As pointed out by Mikey, the guestbook underwent a bit of unintended surgery. However, the sacrifice was not in vain.

Please put your hands together for……The GuestMap!!!!

Just trying to keep your web-reading experience interactive. All that reading can be boring, I know, you here’s your chance to streach your fingers and leave your very own splat on our humble map.

Thank you. You can now go back to work.

Oh man am I getting old. My 10 year high school reunion is set for the end of this month. Ten years!!! I simply can’t believe it. First the grey hairs, now this. It’s all moving too quickly for me.

The worst part is that the reunion is going to be held on the beach in winter. That’s right, we were advised to wear sweat pants and sweat shirts. Yes, this is how I want to be remembered by the classmates, clad in an old pair of sweats. I was all set to draw on the power of my boots and now I’ve been denied.

Even worse, it looks like Kevin won’t be coming with me so I’ll have to brave the event alone. Due to a very hectic work load, my hubby will be MIA. I’m secretly hoping we find some last minute super cheat airfare and he came come too. Of course, I bet he’s secretly hoping it doesn’t happen. After all, he’s looking at a weekend without me to boss him around and make him do chores and other icky stuff. Not a bad deal really. Just Kevin, the poocheese, and the computer.

I am, however, looking forward to going home. It’s been forever and I simply can’t pass up the chance to see a pregnant Suzy. From the pictures I’ve seen, she looks ready to pop and she has still go three months to go.

Maybe I can figure out a way to wear my boots with my sweats. Yeah, that’s the ticket….

Thanks to my friend Heather, I got to see Harry Potter last night.

I suppose it was wasted on me because I haven’t read any of the books and have pretty much managed to sidestep the whole hype. Strangely enough, Heather was in a bar on Saturday night where they were handing out free “sneak preview” passes. Now, this is a kids movie, right? So why are the passes being handed out in a bar on Sat night? Heather didn’t ask any questions, just grabbed three passes – good girl.

When she called with the good news, I knew we had to invite Kat. If anyone is a HP fan, it’s her. Rumor has it she waited in line to buy the latest HP book and loved them all. So the three of us wound up in the theater surround by hordes and hordes and hordes and hordes of kids. I mean, you couldn’t spit without hitting someone under 4 ft tall.

Before starting, they announced the movie was 2.5 hours long so if anyone had to pee, now would be the time. 50 nine year olds and myself dutifully tromped into the bathroom and back. (Hey, my mom taught me well, what can I say?)

And then the movie began. It was very good and didn’t feel like it was 2.5 hours long. In fact, the small person next to me managed to sit thought the whole thing and only had to cover her eyes once. Now, if you have children or have every babysat, I think you will realize the import of the fact that this movie managed to keep all these little squirmy people seated and quiet for over two hours. Wow. Unlike most Disney flicks, this one didn’t have any “adult humor” where the parents chuckle and the kids ask, “what happened?” The only questions that came from the kid by me where – “Mom, what does that say?”

Oddly enough, even though the short folks can’t read, they can recognize when there is writing. So every time there was a sign or a book or a letter that the audience had to read, the munchkin next to mean would lean into her mom and ask for a verbal interpretation. Smart kid.

The whole movie gave me a flash back to 7th grade when Becky Marshall and I used to pretend we were witches. We’d go down to the lower field by the fence and make up all sorts of strange stuff that I have managed to block from my memory. I think the biggest pull for me was the ability to fly. I would have signed on for that part alone given the chance.

But the movie was goods and the effects were very well done. Maybe I’ll read the book so I can decide if they did it justice but according to Kat and Heather, they were spot on.

Kevin just emailed me.

The Volvo blew a fan belt. The gauntlet has been thrown and we refuse to back down. Going to have a strategy session tonight and plan our attacked.

Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated….

I am a horribly stubborn person. I’m not sure why this is but there are times when I decide to plant my feet in the ground and nothing can move me. And to the poor fool who tries to shove me against my will, I offer my pity.

I went to get a flu shot the other day. The last time I got one of these, I didn’t get sick all winter so I believe it works. Unfortunately, last year there was a major shortage and they were only giving shots to the oldie moldies so I had to suffer through a winter of sniffles. This year, however, I got the notice at work that the flu shot people would be here and the company would pick up the tab. Free flu shot? You don’t have to ask me twice!

