…..and other enlightened realizations received by Gina!

So it’s been a while since I’ve written my usual “rant” about life and the junk that comes with it!  So, having said that, this could mean that this will be a long, deranged and curse filled post, or will be short as I sit and realize there is just too much to elaborate on!  Ah, the suspense is KILLING me!  🙂  Now, where to begin?

So, first of all, I recently went to get my eyes checked.  It was about time; I had had my reading/computer glasses for about two years and – unfortunately – was realizing that see things up close were becoming a bit more…….problematic.  I have been far sighted since I was youngER, so I figured as I grow older, near images would become more of an issue.  I went to Costco for my exam and, sure enough, was told that I needed a stronger prescription.  Wasn’t surprised at all by that.  But then the bomb hit……..”I think you really need to consider getting progressive lenses now.”  PROGRESSIVE LENSES?!?!!!!?  YOU MEAN THE KIND THAT OLD PEOPLE WEAR?!?!!?!!?!!?  (Please, to those of you who are older than me and who might have progressive lenses, that comment was not meant to offend.  I promise.  So since I promised, you can’t haze me right?)  So anyway, I sat in disbelief for a moment and then had the brilliant idea to ask WHY I needed progressive lenses.  I mean, I only need them for computer and reading, right?  WRONG!  While my distance vision was GOOD, one of my eyes has astigmatism and, well, the other one could use a little help too.  Do you know how many years I’ve bragged that my distance vision ROCKED?!  Holy crap!  But, as the shock that this  nearly 42-year-old body was failing me, I slowly nodded my head that I agreed with the fine doctor’s opinion and she started writing with amazing speed.

Now, about 10 or so days later, I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I DID need these freaking glasses!  I can certainly see much clearer and my eyes don’t get all throbbing after working all day.  Even driving home, I feel much more comfortable, especially at night.  But me, wearing progressive?  Wow.

I do have to say that LEARNING how to use them reminded me SO of my Dad!  When he first got his (much later in life, I might add!), he would move his head around, trying to find the “sweet spot” to see me or whomever he was talking to.  I would laugh so hard and say “what are you DOING Dad?”  Well, yeah, that was me for the first few days.  Oh, and the fact that walking was a bit troublesome at first.  Steps looked flatter and flat portions looked sloped or at least like they needed a step.  I was LAME!  But I have survived and, well, I wear freaking glasses all day now.  But I’ve been told I look freaking SEXY!

Alas, that is all I am going to write about at this time!  I know, that was a bit of a dud, huh?  All worked up and catching up and BAM – just talk about the ol’ glasses.  Well, that’s how the keyboard crumbles!  I warned you!  But to try to eleviate any pain, here is a funny video of me skydiving….check out my chubby cheeks in the wind!

Gina OUT!

So I have been able to download a free program that let’s me convert files to formats for posting very easily.  So my find means you will have to watch things here whether you want to or not!  🙂

The first video I made in 2006 to document the first portion of Deana’s adoption process.  This trip is where she first met Zack and Sophia (back then we thought she’d go by Sophie).  I also produced the video to help encourage some of the Christians we were around that had no problem telling her is was wrong, as a single woman, to adopt children.  And finally, to help raise funds to offset the HUGE expense she faced.  By I digress.

I would be remiss if I did not share that there IS a HUGE orphan problem in Russia and the majority of these children have bleak futures.  If you have ever thought of adoption, I request that you at least check out the children living in Russia, who are amazing wonderful!  Now, on to the video!

The second video I’d like to share is one of my favorites!  Kenny has always been my daredevil – not really afraid of anything and actually happy to push the limits.  This video was taken when he was 7 years old, only the second time he had been snowboarding.  I skied behind him on the mountain in Mammoth and Edgar produced the video.  It may be a little long, but there IS a cute interview of him at the end.  I can’t believe how little he was!

Enjoy!

A many of you know, today marks a day where we honor those who have served our country, some going so far as to die in their service. I find it interesting that its history is a bit different than I realized!

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day’.”

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Congress amended this act on November 8, 1954, replacing “Armistice” with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day ever since. I also find it interesting that the holiday is commonly printed as Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day in calendars and advertisements. While these spellings are grammatically acceptable, the United States government has declared that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling. Who knew?

