Just For Fun II

Take the quiz:
Do You Act Your Age

Older than the Moment
You dont miss being young at all, Your happy about finally enjoying the more mature things

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Just For Fun

Take the quiz:
What kind of eyes do you have? (with pictures)

Moonlight
You have moonlight eyes. Moonlight is the color of mystery. Your eyes symbolize your ability to see yourself as others see you. You have finesse for letting other people know what you think. You have a soothing and calming ability that you may or may not know about. You have the awesome ability to draw a person's negative energy out and replace it with a positive energy; the world needs more people like you. Some words to describe you: patient, self-controlled, perseverance, insightful, reflective, understanding, serene, and caring.

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YADDA, YADDA, YADDA..........SHEESH! LOL

I want to thank ALL of you who have read and commented in my last entry.  As you can see, child abuse is a VERY important issue to me, especially since I have daughters of my own.  Many of you have left some very good advice, and some of you, having experienced molestation yourselves, had pertinent words of wisdom to share.  I really appreciate your honesty, and your willingness to bare your hearts and souls, which I am sure helped many who needed to read this entry come one step closer to healing in their lives.  

I guess many of you are wondering what it's like at work for me.  Well, it's a job.  I mean, I have done this type of work before.  The difference is that the call center is much smaller, there are fewer people working there, and it isn't nearly as busy.  Some 30 to 45 minutes pass before I receive a call!  My training is going well; I am learning quickly.  The morning shift co-workers have taken a liking to me, and they don't want me to go to second shift.  They are trying to keep me on mornings as long as possible, but I know that sooner or later, I will have to move.  It wouldn't be fair to the others who have been there longer than I have, and eventually, someone is going to complain.  So I am trying to make the best of it.  I tell you this; it sure beats working at Wal-Mart like a Hebrew slave with both feet cut off, for very little money!  As a matter of fact, this is the easiest job I have ever held in my life!  At my age, and with a family the size that mine is, an easy job is just what the doctor ordered, thank you, Jesus!  It's what I needed, and I am so grateful for it.

I also enjoy perks, such as free parking, eating and drinking in the call center, unlimited breaks, my own city-issued e-mail address, unlimited access to the internet/intranet, use of printers and fax equipment, phone lines, etc.  I also have full benefits that begin in THREE MONTHS (at Wal-Mart, I had to wait an entire YEAR), which includes medical, dental, vision, company-paid life insurance, a 457 plan, supplemental  life insurance, (optional), and a pension benefit that begins after five years with the city.  We also receive free flu shots every year.  I had taken mine last week.  The good thing about here is that the flu shots come to us; in New Orleans, we had them, but we had to go to the clinic to take them, ON OUR DAY OFF!  The pay isn't bad, either; I paid all my bills, added a few pieces of new clothing to my wardrobe, and still had a little extra left over. 

Another perk available to us is tuition reimbursement.  The city of Houston encourages all its employees to further their education, and pursue promotional opportunities.  I must work there a year to be eligible, so I am looking into colleges and universities, and preparing to enroll in 2008.  I will be working on a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, if the Lord says the same.  I will do my very best to finish this time.  Rarely are second chances allowed to us, but God has given me one, and I don't plan to waste it this time around! 

Getting back to work................that's pretty much it.  So far, so good; I really enjoy the atmosphere.  The best thing I can say is that I recognize how much I have matured in the past few years.  I am so grateful for this job, and this opportunity to finish school.  I am determined not to allow anything petty or stupid to hinder my progress and my goals.  I am determined to stay focused, and not get caught up in the workplace politics that goes on.  Been there, done that, moved on..........next chapter! 

Maya has a project due Monday that is worth four letter grades.  We have to take pictures of her community, label them, and place them on poster board.  Please don't ask me why we haven't gotten around to finish taking the pictures yet!   I also have to wash clothes.  I started, but I haven't finished.  Since I have to get up so early in the morning, I am beat once I get home.  But the girls don't have anymore play clothes clean, and a few pairs of underwear left; so I had better hop to it!  Good night, y'all!

Love,

  

Adrian

PERVERTS!!!!!!

