can't run up my bill, but I want my pretty phone back!

Something tells me I won't be seeing it again. Even if it's found and the person can't make calls from it, they will keep it for themselves for future or present use. Sigh.

As I said, I ran back and forth between Nancy and my own home several times this past weekend, and more often than not, was stunned by the amount of traffic I encountered, not to mention how the lights turned red every single time I headed to them.

When Dan called me early Saturday to tell me he couldn't get Bugsy to go outside, I high-tailed it home immediately, even though hubby was supposed to pick me up to go to the pet show at the Nassau Coliseum. He bought us breakfast sandwiches at home while I walked Snaps and Bugsy on two separate leashes (what a painful pain in the fingers)!

The show was terrific, but I was pissed at Dan because he didn't take allergy pills and started complaining about his feet after we'd only been walking a short time. It wasn't cheap to get in, $24 for both of us, and I really wanted to stick around for a while, collecting freebies for the dogs and entering raffles, but he started to complain about claustrophobia, his feet and allergies, and we were out of there before two hours had passed. We saw a dog whisperer about Bugsy (she told us his favorite color is green, he'd prefer to be called Earl, his spirit name is Dashen and he loves all three family members despite his aggressive behavior. I wasn't terribly impressed with her psychic ability when she couldn't even tell us Bugsy's affliction (she guessed deafness first, then covered and said he was losing his hearing, too), but she did say he could see shadows, which we'd been told, so that was kind of spooky. Who knows? She saw him being abused by a man, and said his blindness was caused by abuse. He did have a happy puppyhood, she said, but he was re-homed with a family in which the man hated dogs and regularly kicked, punched and boxed Bugsy's ears. It made me break into tears, of course, and we changed the subject. We always suspected Bugsy had been abused, but we didn't really need to hear about it, true or false.

I left Nancy's house Saturday at 5 PM, glad my brief but hectic pet-sitting assignment was over. They gave me $160 this time, way too much, but I was so desperate to go home to Bugsy Saturday, I left their garage door open all day, and I just pray they don't find anything stolen as a result of my carelessness. Everything seemed OK when I checked around, but who knows for sure? Nancy also mentioned that the water dishes in the bedroom and bathroom were empty, but those animals drink so much water, who can keep up with 'em?

Today is Connie's birthday, her 40th, bless her, but she took the day off to celebrate and take her younger daughter to the doctor for a checkup. I bought a pie to celebrate tomorrow, but I understand John Colombo is off today, tomorrow and the rest of the week, so he won't be around to participate, and Connie herself just learned she has celiac disease and can't eat much of anything anymore, poor girl. So young to be falling apart so soon!

I feel so badly about my phone. We have an old phone I can use, but it will cost $20 to activate it. This just sucks. I hate myself when I'm careless.

Brad had gotten a $50 gift certificate to PC Richards from someone. He sold it to me for $40, so I used it to buy myself a second MP3 player so I can keep one at work and one at home for the gym. Come to think of it, I'm going there this afternoon and have no music to listen to--shit! This is why I bought another one, but I have to sit down and program all the music into it. It's a full gig, which means a lot more songs than the other one. Do I even like than many fast, lively songs? I hope so!

Maybe a miracle will happen and my phone will turn up. That WOULD be a miracle!

Love, Robin

I'm pet sitting for Nancy again for the next few days, but first, I have to run home, pack clothes, toothbrush, pills, insulin, etc. I should have done all that last night and had it with me, but I also want to get home and take care of Bugsy and Snaps before I go to Nancy's. I feel guilty about her dogs, but more so about my own. Nancy called me from the road to Buffalo; they got stuck just before getting onto the George Washington Bridge. A tractor trailer broke an axle, and that means a long wait in traffic for everyone stuck behind him. Nancy and Chris detoured through Scarsdale to the other bridge, so hopefully they won't lose too much time. You never know what's going to happen when you set out on a trip, but the first words out of Nancy's mouth were, "We never get a fucking break." Indeed, they never seem to.

So it's a quick run home, then a return to Route 110 to Nancy's house to take care of her pets. I'm off tomorrow, which is great, but I do have to take Bugsy in for a clipping. I also faxed Dr. Jacob some requests for Dan and me, made an appointment with a brand-new place to have my car inspected (Monday after work) and set up an appointment to have the humidifier on our burner replaced (a week from tomorrow after I return from work, naturally). Obladi, oblada, life goes on, bra. The Beatles sure knew how to phrase it, didn't they? LOL.

I'm still very tired. Those Synthroid pills apparently haven't kicked in yet, and whether or not 25 milligrams even will is doubtful, at least that's Connie's opinion, and she's been taking these for a long time now, in varying dosages. Blah.

