a99kitten's Musings

Watched Margin Call last weekend. It was kinda meh. OK, but didn’t love it. No Wall Street. Not even Money Never Sleeps. But I like Paul Bettany and his character. And he has a small dialogue towards the end that, IMHO, rings quite true:

“If you really want to do this with your life you have to believe that you’re necessary. And you are. People want to live like this in their cars and their big fucking houses that they can’t even pay for? Then you’re necessary. The only reason they all get to continue living like kings is because we’ve got our fingers on the scales in their favor. I take my hand off and the whole world gets really fucking fair really fucking quickly and nobody actually wants that. They say they do but they don’t. They want what we have to give them, but they also want to play innocent and pretend they have no idea where it came from. That’s more hypocrisy than I’m willing to swallow. Fuck them. Fuck normal people.”

Many would probably see it as a greedy bastard banker speech. And it is. But I also see it as relatively factual view point that the average person doesn’t want to admit to being part of. Gordon Gekko touched on that in Money Never Sleeps too. Although I much preferred his Teldar Paper speech :)

*According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, the words “stupid” and “stupidity” entered the English language in 1541. Since then, stupidity has taken place along with “fool,” “idiot,” “dumb,” “moron,” and related concepts as a pejorative appellation for human misdeeds, whether purposeful or accidental, due to absence of mental capacity.*

Yesterday once again proved to me that the work ethic and personal responsibility level of the average person is crap. Now, I feel this way pretty much all the time but sometimes things happen that make is SO glaringly obvious, it makes me sad for mankind’s future.

Yesterday I received our FSA  accounting for the new plan year from the company that handles our COBRA and FSA administration. I’ve had issues with them in the past but I complained about the account manager and told the CEO that the idiot needed to be removed from our account and never deal with me or our account ever again. Anyway, yesterday I was going through the data they sent over and I found 2 people missing from the spreadsheet and not showing any contributions for the 2012 Plan Year (which there were in January.) No big deal, I send our account rep an email saying “Hey, you forgot to add these 2 people. Please correct it and send me the updated info.”

I get back an email, in a rather terse tone, saying I never sent the enrollment forms for those 2 people nor were they on the spreadsheet I sent her so it all had to be re-done and to please send over the missing information ASAP. Umm. OK. So, I’m pretty anal retentive about making sure people’s benefits are correct. I pulled up the email I sent her on January 17 and oh look – there are not only the 2 “missing” enrollment forms attached along with all the others but the spreadsheet attached has them listed with all of their data as well (so even IF I hadn’t sent the enrollment forms, you’d think she would see the names on the spreadsheet and ask me about them?) So I forward that email to her with a simple note “Here is the email/data you were sent on 1/17/12.”  I get back “Oh, sorry. You are right. I missed the scroll. Sometime I am too blond.”

Now, I wasn’t upset by the initial mistake. They happen. Whatever. And you could have avoided looking SO stupid on this one by first searching for the data I sent you to make sure you didn’t leave it off and then, seeing that you did, fixing the error and letting me know it’s all fixed. No big deal. But no. You felt it more fitting to get pissy with me and say how I must have not sent it to you. And then your response to being wrong is Oops you are too blond? Really? That’s how you handle clients?

Happened a couple weeks ago with our old 401k vendor. They insisted we hadn’t paid for a Final Plan Report (we switched vendors after our acquisition) and were quite rude in their assertion. Really? So I dig through my old file and emails and find copies of all the emails where we discussed the costs, the reports needed and finally my signed form requesting the report along with a copy of the check we sent with the fed-ex airbill. The check that was cashed by them in August of 2010. The email I get back is “Oh. right.”  So there was no way for you to look for that data before being a jerk with me and me having to spend time getting it out and sending it to you again?

In my job, I see this kind of stuff fairly often (again…sad) from employees doing things incorrectly. I don’t understand that since it directly effects you – so shouldn’t you understand insurance, 401k, payroll, payroll taxes, etc??? A little bit?? The basics? You’ve been in the workforce for how long now? BUT, from companies whose sole jobs it is to manage these things, I expect you do to your job very well. Silly wabbit.

Maybe I’m the odd one because I will make sure I have the back-up data before calling someone out on something. Stupidity bothers me. Mistakes don’t bother me so much (unless they are mine) when they are identified, easily fixable and fixed without much fuss (as long as you don’t keep making them.)

