No Where Near Water???

When I was first purchasing my house, Monica told me that there wasn't really a need to worry about flood insurance. Why? Because I was no where near water that would require it.
Last year, my backyard was a rice paddy many times. I was unable to mow my lawn. I was not able to put pesticides on the yard. I had a really bad bug problem because of this. I was on the phone with dad when this was occurring. He said that it was an irrigation area and that is something to be expected. I was pissed. Why irrigate my yard? Why flood my yard?
This summer was no better. Paul did not believe me. Until one fateful day he stepped into a huge puddle in the backyard. The water can pretty much go past your ankle in a few spots.
I had been under the impression that it is something to be expected. Paul started to take the rocks from the front and the back and piling it up by the fence. The water is so bad it saturates the fence. It was at the point where a another canal had to be dug in back of the garden. Leave it to dad to listen to a guy and not me. When Paul mentioned to him, dad said that the neighbor was going overboard with the watering.
How they flood the yard is that that have a bunch of road ties. They fill their garden with water to the point of where the water goes into my backyard. This in turn causes problems with mosquitoes and fleas. Not to mention the filth of their property goes onto mine.
The water was flooding worse just a couple days ago. I am quite fed up with it. I called the City Of Nampa. They told me that someone would come by and give the neighbor a warning. Did someone come by. Nope. Typical, right? Instead, they called the neighbor. I get the feeling that this has been the problem before I moved in.
Tonight was a dramatic situation. Yesterday, Paul brought more rocks and piled them in the back. The kids and wife next door have a habit of looking over the fence. I think the parents may have had a problem with the water department giving them a call.
I was working away on the computer when Paul comes rushing in looking for the flash light. He came back and told me that I had to look. I didn't really suspect anything bad happening because it has been ongoing. I go outside and I hear water running.It was a little louder than normal.
I go further back and he shows me. There is a stream of water gushing through the fence. I call the City Of Nampa once more and I jump down the poor lady's throat. As I am chewing her out, Paul calls the police.
The trooper comes over. Paul leads him to the back before he could talk to the neighbors. The officer is a little shocked when he looks at the gushing water. He looks over the fence. The hose was propped up on a tripod and aimed at my fence. He says it looks intentional. The water guy shows up.
They both go into the alley. The water guy shuts the water off. As this is going on, one of the boys that lives their comes out acting nonchalant about it. He said he was their house sitting.
Verdict, I can press charges on them for doing it on purpose. I have four different witnesses. By the way, I filmed it the last two times. The city can fine them for breaking city codes. Also, if the kid is house sitting his parents are going to be pissed. The water guy is to be coming back tomorrow morning and shutting off their water for the rest of the summer.
Other things that they could possibly get in trouble for. The kid that came out spoke like a gang member. The officer is probably going to be watching the neighborhood. Also, the kids have been out after curfew. They have been jumping the fence, hanging out on their roof, and hanging out with a bad crowd. Highly suspicious activity is going on. If we continue to see it, we make some phone calls. Also, their has been suspicious activity going on at the church late at night. There is going to be a lot of things going down over here.
This is getting more and more ridiculous. I am sick ot the cats. I am sick of the weird people living around here. I am tired of the drama that the people on each side of me are causing. If I could have it my way, I would leave. It is not like that. Sure, why don't I give my 30 days notice to my escrow and see what she says.

Super Obama!

JibJab Presents: Hes Barack Obama

Will It Ever Stop?

I have been having issues with the water heater. Yesterday, the pilot decided to not stay on. Luckily, I didn't have a problem with a gas leak.
It made me realize once more how incompetent companies are. Especially, Intermountain Gas. I really wish I would go with a different company. I am sick and tired of needing to jump through hoops just to get something fixed. F@%^!*ing tired of it.
They have an emergency number in the phone book. They even have an option for an emergency line on their automated system. Do they help with an emergency? Hell no. I have to call several different numbers for someone to come out and fix my heater. Are numbers easy to find? No. Does Intermountain Gas have a list of people you can call? Are you kidding me? No.
As I called around, I waited on hold on another phone for Whirlpool. Nobody can help me and naturally, nobody is answering the phone. Paul called a plumber. They could come out and fix it. $233 later, the problem is fixed. I had to use my credit card because I am quickly running out of money.
Then this morning, there was a phone call from the same company I used to pay for the problem. They had called to inform me that my credit limit is being decreased. Motherfucker. I talked to them and they had told me the reason. The amount on credit card is too high and the payments are too low. Why not increase the amount of the monthly payment instead? Seriously.
I had to break down and call my 401K. I do realize it is for my retirement and I really should not touch it. I think I am going to go ahead and use it to get rid of my credit card bills. When I am done with training with Qwest, I am going to put the rest into that 401K. I am really hurting for money.
I am going nuts. Nobody is calling to rent the other room. Except for people who cannot speak any English whatsoever. I don't start working again until the end of the month. My unemployment claim is being delayed because the lady didn't submit it to Boise.
My man is going through some trouble to. This right now is being ironed out through the HR department of the state government. He ran into a bad situation which turned out good in the end. Thank freaking god for that wonderful lady that is the head honcho.
Despite everything, things are turning out okay for now. I think I am going to take a bath and have me a beer.