While I will be going to work on this holiday, I would be remiss if I didn’t share that I, too, acknowledge and appreciate those that have served in the military to protect me and my family (or ancestors) and to uphold the beliefs that are melted into the American Dream. In my family I have my Dad (Navy), brother Gary (Army), brother David (Navy), and nephew Matthew (Army). My Dad was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and my nephew served a tour in Iraq (and worked an additional year there as a civilian). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Also on this important day is that it marks the 15th anniversary of my Dad surviving full cardiac arrest. I will ALWAYS know in my heart that God protected him that day for the benefit of all of us who love him! I am thankful that I have had the years since then to have him in my life.

Happy Veterans Day!

As for me, the only thing that has changed about me is that I am honest about the way I am.  And yet, that has caused those who’ve I’ve held closest to my heart to change their view of me.  And I can deal with that.  But I have felt their loss.

As for me, I will encourage my children to rest in the fact that I love them, period.  I will love them if they “change”, or if they are imperfect.  I will love them, period.

 

So, you’ve been warned – this will be a pathetic, self-indulgent post.  Run before it’s too late!

First of all, if my 2.78 readers wouldn’t mind praying for a friend of mine named Carolyn H.; she is having surgery on Monday 11/2.  She and I appreciate your thoughts!

Secondly, work continues to get worse every……single……moment!  I will not get into the details here because, well, I live them most of the time!  But it seems as though the owner’s nine lives may finally be up.  He has definitely manifested some really amazing life savers to date, but his magic seems to be running out…….or at least put off the inevitable……which appears to be crashing into the present with a huge and unfailing force.  While there is a huge part of me that is freaking out to be out of a job, I would be lying if I said “the end” would also offer long awaited relief!

Health wise I have had a few struggles lately.  While I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details in this venue, they HAVE caused me some tough spots.  These spots have varied from concern to inconvenience to down right freaking me out.  So, if you have a spot on your prayer list (if you are one that has such as thing) I would also appreciate a shout out on my behalf as well.  If not, your positive thoughts will be accepted!  🙂

And on a random note, I am disappointed in myself in that I am constantly surprised by how very self-centered so many people have become!  I mean, at my age, I should be much more jaded or at least conditioned to realize that this is a common piece of society today.  Yet, I expect people to be considerate, understanding, and even POLITE.  Sheesh, what do I even know?!?!?!!?!  I forgot that today most look out “for number one” and that’s about it.  Maybe I am that way, too, come to think of it!

And I realized tonight, perhaps though it is not constant, that it would be amazingly wonderful to spend one evening without the TV blaring, without everything centering around the kids, and maybe allowing the working adult who drives 70+ miles a day to have some peace and quiet for maybe an hour.  That would be heaven on earth.  And that is the springboard of the pity party…….

Gina out.

…..I WAS going to title this “Deep Thoughts”, but they’re not that deep…..and well, I think I overuse that phrase.  So then I thought, “Shallow Thoughts”, but well, they aren’t shallow either and I surely don’t want to imply that my thoughts aren’t important (at least to me!).  So hence, my ambiguous and – okay, I will admit it – lame title!

No one likes to be rejected.  Conversely, most would acknowledge they want acceptance.  I seek acceptance the most from the people I love…..you probably do, too.  And when I feel as though I haven’t received it in some areas of my life, I get what I call “sensitivity buttons”.  Like today, there was a scene in the movie “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs” where I totally wanted to cry.  Not that it was a sad scene – perhaps it is best described as a touching scene.  In any case, it made me feel very clearly that I was missing a part in my life because of what I perceive as non-acceptance.  And while acknowledging it was not a surprise, the emotions it evoked totally blindsided me.

When I was younger, more naive if you will, and expected “everything to work out” the way I wanted it to, I would have angst until all the pieces fell into their perfect places.  This often meant I needed to change ME so that I could obtain the acceptance I so yearned.  I was cool with that when I was younger, although now I know it cost me to do that as well.  Now, while I have progressed to a point of accepting myself for who I am, I still often want all the pieces to fall into their smooth places and everyone end up feeling hunky dory.  But I realize, I am not there and the pieces may never fit back together.  This DOES make me sad, as today showed me (even if I try to put on a brave face to myself as well as to everyone else).  But instead of me trying to figure out what I can do to “fix this”, which used to be changing to be “more acceptable”, I am facing my emotions.  I am letting my feelings of being rejected (or whatever the case may be) flow through me and acknowledging that I really can’t fix this as this is not my problem.  I have been honest, something that I have failed at in the past, and I have been candid – lying now about the truth to somehow gain acceptance is not cool.  And yet, facing this fact doesn’t add to my emotions, but almost frees me.  I am no longer chained by my past behaviors, but I certainly do feel pain.  The pain is tied to the perceived rejection, but I am feeling stronger knowing that fighting that rejection no longer pushes me to change the truth of me.

