A bit of a rant today, because I’m not feeling well and I just want to vent. We’re going out to eat with my mom and her “friend” today for my birthday. This guy is very anti-Obama and as we’ve come to know him, very anti-anything-that-is-not-white. He claims he is (or was) a die-hard democrat. Funny how that happens. On Halloween when they came over to sit with us while we passed out candy, he snuck into the garage and put a McCain sticker on my car. Very mature, no? If you ask him why he is against Obama, all he says is that he (Obama) doesn’t believe in our country, his name might as well be Osama and take your pick of all the stupid chain emails going around about him being a terrorist - he apparently believes them all. (I’m probably inviting flames from people who agree with my mom’s friend. I. Don’t. Care.)

I whole-heartedly believe in and am proud of my decision to support Barack Obama. I’m so very happy that he was elected. But I leave it alone. I don’t talk politics with people, because I’m not good at getting my point across in a calm manner when backed into a corner. But my limits are no doubt going to be tested today. When my mom called me earlier to ask where we wanted to go, I heard him in the background saying “as long as I don’t have to eat Obama. None of that watermelon and chitlin crap. hehehehe”. GAH. If you don’t hear from me for a while, I’m most likely sitting in a jail somewhere. 

OK, here’s the thing. I’m not a confrontational person. Not usually, anyway. I like to avoid it if at all possible, because I just get all weird and nervous and I don’t know what to say and end up sounding like an idiot. That being said, I do have a limit, and react accordingly if pushed over it. There were some changes made in our workplace structure, and it shook things up a bit. People had to take on more responsibility to make up for the people we lost, etc… you know the drill. This is when everyone needs to be on their game. We all need to step it up and just do the damn job already. So I have a question, because I need some insight (advice, an idea, whatever).

How do you handle your peers at work who are not pulling their weight, and therefore are making work life hell for everyone involved? Go.

Because I just had to try this dessert. These are the Harvest Pumpkin-Spice Bars I found in that mini-magazine last year. The cake is so moist, with just the right amount of spice. It caved a bit along the center (all my cakes do, not sure why), so the icing part was a little tricky. The recipe called for raisins and nuts, but I don’t like either so I left them out. Still turned out so yummy, even John liked it and he’s a picky eater. I will definitely be making this again!

Speaking of my birthday… kind of odd. I haven’t spoken to my dad since Easter (short story- he and my mom are separated, and my dad is very much the “victim”... feel sorry for me, nobody loves me, blah, blah, whatever). Anyway, he actually called and asked if he could take us out to eat so I put my anger aside and we went. It was good to see him. John bought me the newest season of How I Met Your Mother on DVD, some Andes mints (love those!) and treated me to a Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks for dessert after we ate. My mom is supposed to be taking me out to eat on Friday, so all in all, pretty good birthday. I’d rather eat than get actual gifts anyway!

I originally posted a new pic of Leo for this entry, then John suggested I do a “before and after” type of thing. According to the shelter, Leo should be right around one year and six months old right now. John’s dad thinks he was actually younger than they thought because his baby teeth just recently all popped through in the back and, hello, holy growth spurt! Here’s a pic taken shortly after we got him in April 2008.

And here he is now, taken two days ago:

I can’t believe how big he is. He reminds me every day, though, when he jumps into the bed and lands ON MY RIB CAGE. Heh. I can’t stay mad at him, though. I mean, look at him! *smooch*