Selling Like Prius Cakes

I love, love, love my RAV4. I have never loved a car so much. It is almost like I had found a soul mate. It may be an evil thing to say, but I love my Toyota. I like when people ask what on earth my car is.
It is almost like a rare thing to see when they are everywhere you go. It's a very fun and sporty car. I have pretty much taken it all over the state of Idaho. When I make it up all the way to Canada, then I can say it has.
I have been looking at the cars at the car lot. Have I considered trading her in for cash for clunkers? Absolutely not. I have seen many different cars that I would love to have. I just can't bear the thought of giving up what is mine. If it is not broke, why fix it?
I was looking through the Toyota car lot one evening and noticed a new model of the Prius. These cars normally look a little homely, but they turned it into a sexy beast and I want it.
I was kind of sad when I went to look at it again yesterday but the lot was nearly empty. I asked the dealer what happened to them. He said that they sold out in four days. WTH? This day in age when everyone is losing work and trying to find a job, how on earth can someone afford it? You still can't even afford anything like it with the trade. I am certain the car payments are pretty stinking high.
When I think of it though, people are losing homes to. So, without the house payment you could manage a car payment. Even so, how would you be able to get a new car with a demolished credit record?

Here's a Little Something Interesting

You might be searching for a job -- or just trying to hold on to one for dear life. Times are rough, and not everyone's on their best behavior. But whether you're seeking employment or firmly ensconced in a solid position, one of your biggest challenges is navigating people at the office. People who stick their noses in your cube or trick you into doing their work; people who just have to tell you about some lame blog -- again.

In our book, "I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job," we call these people the "10 Least Wanted." Some drive you to distraction like water torture. Others may be fatal to your career.

Learn to identify them at a glance or a few words. Counter their productivity-sapping powers with our ready strategies.

1. Stop sign
People who always shoot down your ideas are not your friends. Devil's Advocate is another term for these naysayers. The larger your company, the more likely you'll run into Stop Signs who try to strangle your innovative ideas like weeds. Counter their negativity with invitations to do a "build." Respond with: "How might we make this work?" Or, "What changes might make this practical?" For those looking for a job, if your questions get quickly swatted down by your job interviewer, expect that job to be shackled by Stop Signs.

2. FlimFlam
FlimFlams have a gift for catching you off-guard and conning you into doing a favor that ends up being a time suck: taking on the client from hell or signing up for the business trip to Cleveland. The best defense is to request details: a page on the project in writing. When they balk, you balk. What's a good clue that the company you're interviewing with views you as a mark to be targeted? Pronouncements such as, "Employees here are very dedicated. This is a 24/7 company ..."

3. Bulldozer
They're bullhorns in meetings and are about as easy to stop as a freight train. The worst bulldozers are bullies. If they're co-workers and can't be avoided, you're going to need some muscle. "Unreasonable," is a good word for calmly responding to their assaults. Hold your ground with, "I won't be pushed around." Upon receiving a bullying e-mail, blind carbon-copy (BCC) the evidence to your boss or co-workers. If the Bulldozer is your boss, consider a new job -- or the fight of your life.

4. Smiley face
If the eyebrows and eyelids don't -- move, it's a phony smile. Odds are they've got something dastardly up their sleeve or are hiring you for a hellish job. Never smile back at a Smiley Face, especially in a job interview. Counter instead with a serious but thoughtful expression. If the Smiley Face happens to be a co-worker, ask what he's smiling about. That usually deflates the phony grin.

5. Liar liar
Technology has made it easy for workers to lie about not getting that e-mail or voice mail, leaving you holding the bag and covering up their errors. Again, a paper trail is a strong defense. You may also want to try the soft approach of a little truth encouragement to pierce the veil of deception: "George, help me make sense of these numbers." During a job interview, subtle questions can reveal whether you are about to enter a Liar Liar culture. "How has the company done financially the past few quarters?"

6. Switchblade
People who talk out of school are dangerous. Today they may be trashing your cubemate. Tomorrow they're dishing on you -- to the boss. The work place is a jungle. Be wary of those who may view you as a steppingstone to big game.

7. Minute man
They just want a minute of your time. And then another minute. Turn your back as often as possible on Minute Man. Look busy -- even if you aren't. If you can't close a door, hang a partial curtain at your cube entrance to ward off intruders or wear headphones. You'll know the Minute Men when you see them, that idle expression as they hang around trying to find any excuse not to work.

8. Know-It-None
Thanks to the Internet, Wikipedia and Google, you're likely surrounded by Know-It-Nones. "What's your source on that?" is often a good defense. Or a distracted, "That's interesting." A few well-researched questions about the history of the company during a job interview may often reveal you're about to enter a culture of Know-It-Nones. If they don't know the first thing about their own company, what does that say about their competence?

9. Spreadsheet
Find yourself filling out form after form during interview after interview? Beware. You may soon be surrounded by Spreadsheets. They hand you thick binders on company policies. The rules: everything you can't do. Now, every company needs its share of Spreadsheets to keep projects on track and dole out the resources, but some companies may squeeze so tight you can't breathe.

10. Sheeple
Sheeple love meetings. They only perform "approved work tasks," and are happiest when hiding in the herd. If your job interviews are conducted by more than one person, that's a sign you're about to be branded -- and sheared. Unless you want to sleep away the rest of your career, run from Sheeple as fast as possible.

Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon are the co-authors of "I Hate People!" the new business book with attitude from Little, Brown & Co.

Cola

Mom's Boxer

July in Review & The New Kid

I would have another video up, but it is being blocked. Gonna have to wait til it's on DVD. So, nyah :P.


Birthday Trip




July 4th 2009



My Dino