But stupidity? Or laziness No, there is no excuse for that.  I wonder quite frequently how people manage to get through life if they typically handle things with such (non) care and (non) attention to detail. I would assume your job is a place you DID pay attention and want to do well. But I know that assumption is making an ass out of u and me.

And rudeness? Well, you sure as hell better be right if you are going to play that card with me. And that doesn’t excuse it – just makes you appear not necessarily stupid and instead simply like the ass you are.

Just ranting examples of why I want my own island. And why I prefer dogs. And now I think I should have a glass of wine…

Feeling quite sickly for the last couple days. So I broke down and bought the liquid version of NyQuil on my home tonight. Shoot it like Jagermeister (pretty sure they are the same.)

Reading the directions for the  dosage info and the 1st warning was “Do not to give to child to make them sleepy.”

Really?

You had to spell that out and put it on the bottle?

This is why I am fairly sure the human race is f’ed and need to get on building my bunker.

I just made a year-end donation to The California Wolf Center. I make monthly donations to Defenders of Wildlife but I think the smaller places need a lot of help since they don’t typically get big, corporate sponsorship money like Defenders, World Wildlife Fund, etc do. Plus after visiting the Wolf Center this past summer for the first time, I LOVE it. And what to do more to help them whenever I can. Plus, they are the feral cousins to the huskies :)

I only donate to animal charities. At Thanksgiving and Christmas I will donate food to the food banks, etc (I’m not entirely heartless) but I’ve always felt human charities get a LOT of corporate dough and general donations versus animal charities. And frankly, I just prefer animals.  I know…sounds mean. Meh. My general opinion is that people (other than kids) are generally responsible for their own conditions. Animals have been put in bad conditions BECAUSE of humans. Plus, they are fluffy (well, most of them anyway.)

I was just reading articles yesterday about the first wolf who has crossed into California last week since like 1934. You know…when humans wiped them out. #wonderful And reading the “plight of the rancher” makes me want to beat their heads in with sticks. It’s not like California is being taken over by a rabid wolf packs roaming the countryside.  Reading the comments from ranchers make me SO angry. There ARE ways to protect your livestock. And 1 or 2 wolves DO not hunt down cattle. And guess what? They do NOT attack humans. That is a vicious lie aka fairy tale created by stupid humans. Gah! It’s a PROVEN fact that when the top level predators (not humans who destroy everything in their path, but nature’s predators), the eco-system is balanced and is healthy. I kinda wish they wouldn’t have even put that story out there because I can totally see some assclown wanting to hunt the wolf as “sport”. A better sport would be hunting hunters. I’m all for that. They need to make THAT video game and sell it at Cabela’s. And then stuff THAT and put it on display.

I was going to use that money to buy a new Jimmy Choo purse. It’s a great purse! But really…I don’t need it. And if I do well in the market this quarter, maybe I’ll take some cash out and buy it anyway. But I think the wolfies need it more.They need all the help they can get….

http://www.californiawolfcenter.org/  (if you can spare a few bucks!)

But I miss my brother. And sometimes Christmas memories just make you sad.

I got a good workout this afternoon/evening. Around 4pm, I was on my way downstairs to grab something off the printer. I stop at the entry way because both huskies are standing there staring out at something. I look and see a big German Shepherd (not really any other kind is there?) following around this little teeny chihuahua. I look around and see no people with them. Great.

So I throw on my UGGs and grab the buddy leashes and collars in case I need them. With both huskies watching me saying with their eyes “wait?? you aren’t taking us??”  As I was walking up to them, the German would paw the chihuahua, and push him around with his nose. It was clear they were friends. I was able to get the German very easily and quickly. He had a collar but no tags. Sigh. I see the chihuahua does have tags. But he has NO intention of letting me catch him. And the German has no intention of letting his little buddy out of his sight.

So, German Shepherds are strong. Let’s be clear. And he was on a mission to not lose sight of his friend. We were basically jogging trying to keep with the little Chihuahua who would stop if he ever got too far ahead and wait for us. I finally figured out if I just stop and stand there, he would come closer but never close enough. And if I moved at all towards him, he would take off. Great.