This may make no sense to you, but it has helped me tremendously!  :

Gina Out

Sharing some of the craziness that is my job……

• My boss has owned this business for 5 years.  During that time, he has paid the WITHHOLDING TAXES from his employees checks about 5 times (all during the time I worked there, which began in January 2009).  The IRS has threatened to seize his assets and have levied the bank accounts numerous times.  Same with EDD.  He hired a tax advocate, who said we had to “no longer pyramid” (aka, pay each payroll cycle the withholding taxes) so that they can negotiate waiving the penalties and interest.  Sigh.  Nope, hasn’t happened.  When I give him a list for THIS YEAR’S amount due (approx. $750,000) and remind him he owes over $1mil for 2007 alone, he tells me the IRS can’t do anything to him.
• The tax advocates recommended that my boss close the corporation that owes the $1+ million and just use the new corporation that he opened this year.  That way, the employer’s portion would go away, which amounts to about $400,000.  They said, to do that, he could NOT merge the companies because the liability would come over.  When I learned of this, I said I needed time to convert the accounting records, the employees, transfer the leases, etc.  I was told I would get that.  Yep, I got 24 hours notice!  And what’s funny…….the two leases that “converted” have been refused by the landlords!  You see, the boss was SURE that they would accept 100% of the same terms and fees for the new company, that there would be no credit check, etc.  That was 7/31 and it’s still not resolved.  Oh, and guess what?  The companies were MERGED…….
• We are being sued by several vendors that want the past due invoices paid.  The boss says they can’t do that because it will mess up our chances of getting the huge loan to consolidate all of the debt that we have not even been making payments on.
• We received a subpoena yesterday, which the boss said we do not have to respond to.
• We have not paid sales tax for four months.  He says that is not really that important.
• Today is payday and we are overdrawn in all bank account by over $10,000
• Even sharing a FEW of the items above, the boss is opening a new location in Las Vegas in about a month.  Not sure where the capital is coming from to do that.  Not sure how the lease he signed is legal since he used a corporation that hasn’t even been formed yet.  Not sure how I will pay the 100+ union employees he will have as I don’t have the info to set up the accounting, bank accounts, order checks, etc.  But I have been told I am “too negative” since I keep asking for these details.  But remember, Gina, the cashflow will be AMAZING and we can pay all of our vendors off!  At that point, I remind the boss that this will be set up under a different corporation and AGAIN, you really can’t pay the bills of one corporation with the money from another……….
• Oh, and don’t forget that I am “the problem” with other employees, especially the one that has been historically written up for anger issues and even was sent to anger management classes.  SHE has the “greatest attitude” of all the employees……..

Yes, this was a vent.   And I am completely hopeless that anything will change.  Because, the biggest lesson I have learned is that the boss doesn’t haven’t to follow IRS/EDD/Labor or any other rules or laws.

Well, it’s not exactly fair to say this is MY fault for not being able to sleep – some crack head person called my home number at like 3:15am!  Of course, that meant I needed to call them back to say, “Hey, do you even know what time it is?”  And that didn’t exactly work out as I think it was a telemarketer and the number doesn’t ring through.  But the activities meant I was wide awake.  THEN, I checked my email on my phone and saw that one of my co-workers added me on Facebook, so I HAD to get online to add him!  Right?

Maybe it IS my fault!

Speaking of work, it sucks.  Now vendors are taking us to small claims court and the boss, well he thinks he can call them and tell them not to.  Of course, the demand he wants to make doesn’t include any payment on the account, but that’s just a small detail.

I am loving the new home, though!  We ride bikes, go to the beach, and have so much fun here!  And the neighborhood is GREAT!  I can’t say enough good about it and – although the circumstances that got us here were not the best – I am glad we are here.

So I had much more to say, but got distracted researching something.  So that’s it for now!