PERVERTS!!!!!! :

Tessa made a VERY VALID POINT; it's one thing for a total stranger to come into your home and violate your child.  It is quite another when the perpetrator is a relative, spouse, or family friend.  My plea to this is NEVER second-guess what your child tells you happens between them and a relative, spouse or friend.  This is a fatal mistake many families make; keeping this offense "secret", being ashamed, and never letting anyone know.  Whenever I was molested or violated when a kid (it happened several times), I told my mother, and she believed me THE FIRST TIME!  We were ostracized, and my mom was routinely ridiculed by the rest of our family members, but my mom cared enough about me to safeguard me and keep me protected.  Later in life, I found out that the same relatives who persecuted my mom were hiding far worse secrets of their own.  Where the molestation never got past first base with me, those same relatives experienced home plate, and overtime!!!!!!  So parents, don't be afraid to stand up for your children!  The fate of their future lies in your hands!!!!!!!  Don't be afraid to stand up and speak out, you are doing THE RIGHT THING!!!!! It's YOUR child, and how dare ANYONE.......I don't care how handsome or wealthy the man (or woman) is, take their innocence from them!  They aren't ENTITLED to it; that's the key word here......relatives, friends, teachers, have an attitude of ENTITLEMENT.......God help me......to these kids' innocence.  This is an evil spirit of perversion that has plagued this nation, and Tessa is right; we must pray for these people.  Pray and do everything humanly possible to protect our kids.

Adrian       

PERVERTS!!!!!!

When the Dateline NBC "To Catch A Predator" series began, I remember how much I had enjoyed them at first.  I ran to my television set every week, to catch every single episode.  I rolled on the floor laughing at those men who fled from the tall, handsome reporter, the cameras, and the police waiting for them outside.  I cheered, "Get 'em!" when they were arrested and brought into the interrogation room and asked to verify every single filthy word, purchase, and their intent to bed a 13, 14, or 15 year old girl or boy.  I shook my head when many of these men who were caught cried like babies.  I shook my fist in anger when many of them were found to be upstanding citizens of the community (clergymen, teachers, doctors, police officers, firemen, and members of the armed forces).  I was appalled and shocked when some of them came to the door WITH children, or stripped naked as soon as they walked into the door of the house!  I thought for sure that this kind of reporting would make waves, and that the predators who daily pursue and molest children would come to a swift end.

But I was wrong.  The series is still going strong, and even more men are taking that drive to that door to meet a young girl or boy and have sex with him or her.  These men are blatant; many of them know that the TV series exists; they even tell the "girl" or "boy" that they are afraid that this might be a set-up, but THEY STILL SHOW UP.  Some drive HUNDREDS OF MILES to meet these children.  The language that they use when speaking to these kids is so graphic, that they cannot even air some of the dialogue on television.  What was once entertaining, informative, feel-good television has now become deeply disturbing.

What put the icing on the cake for me was the interview with the infamous Debra LaFavre by Matt Lauer.  I don't know if this woman was putting on an act, but she seemed to me as not too intelligent.  Nevertheless, I was floored at this woman's LACK OF REMORSE.  Her behavior in this interview was deplorable.  She NEVER indicated that she was sorry for what she had done; she even expressed frustration for being "ratted out" by the boy!  She blamed everyone but God Himself for the predicament that she is in.  I was so disgusted.  My stomach was turning; I was barely able to make it through  her interview.

In watching her, though, I began thinking that maybe these men who are caught online having an X-rated conversation with an under age teen with the intent to have sex with him or her probably have the same mindset that Debra has.  Letting her speak out, in a sense, gives the viewers an idea of how these adults think.  Her brutal honesty, in a sense, softened the blow, if you will.  Can you imagine having heard these words from one of the men who were arrested?!? I mean, she wasn't slick enough to try and hide her true feelings, but many of these men are experts at it, even going so far as to deny their intentions after being caught!  It's ironic; her crime shed light on one particular source of the problem, and the horrible situation many teens face daily.

What scares me most is, what if that tall, handsome reporter wasn't there, and a 13 to 15 y/o child WAS?  For many seeking "virgins", that sexual experience would have been a first for many of them.......with an old, and/or fat, impeded and/or unkempt, sick, warped individual.  God help us all.

