23 June 2007

Weekends Off....

Talk about a weird feeling--having weekends off. It wasn't so noticable while I wasn't working because all the days started running together--but now that I am employed, I'm vaguely remembering what it was like to have weekends completely off. It's very strange to be sitting home on a Saturday night, flipping through the channels [for those of you who do work on Saturday night, you're not missing anything on the telly!]

Additionally Tracy & Christi are in Florida, visiting Tracy's kids--so I'm here all by my lonesome with all the puppies. It's kinda nice, as it's the first chance I've had since April to just be alone and relax and--at least for the most part--not really worry about anything or going somewhere or working [or finding a job] and while I can't wait for them to return, I am relishing the quietness of having the house to myself for a few days.

What have I been doing--not a lot and lovin' every minute of it!! I've done a bit of reading [getting ready for the new Harry Potter!], working on my scrapbooks [as there's not gonna be lots of time for that once school starts!] and a bit of searching for a place for me and da girls to live in The Big Apple [I've emailed several owners/manager/agents getting information]. Sadly, I'm starting to get numb to the outrageous rent for postage stamps and am now very leary of anything below $1000, especially if it has any bedrooms. Pathetic, I know, but it's better than being shell-shocked and appalled every time I look!" now if I could just get my grants & loan money in my grubby little hands, I'll be a happy, happy girl!

:I SHEZ

22 June 2007

HalfPint Brawlers

YAY!!! I finally found a job!! Dear, sweet, kind, loving, wonderful, benevolent Tracy took pity on my joblessness self and offered me some part-time work at Belk!! I thank him and ASSURE him my housekeeping duties will not suffer [since I have been, in all my free time, doing the cooking & cleaning]!! So I go in, sit in front of a training computer for 5 hours, get my schedule for the rest of the week and then BAM! the temp agency calls--they have a full-time, M-F/8-5 job for about 3 weeks. After discussing it with Tracy, because I didn't want to leave him hanging [and setting off Christi's phone while she was IN COURT!], I quit Belk to take the temp job--which turned out to be in the video-on-demand department at the cable company here--Comcast. My job is to assist the very-far-behind tech responsible for creating all the buttons that you see when you click to the VOD menu on your cable. Mostly I do data entry--adding buttons, taking off buttons, inputting descriptions, labels, web addresses for all shows that are available on VOD. Next week I start rearranging buttons to the format requested by Comcast HQ--it took me nearly 3 hours to number where everything goes....so actually inputting the data should probably take up most of next week--in addition to all the daily updates & changes I'm to make. Not only that, but the Elizabethtown offices actually oversees 2 areas: E-town and Paducah [don't ask, 'cuz I don't know where it is]--so all work is done in duplicate AND soon triplicate, as they are in the process of adding another town--somewhere in West Virginia. Yep, I said West Virginia....anyway, I digress.

HalfPint Brawlers in the actual name of an ACTUAL show. I am currently drawing a blank on which network it's shown--mainly because I was quite disturbed by the name of this show! Are you freaking kidding me? HalfPint--as in little/young and brawl--as in bar room fight???????? I guess I could look it up on the www, but truthfully, I'm kinda scared to know exactly what it is.

Hmmm...I just hope is not going to be on long, too bad I can't just accidentally "hide" the button. One thing is for sure, I shan't be watching it any time soon....or really, AT ANY POINT PERIOD.

crazy schtuff, to say the very least.

Otherwise, enjoying Kentucky immensely. Enjoying just having a break, but truth be told, am very glad to be working again [not that I'd say it outloud, but I was starting to get a little bored, laying around and eating bonbons all day!]

:I SHEZ

03 June 2007

Bottling Day!


In keeping with our alcohol-filled weekend, today we are bottling Zinfandel that Tracy & Christi have been making at home. I had a teeny-tiny sample and I must say that I'm quite impressed. Of course, there's not a lot that I've been doing, other than watching Tracy work....but he assures me that I will be put to work later on in the process. In the meantime, I've been slaving away all day checking email, doing a bit of apartment hunting and chasing down Stella. Yep. That's right, chasing down Stella, who pushed her way past Christi while she [Christi] was trying to take out the trash. Of course, Addy, Ginger, & Chloe followed...but of course being less stubborn and better listeners, they came back. Stella, however, in her [as David calls it] street-smart ways decided to go for a run, taking Tracy, Christi, & I with her [although we didn't run quite as fast as she did!]. About 30 minutes later, Tracy caught her in front of Belk--ha ha go figure. Hopefully, it is our only incident [fingers crossed!]


well, as promised--i was put to work--first helping fill the bottles, then will putting on the labels. everything went pretty smoothly...for the most part [even though at one point I did end up with a bit of vino on my foot!]. Here's the finished product:


doh! really, i didn't have that much to drink....guess i'm fired as labeler....


Cheers! :ISHEZ

02 June 2007

Bourbon Trail




One of the 1,000 places in my 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List by Patricia Schultz is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. And today we started along the trail. There are 6 Bourbon Distilleries on the trail. We started with the 2 closest: Jim Beam and Heaven Hill. After brief tours, we did the only sensible thing to do: taste!

Here's a picture of Christi and I sitting and enjoying our Booker's at the Jim Beam tasting room--what a rough afternoon we were having! I also learned that like certain wines [champagne, chianti, etc.], there are specific things that makes a bourbon. First it has to be at least 51% corn. Additionally it has to be aged a minimum of 2 years in charred new white oak barrels. Nothing can be added at the time of bottling to enhance the flavor, sweetness, or color. 90% of bourbon comes from Kentucky. They have the limestone soil that allows for clean, crisp water that essential for making good bourbon and Kentucky is the only state allowed to put their name on the label.
I look forward to touring [and TASTING] at the other 4 distilleries: Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, & Buffalo Trace.
Cheers! :ISHEZ