Just got another call from Nancy and Chris on the road to Buffalo. He's letting her drive. I don't think he's too thrilled about it, but it was probably a sanity-saving gesture for him, because she was driving him crazy. They left me an envelope, even though I've told them over and over that no payment is required. We're friends, and that's enough for me. They feel badly taking me away from my family, so they give me money so Brad and Dan can eat out or bring food in. In the meantime, they leave me delicious food to eat in both freezer and fridge! It's my pleasure, and it would all be wonderful if Bugsy weren't so difficult. When I told Dan to take the leash off Bugsy this morning, all my husband's fumbling pissed off our miserable little mutt, who snarled and grazed Dan's wrist with his teeth. I removed the leash without difficulty, but you can see my dilemma.

Clyde told me today that I would have to start punching at my "actual" start time, 6:45 AM. When I was given a new badge a few months ago, however, the start time on it was 6:30. Since I prefer to start then, that worked for me, now they aren't sure WHEN they want me to punch! (Truthfully, I would like to start with a certain manager's nose.) Chuck's been starting at 6 AM instead of 7, Connie's been changing her time to 15 minutes earlier, and then there's me. When Bob was in charge of us, he let us do what made us happy (which makes for happy employees, something Gary doesn't get), but now that Clyde is in Bob's job, Gary is pulling the marionette's strings to force us to dance to his tune and make us unhappy.

Obladi, oblada, yada yada yada.

This weekend is the Pet Expo at Nassau Coliseum. I love going there. Dan and I always have a wonderful time.

Next time I write will probably be from Nancy's computer. Until then, see you!

Love, Robin

Diabetics need to have their eyes checked twice a year. Dan and I have been remiss, and it's been nearly a year since we last went. I called to make an appointment today, and we can't be seen until January 23, 2007. Why? Because the doctor only offers later hours once a week, meaning Dan can only go on Tuesdays, since he works until 5:30 PM. W

e've waited this long, we can wait another couple of months. Both of us wear glasses, as does Brad, but none of us, thank the higher powers, has had our vision affected by diabetes--yet. An opthomologist once told me it's just a matter of time, because ALL diabetics eventually succumb to eye problems. His attitude pissed me off, and I hope every member of my family proves him wrong, the pessmimistic son of a bitch.

I set up Bugsy for a clipping Friday morning, when I'm off, but I realized I'm sleeping over at Nancy's and will have to arise early enough to let out her dogs, rush home to get Bugsy, then return to Farmingdale to drop him at the groomer. I'mm probably just have breakfast in town there, where they have a nice bagel shop. Then maybe I can go exercise at my gym and work off that bagel. I still have to make arrangements to get my car inspected, for Bugsy to get his shots (and I want to switch away from Southgate, the animal hospital in Copiague we've been using, and find someplace closer), and to get notes to Jacob for referrals for the outside HIP eye doctor appointments and Brad's need for a prescription for his insulin for his new insurer. So much to do, so little time!

My boss ordered me to clean up my desk this morning. I wanted to tell him to stick it up his ass, but didn't have the balls.

More later!

Love, Robin

Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Gorgo, Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman.

I used to go to the movies a lot, mostly with my brother Steve to see matinees.

I loved Raymond Burr's clipped narration in GODZILLA, and had no idea that was added as an afterthought just for us Americans. I didn't understand why the other characters' mouths didn't move along with the words too well, but I know now I was too young to understand what dubbing was. I do remember crying when Godzilla died at the end at the bottom of the sea, his body disintegrating from the scientist's weapon of crass destruction. Waaaaaahhhhhh!

I still laugh when I watch the scene in THE GIANT BEHEMOTH where the big lizard bends down and casually eats the guy who's shooting up at him. I don't know why, but the fellow's kicking feet in the monster's mouth always sets me giggling.

Frankenstein elicited my sympathy in the first movie (poor lonely monster), but in subsequent flicks, scared the shit out of me. I remember one in which they were cutting brains out of people, and it gave me nightmares. Brrrrr.

Gorgo was a baby monster in England who only wreaked havoc because nasty people were imprisoning him in a circus to make money. His mommy came to get him, slipped her arm around him and took him away with her to the sea. That always makes me cry with happiness. Even baby monsters need their moms!

I never realized it before, but when I recently re-watched DRACULA, you NEVER actually saw him bite a woman's throat--it all happened off-camera. Scary movie in many ways, despite the lack of blood or dental flash, and Bela is amazingly good at being evil. The book is way better, but the tone of that movie makes your blood go cold in your veins.

Remember the first Rodan movie? Those two birds, calling pitifully to each other as they died? I cried like a baby, so sad for both of them. They were amazing yet destructive creatures, so we, of course, took it upon ourselves to execute them. Did we have a choice? I don't know, but it seemed there had to be another way for them and us to live together on this vast earth.

MOTHRA's creatures looked too fake to me, even as a kid, but those twins got on my nerves more than anything else, speaking in tandem in those high-pitched whines. I don't recall Mothra's fate; why is that?

When it comes to movie monsters, sure, I covered my eyes a lot. But more often than not, I was wiping tears from them because, beneath it all, I knew what those filmmakers were REALLY trying to say!

Love, Robin