Parents, PLEASE watch your kids. Be mindful of their safety!  No matter how grown they seem to be, or mature, and even if they are sexually active, they are STILL kids, and no 20, 30, 40, 50, and sometimes 60-year old man has ANY RIGHT TO TOUCH THEM!!!!   If they are on MySpace, you create your own page and MAKE SURE that you are one of your kids' friends, so that you are able to tap in to your kids' other friends' profiles at any time.  Please don't allow your child to spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer alone.  If all of a sudden they are itching to get out, or meet someone that you don't know, TAKE NOTICE, and put your foot down!  Insist on meeting this person!  Get a phone number!  Name!  Address!  Have them pick your kids up AT THE DOOR!  And please, as much as possible, DON'T LEAVE YOUR KIDS AT HOME ALONE FOR A LONG TIME.  Parents, if you must leave them alone, make frequent phonecalls to the house.  That kid should answer the phone EVERY TIME YOU CALL, if he or she is there alone and without any distractions, other than their computer/TV/i-pod/homework........whatever they should be doing.  Stay ahead of the game, parents, because perverts are!  They are ALWAYS thinking on these children, and you, the unsuspecting parent.  Please, people, I implore you, don't ever think or be made to believe that you are invading your kids' privacy.  The reality is that these perverts are invading yours, your family's, and your kids', and their intent is to violate!  Take charge of your child/children's safety TODAY!  Don't wait until it is too late!

 

Adrian

P.S. ...........Toss those "web-cams" out, too.  Track those e-mails and conversations on Messenger and Hotmail, etc.  Know where your children are and with whom.  Even have the friends pick your kids up at the door.  I know this seems like a turn back to the dark ages, but this is better than the alternative!!!!    

"PRODUCT PLACEMENT!"

Hello, everyone!  I am so sorry that I haven't been posting much, but I am so busy right now!  But I did want to take the time to share with y'all a few products that have really been a GODSEND to us here in the Ford household during this period of transition!  Ironically, NONE of them are AVON products, LOL, but I will be posting a few of those really soon!  Here is my first favorite:  

1) Maybelline Pure Makeup

If you have oily skin like mine, that is greasy one hour after washing it, and that doesn't hold makeup for very long, then you might want to try this product.  This foundation is made with 50% water, which means it gives your face a very light, dewy appearance.  It washes off EASILY; a facial wipe will do the job!  But the makeup itself disappears into your skin, doesn't rub off, and lasts all day!  It doesn't clog your pores!  Great buy for the remainder of these hot, humid months!

HONORABLE MENTION:  Revlon Colorstay Makeup (in the pump)

Use on your T-zone; matte finish, not heavy, doesn't rub off!  Limits trips to the "powder room"! LOL  This product also doesn't clog your pores.

 

2) Clean & Clear Shine Control Moisturizer

I purchase the dual-action moisturizer for my daughter, since her skin is dry, and it has acne medicine in it.  But this moisturizer softens my skin without making my face shine like a light bulb.  It really helps my makeup stay perfect all day.          

 

3) Always Clean

 

Okay, I thought the wings were the best invention EVER, until my daughter and I tried these.  Women, you know what I am getting at here, and the name of the product says it all.  A little pricier, because of the convenience, but if you are on the go like we are, a few pennies are worth it.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Always Pantiliners and Playtex Wipes

For a fresh, clean feeling every day!  Playtex has nice, big-sized wipes, with a pleasant apple scent. 

 

Try these products (if you are able to use them SAFELY), and enjoy them!

 

Love,

Adrian

MY FIRST DAY AT THE AIRPORT

This morning, I had gotten up, packed my lunch, got dressed, and drove to the parking lot where I was to leave my car, be picked up by a shuttle bus, and taken to the airport. 

Today was an orientation day; I received the communications center policies and procedures, signed a paper stating that I read and understood them; took a tour of the communications center AND THE AIRPORT ITSELF, taken a lunch break, watched two videos, taken a test from one of the videos so that I would be able to receive my ID badge, was fingerprinted, and sat with two of the operators for the rest of the shift.    