So I amble on down to the second floor conference room. There’s a table full of forms and a lady talking on her cell phone. I decide to be nice and wait for her to get off her call. In the meantime, I pick up a form and head to an open chair.

“Excuse me,” she barks, “are you suppose to be here?” She has her hand over her cell phone and is looking at me strangely. Lets see, there’s a big sign out front say FLU SHOTS and I’m wearing business attire. Seemed like a no-brainer to me.

“I’m here for the flu shot.” I reply.

“Well, who are you with?” She snorts at me.

I give her the name of my firm and she walks away yammering on her phone. It appears I have passed some sort of initial test so I fill out the paperwork. One page is a giant disclaimer saying that I’m not allergic and won’t sue them from complications from the flu shot. I sign on the dotted line and move on to the next form. It says….

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO RECEIVE THE FLU SHOT. Blah blah blah. (Please note that the above phrase was written in big font and at the top of the page.) The rest of the form is a bunch of medical questions. Now, I’m in a hurry so I decide not to fill out the medical form. Everyone else is busily filling out bubbles while I head back up the cell phone lady who then tries to charge me for the flu shot. We go a few rounds and I finally convince her that my firm is paying for it. She then asks me the name of my firm even though I have already told her. I hate people who do this. You know the type who like to make you jump through hoops just to prove they can. She looks into her little binder and low and behold, there is my name on the employee list. At this point, our relationship as gone from bad to worse. I don’t like her and she definitely doesn’t like me. For those of you who aren’t so good with foreshadowing, this is where the stubborn part comes in.

“Did you give me your medical form,” she calls out as I start to leave the room.

“I didn’t fill one out.” I replied shortly.

“I need to have that form before you can get the shot” was her reply, obviously swelling with the power trip of deciding who could proceed to the shot station.

“I don’t give out my medical history except to my doctor,” I quip back to her. Ok, that’s a lie. A bald face lie but she was making me mad. Besides, I was taking a stand for all those people who really didn’t want to divulge their medical past to random strangers for no apparent reason. This was a matter of principal.

“Why don’t you want to fill it out. What’s wrong with you?” She shot right back.

What’s wrong with me? WHAT”S WRONG WITH ME??? By now, all the sounds of bubble scratching has died away and everyone in the room is watching us like we’re a 10 car pile up. I dig in my heels and nothing, I mean nothing, is going to convince me to give this woman my medical history.

“There’s nothing wrong with me, I just don’t give out my medical history” I manage to get out through clenched teeth.

“You have to fill out the form. If you don’t fill out the form, you can’t get the shot” she chants to me with a sneer.

Excuse me??? I HAVE to??? No one tells me what I HAVE to do except my mom and even then there’s at least a 50% chance I’ll ignore her as well. I am not stupid. I can read the form which specifically says the information is optional.

A word of caution, don’t try to BS an attorney. We do this stuff for a living and unless you are either an 1) attorney, 2) politician, or 3)a younger sibling you are out of your league. Some of my friends like to lay the cards right out on the table and launch right into “Listen, I’m an attorney so I know **fill in made up piece of legislation here**. I prefer the sneak attack. Let them think you’re some low level secretary. Sometimes it pays off to be young and female in my profession.

“So I have to fill this out to get a flu shot?” I began to lay the foundation.

“Yes, you do.” She replied without batting an eye. Now who’s lying?

“It’s mandatory?” Always re-ask your question slightly differently. This way, they can’t claim they didn’t understand you the first time.

“Yes, it’s mandatory.” She sneered at me. And then I knew I had her so I went for the kill.

“Well,” I began with a serene smile firmly in place which, in lawyer land, means you are seriously frelled “it says right here…YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO RECEIVE THE FLU SHOT. So either you are lying to me or the information on this form is wrong.”

I had her and she knew it. I think I heard someone in the back snicker. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then she turned and walked away. I took this to mean I was free to proceed to the flu shot area and did so.

The lady who poked me was very very very nice. I think she was afraid of me.

Oh my goodness, too funny. You must go here and read this site.

I think Kevin may need to start a list like this. Some of the stuff we argue about is equally ridiculous. Our latest was a rather heated discussion of who walks the dog more. Not sure why it matters but each of us is convinced we take out Artie the most and will good down fighting on this one. Ah, they joy of being in a relationship….