He almost got down to Highway 1 and I was getting stressed because too many cars was not going to end well. I just stood in the middle of the street so any cars coming would have to slow down. The little bastard…I mean chihuahua…was zig-zagging across every street, up and down streets, stopping and sniffing. The poor german (and me) were getting hot from all the running.  And he was dragging me along. It’s funny that the huskies pull way less and they were bred for pulling. Then again, if they were on a mission like this, they probably would pull more.

After going up and down every. single. street in my general neighborhood, without any exaggeration, we started north.  I asked two kids, a boy and a girl, if they had ever seen these dogs before. The little girl said she saw them running up and down the streets about 2 hours ago but never before that. Wonderful.  The boy asked if I needed help and he grabbed his bike and we were off trying to keep track of the chihuahua.

Finally, after about 4 more blocks, the chihuahua darts into a yard and disappears. We were all looking all around the yard and no sight of him. We knock on the door. No one home. Of course.  By now, it’s getting dark, and the mom of the kids drove by and took them home.  I go in the the driveway of this same house with the yard and the cat in the driveway comes right up to the german. OK, unless it’s a **really** trusting cat, they have to know each other, right? But no one was home. And neither of the next door neighbors were home either.

I see that the side gate is swinging open. It’s been fairly windy today. I push it open and see the chihuahua. At least, I think it’s him. All look same. But he comes over barking and the German is trying to nose his way in. OK, it’s starting to look like a good bet. But I can’t just leave the German in the yard if it’s not theirs. Can you imagine coming home to that? You have 2 small dogs (there was another little dog back there barking too) and a cat and now a HUGE dog just appears!? I try latching the gate and it’s clear it’s about as gerry-rigged as it can be. By now it’s dark so I am thinking I just take the german home with me and drive back later and hopefully someone will be home?

I see a lady come home across the street, so I go and ask the lady if she has seen the dog or knows what kind of dogs her neighbors have. She said she has never seen the big dog. But she knows several of the people on the street have little dogs. She remembers that a house down the street has a small and big dog. She doesn’t know what kind as they are always inside barking. So she points out the house and I go and knock. The lady there says her dogs are home and she has never seen the German Shepherd.  Sorry. Sigh.

I walk back to the corner house where the chihuahua went. The across the street lady is talking to a woman at the “target” house. Yay! Please be the mom. As I walk up she comes out to the sidewalk and says “Oh, was he being mean to you?” Umm…hardly.  He was a sweetheart who didn’t want to leave his little buddy to the streets and cars I tell her. She thanks me and unhooks my leash and takes him by the collar. I tell her that her little dog is in the backyard. As she is walking away she says she will go look. Ok…she was definitely hiding her worry and concern very well….. I say, oh I looked and it seemed that the latch probably wasn’t working so she should look at that. Ok she says. *Shake my head*

The neighbor lady says how sweet it was of me to take so much time and effort to help the dogs.  I said “Well, I would just want someone to take care of my dogs if they needed it.” She said she was so glad to know someone like me was in the neighborhood and that people like me existed. Well…I’d like to think there are more of us.

The sad thing was that out of all the neighbors I spoke with, none of them had ever seen that German Shepherd before. So he must not get out much. That makes me very sad. I can tell you, every person within a few block area knows where the huskies live. They may not know my name, but they know me as the husky lady and always see them on their walks and in our yard. And I recognize that not everyone gets as much time to spend with their dogs as I do but I think it’s weird that your neighbors have never even seen him?? But I guess not for me to judge. The dog seemed happy and he was very sweet.

The funny thing about it all was that about 5-6 years ago I was walking the huskies down in that neighborhood and a little chihuahua was running all around. Now, trying to corral a little dog with 2 huskies – not going to happen. But I was able to chase him into THE SAME YARD. And no one was home then either. But a neighbor was outside and I asked him and he said yes, that was their dog and that he got out a lot. He said he would go and look at the gate. Clearly, these people have learned no lessons.

I walked home and the huskies were in the yard both looking out and waiting for me.  And then gave me kisses when I came in. Awww… Who am I kidding – it was dark, that meant dinnertime and I was late! :) I was gone about 1.5 hours!

I think I can skip my stepper tonight. That was a lot of jogging. I think a glass of wine after I make the buds dinner (cooking right now!) and take a shower (got so sweaty!) and hope that the lady fixes her gate.

Tim Tebow won again today. In overtime after tying it up in the 4th quarter. Late in the 4th quarter. You just can not not like watching the Broncos play. I was jumping up and down and yelling in my living room! And I wasn’t even a Broncos fan. Just a Tebow fan.