The tour of the airport was absolutely fascinating!  I was almost embarrassed at how wide-eyed and amazed I was, like I was some little kid or something.  But if you've never been on airport grounds, it is something to see!  I witnessed a plane being fueled up for a flight, water for the faucet and toilets being pumped in, cargo and freight being loaded onto a plane, an FAA inspector giving the workers a hard time because he was clearly not satisfied with something on the plane that was being loaded up for a Japanese cargo flight, a survey of one of the runways RIGHT AFTER A PLANE LANDED (LOL), the FedEx, UPS and DHL planes, several airline planes (Continental, Delta, American, etc.), many, many pilots, and the corporate docks for private jets and planes, which usually belong to large companies.  The building that housed the Enron jets is still standing, but is being used by another company.  I also saw a World Airlines plane, that makes regular trips back and forth from South Africa; it is mainly used for rich oil men and women.  This is a few of the many things I saw there; as the days pass on and I learn more, I will share with you.  My next trip will be to the air traffic control tower; I have heard that there is where the real action is!

As far as the environment goes, the call center is MUCH SMALLER than the one I worked in for New Orleans.  Of course, I was working in an emergency call center; basically, I was told that here I will be giving out telephone numbers and assisting customers most of the day.  There won't be many of those highly stressful, life-or-death calls that I was taking at the emergency call center.  There will be some, like if a plane crash were ever to happen (and I am PRAYING TO GOD that one never will, LOL), but those types of calls will be rare.  The rules are EXTREMELY LAX, more than I am used to.  They are allowed to eat and drink in the call center.  We are able to make personal phone calls, as well as receive them.  We are even allowed to access the internet!  In New Orleans, NO personal phone calls were allowed; there was NO eating and drinking allowed in the call center, and we weren't even able to read a newspaper without the threat of being written up!  Just to be on the safe side, though, I will talk to my supervisor to verify if indeed all of these freedoms are allowed.  The eating and drinking, though, has been confirmed by him.

OH!  Y'all should see my LOCKER!!!  It is as TALL as I am, with hooks to hang clothes, plenty of room to place shelves in....it is WONDERFUL!  Even in New Orleans, I always had a very small locker; I didn't even have one at this Wal-Mart.  There was never enough room to put anything in.  Now, I have a big, roomy locker!  I cannot wait to fix it the way I like it!              

So far, so good; I was really trying to hide my excitement in being there.  I mean, to move from Wal-Mart to this place is.....like.......from the ghetto to the Hamptons! LOL LOL LOL LOL  A nice, AIR-CONDITIONED workplace, with a climate-controlled, secure parking area (I will be able to park in the airport parking lot once I receive my ID badge), NO UNIFORMS (we wear what we wish, as long as it isn't "out there"); good pay and good benefits, chances for advancement.....who can ask for anything more?

Tomorrow, I will be at City Hall to finish my processing, orientation and paperwork.  Then, it's back to the call center Thursday morning.  I will be working mornings for the rest of this week, and probably next week, and then I will be working evenings until it is time for shift rotation.  Shift rotation is mandatory for all; no one is assigned to a permanent shift.  I like that, I guess; they are trying to make it fair for all, and that's good.  However, it's going to be rough for me when I have to do the mornings; some shifts START at 5:30 AM!!!           

I already know who my trainer will be, and I heard that she is good.  One of the operators I sat with also shared some very valuable tips with me that I will be sure to take advantage of soon.  I have to learn the phonetic alphabet, and familiarize myself with the most frequently requested numbers.  Once I get the hang of it, though, it should be smooth sailing.  This is like riding a bike for me; you never forget the basics of customer service.

I had taken a nap once I had gotten home because I was up last night ironing school uniforms for my daughters.  Nicolette is still struggling with her studies.  I will attend open house this week, and talk to her teacher.  I am available to help Nicolette whenever I can, but I also reiterated to my husband that I need him to take a more active role in this girl's education.  The doctor gave me a number to call and have her tested for ADHD.  I will probably make that call tomorrow.  To be honest, I hate to think that she may be suffering with that.  Many people use those disorders as an excuse for everything wrong with their kids.  But my daughter is really, REALLY struggling with focus.  I hope these people can help us get down to the bottom of what is wrong, so that Nikki won't struggle too much longer.