It’s funny how a lot of announcers are now on the Tebow bandwagon. I mean I guess there are only so many weeks you can diss him even when he leads his team to wins. But these are the same announcers who have been so, so mean to him. Before the draft. After he went in the first round and everyone said that Josh McDaniels was a fool for doing it. After seeing him in the combine and declaring he would never make it as an NFL QB. And even after wins.

Now I’m not saying he does it all himself. He is part of a team. And he is the one always reminding people of that when the put a microphone in his face. He NEVER makes it about himself. He has a great defense. He has good running backs (including him!) BUT…you have to say, not much had changed (in terms of personnel) on the team that was 1 and 4 with Kyle Orton as QB. Tebow makes a difference. Maybe not always with his arm. But with his running, his leadership qualities. His outlook. His belief that they can do it. And his belief in his team. And their belief in him.

And yes, his belief in God probably helps a lot too. It’s not tangible. And you don’t have to necessarily believe. But it makes him a better QB, a better leader and that effects him and his team. You saw it when he led the Gators and you see it again now. Real leaders have an intangible quality that make people want to believe, want to follow. It’s a special quality that a lot of people don’t actually have.

And really, isn’t that what religion is supposed to be about anyway? Believing in yourself and others? Belief that you can do anything that you set your mind to and work hard for? You don’t have to be a devout Christian to believe those things.

That’s why I simply do not understand why people bag on him so much for his beliefs. I mean, we could put Tim Tebow on the covers of sports magazines and TV shows and talk about his belief in his team and outlook on life and how football isn’t his entire life and the charities he supports. But nah, let’s talk about how great Michael Vick – a convicted felon – is. Or Ben Roethlisberger – an alleged rapist who is either guilty of it or, at least, of VERY bad judgement. Or any of the other thugs that play in professional sports (guns, drugs, violence, etc.) They are much better to talk about and hold up as role models and heroes to kids. Of course there is always the morally bankrupt putz Tiger Woods to look up to as well. yeah…

I’m not very religious. But I think it’s better to believe in something than nothing. And is it so bad to have a guy doing well at something that he enjoys doing and thanking his team, fans and yes, God, for it? And frankly, it’s rather funny to watch the entire Fox Sports desk just stumble over their words not being able to explain it after the DEN/CHI game today. They just shrugged and said “Who knows. But he keeps winning. He just keeps winning.”

Who knows how it plays out over the long term. I just want to keep rooting for him. It’s fun. And that’s why I watch football. To the nay-sayers I say you should try #tebowing a little….or at least lighten up.

p.s See…I was blogging about him back in 2009 too :) https://a99kitten.com/?p=1681  and  https://a99kitten.com/?p=1094  #stalker

Today on our afternoon husky walk, I let the buds off-leash on the low tide beach to play with a couple of dogs. They were running around and chasing – including Storm! As the woman whose dogs I thought they were walked closer, I recognized her as the Mom of 2 border collies who I used to see pretty much every morning at the beach. Both of her dogs died awhile ago but I would still her on her walks. So when I saw her with these dogs, I thought she got some new pals. Turns out these 2 weren’t her dogs, but a guy on the beach on his phone and she was just petting the dogs.

The woman approached me a bit cautiously and I thought “you don’t recognize us??” We had talked quite a lot after her dogs died and also after Storm got sick. She got closer and had this huge smile on her face. Turns out she recognized me and Angelus but for a little bit thought I got another grey and white husky because she didn’t recognize Storm, but was nervous and sad to ask. She could not believe how good he looked and how fluffy he was again, and running around playing!

I updated her on Storm and then Storm took off after the other 2 dogs so I had to chase him down. When I got back, she was talking to a woman with a border collie puppy (squeeee – puppy!) and had already told her Storm’s story. She and her husband were fawning over the huskies and saying how remarkable Storm’s story was. Not exactly sure what was told to them but that was nice. Although the huskies could care less about the attention. They are funny guys.

They continued on their walk and this woman (CarolAnn like in Poltergeist – I remember that one even though I’m typically horrible with the human’s names) started saying her good byes. Turns out she came down to the beach because today was the anniversary of her dogs deaths. One was 3 years ago today and the other 2 years ago today. Eerie. She said she wanted to come down to one of their favorite walks to connect with them again. And she was going to go home and watch a few short videos she had of them. Yikes. That made me sad. Sad for her. Sad for the eventuality of loss.

But then she smiled super big again and said that seeing Storm so healthy and happy again made her heart full and very happy for us. She walked away with tears in her eyes but a smile on her face.

Good boy Stormy :)

Just unboxed and washed my 4 new champagne flutes!! They were a housewarming gift from one of my best friends in the whole world. She says housewarming gift – I think she just loves to buy presents and make people happy :)

Rather funny that I, she who loves bubbly sooooo much, doesn’t already have some nice flutes. But I bought 60 simple glass flutes for our wedding reception years (and years and years) ago and have just used those since I had them to use. We have tons of nice wine glasses in both houses but just my cheapo flutes. Plenty of them…but still…a girl should have a nice set of flutes for her bubbly :)

These are the Riedel Platinum Band flute made specifically for Williams Sonoma. Most of our wine glasses are Riedel so everything is nice and matchy :) And they are made in Germany (another notch in my “don’t buy or own Chinese made crap” belt!) I love them because they are pretty. The thin platinum band around the rim makes them different from the rest. It’s not super-duper noticeable or gaudy – just a nice, delicate touch of different.

Hopefully she will make the trip up to Tahoe one of these days and get to drink out of them with me!!!

mmmmm......yummy

So pretty….I think they deserve a nice bubbly to be opened tonight while I decorate my Christmas tree!!!!

I love Christmas. I love winter generally but I think the Christmas season is the best.

I don’t love idiots who try and get on some soap box about religious tolerance or PC-ness. There is not single damn thing wrong with saying Merry Christmas, sending out Christmas cards, having a Christmas tree.

If you don’t celebrate Christmas because you are Jewish, Muslim, Kwanzian (just made that up) or a Pagan. Good for you. I don’t care. And when you say Happy Hanukkah or Happy Ramadan or whatever – I don’t get offended. Hey – celebrate. Be happy. But don’t try and rain on my parade by insisting we don’t say Christmas because it’s some kind of -ist.

This country was founded on Christian religious beliefs. I am not Christian or Catholic or any offshoot. To me Christmas is not really so much about the birth of Jesus or a time to spend time in church. It’s totally fine if it is for you though. To me, Christmas is about friends and family and feeling happy and putting up my Christmas trees and singing Christmas music every day from the Friday after Christmas until January 2nd. I get the religious aspects of it and respect them and people’s right to believe them. That’s another reason our country was founded and is so great. So if someone wants to put a manger scene up, THAT’S OK. That’s what Christmas it about to them.

For me it’s about bundling up in a big coat with sweaters and scarves and boots because it’s cold out, hopefully with some snow. About walking around the Stanford Shopping Center with all of the stores decorated and lights twinkling everywhere. And almost everyone in a better mood. Unless you are there at like 4pm on Christmas Eve – those people are a bit harried.

It’s about planning and eating some yummy meals that you don’t let yourself have year round. About smiling at total strangers as you walk down the street and wishing them a Merry Christmas. It’s about going to a party or 2 and having fun with friends, family and co-workers. It’s about getting a red cup at Starbucks and hearing the Christmas music playing in there while you warm up from the cold.

It’s about buying a present for someone that you know they will love and wrapping it and putting it under the tree and having the lights sparkle off the wrapping paper. It’s about coming home from work and turning the Christmas tree lights on and just sitting around the tree enjoying it.

It’s about watching It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Rudolph and The Grinch for the umpteenth time and still enjoying every minute of them. And of course new classics like Elf and Love Actually :)

If kids are around, it’s most definitely about Santa Claus and his reindeer and Frosty. And making Christmas cookies.

I could go on listing more things that Christmas means to me. But the point is that if you are such a jerk that you can’t understand and allow people to enjoy these things without making a frackin’ ruckus about the Christ part in Christmas, you are the one with the problem. I don’t care if you celebrate Hanukkah. Or Ramadan. Or Kwanzaa. Or Winter Solstice. Or don’t celebrate anything at all. Do it – have fun with it. But don’t wreck my fun.

So when I say Merry Christmas to you, smile and be happy. As will I if you send good wishes to me. But if you find yourself offended by someone wishing you a Merry Christmas, I think your heart and soul are basically empty voids. And stay the hell away from me.