I have some errands to run (at 12:46 AM, LOL), and then I am going to bed.  Good night, y'all!

 

Adrian

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

                                               

 

Adrian

SAYING GOODBYE, STARTING ANEW

Wednesday was my last working day at Wal-Mart.  I was going to stay all the way to Thursday, but my daughters couldn't miss a much-needed doctor's appointment scheduled that morning. 

I worked all the way until the end.  The manager on duty didn't even know that I was leaving the store until I told him that he would have to process my exit interview that evening.  I turned in my resignation letter TWO WEEKS AGO; I thought everyone knew.  But it was cool; I walked out quietly, with no static.  I like it that way.  

My co-workers said their goodbyes; I think I will miss my boss, Robert, the most.  He confided in me on many occasions concerning his personal life and marital issues, and I feel bad that I won't be there for him anymore.  He also received a poor job performance evaluation that same day. He was feeling really bad about that, and the sudden news about my leaving probably made it worse. 

 It wouldn't have made a difference if I would have stayed, anyway.  The store manager was getting ready to move me from receiving, where I am sorely needed, to be an "expanded" grocery department manager.  (All of this happened rather quickly.  A spot just so happened to "open up" once he found out that I was hired by the airport, and preparing to leave.  There was no effort to move me prior to this.  Also, a grocery department manager already exists.  What were they going to do with her?  When I last checked, this "position " no longer was available or filled by anyone else; it was soon shut down).  Shucks, if I am going to be moved, I might as well leave the company altogether.  My boss just so happened to be the food department manager before he was busted down to ICS team lead, and before I had arrived there.  I HATE drama; I didn't want to start nor be involved in what could have developed into a very hostile situation. 

I am preparing to start my new job at the airport.  I am getting laundry done, having the girls get their room in order, and tomorrow I plan to throw out trash and mail that has piled up in here, clean the floors and the bathroom, and prepare the meat my husband is planning to barbecue for Labor Day.  I also have to wash and braid the girls' hair (I am doing GREAT!, LOL), as well as my own, and do my feet and nails.  I was hoping to go to the hair salon to have my locks tightened so that they would be "office ready", but I won't receive my final check until Thursday.  I will do my own dye job, tighten my locks as best as I can, and give myself a conditioning and hot oil treatment.  I will visit the salon on my next day off. 

I had to have a friend submit a letter to the HR office at the airport stating that she knew my whereabouts from January to July 2004.  I thought that I was in school then, but the college shows my last period of enrollment as 12/2003.  So she has to handwrite the letter, fax a copy to the office before the 6th, and mail the original handwritten copy to the office.  I hope she did it; I asked her to notify me, but I haven't received an e-mail from her yet.  But I am not panicking. I have a friend here in Houston who can write and submit the letters for me if she doesn't come through.

City Hall called today letting me know that I have been scheduled to go downtown for processing (fingerprints, benefits sign-up, etc.) early Wednesday morning.  Boy, that was quick; I didn't expect that call until after I started working! 

All the girls needed cold and allergy medicine! LOL  They replaced Nicolette's Albuterol with another asthma medication.  She says that it tastes like peppermint.  This is Nikki's second menstrual cycle EVER, and she was suffering severe anxiety about it.  After my mom and I and the doctor explained everything we could to her, she calmed down, and is more comfortable with her body now.  I am trying really hard not to make a big deal out of it, and it seems to be working.  Angela has an EXTRA RIB! LOL  The doctor says that though rare, it is normal for some people to have extra ribs.  I had taken it to mean that Angie is "extra special" LOL.  They are all healthy, tall, and beautiful, and I am grateful for that.

Since the anniversary of Katrina, many people that I haven't heard from in years have found me on MySpace, AOL and Yahoo 360, and I have been chatting with them through e-mail and instant messenger.  All those extra blogs are finally being put to good use! LOL  They are basically happy  that I survived the storm.  The school teachers, after watching the Spike Lee documentary on the hurricane, have been treating us all with reverence and awe (LOL).  They cannot believe that we have been through such a horrendous experience, and lived to tell about it.  I tell them that I thank God and am grateful to Him every day for being with us, because I know that we wouldn't have made it if it weren't for Jesus.

Good night, y'all; TTYL!

Adrian