Ahhhh....the cold has come.

Well, the cold has come at last. I have this feeling like we are in for a long, cold winter this year. We have had really mild ones for the past few years, so I guess we are due a cold one. I have surmised this because of how early my dad's pecan trees let go of their precious fruit, the pecans. Also, the squirrels have been out in droves. I am sure it is because they know something that we don't and they are trying to stock up for the winter that will surely ensue.

What does this mean for me? Well, the first thing I would like to mention is that it will not effect me that much. I am a human. I get to live in a house. Although I don't like to run the heat very much, because I like the cold, I will do it occasionally for my lovely wife. I would not want to enter a room only to find her frozen stiff. My car will not need de-icing because I will continue to park it in our garage, small as it may be. That has been one of the greatest things this fall/winter. We have not had to go out and pour water on the car to get the dew or frost off the windows. When we were living in the apartment, we would have to go out, pour water on the cars, and then go about our day. Such a pain.

What else does it mean? Well, it means that some of my favorite times of the year are coming up. I like the summer and playing in the yard, but what I really love are the holidays upcoming. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. I love spending time with family, stuffing our faces together. Christmas is just very nostalgic for me because of all of the great traditions my parents upheld throughout my life.

Speaking of Christmas, we will be building and decorating some gingerbread houses again this year. We have done this for three or four years now, and it has quickly become a favorite activity among the Ulrich's...and their spouses, whatever their last names. Last year, we used "real" gingerbread. Carla made all of the parts (walls, roof), and we had to assemble the houses with icing....the glue. It was kind of a team effort last year, because we only had three full sets of house parts. I would have to say that Rebecca and myself were the clear winners, just as I have been in previous years. This year, we will have to try hard to continue the legacy. There has been rumor of splitting up the creative and dynamic duo of the Bruce A. Ulrich household, but I don't know if the politics will progress. We shall see. All in all, I am sure a grand time will be had by all.

Finally, I am glad for the cold because it means that January is just around the corner. What is the significance of January (sometimes I say, "Janry"), you might ask? Well, other than it being the month of Carla's birth, it is when we will be able to buy a tree to go in our yard. We wanted to get one a while back, but were unable to follow through. We were told January was the best time for it, because the tree is dormant and it is a wet month. That is supposedly the perfect recipe for a healthy tree.

So, welcome, Winter. Come on in.

The Little Things in Life

Let me start by saying, Chase Quarterman has some really cool art. His paintings continue to wow me. The way his art seems to appeal to everyone, is just amazing.


So, we have had some trouble with sugar ants in this house since we moved in. I don't think the previous owner did anything to deter pests. A few months ago, not long after we bought the place, some sugar ants just showed up out of the blue....okay, it was out of the way, but who is getting technical. They were coming out of a hole

in the wall that was under one of the kitchen cabinets. We called up the exterminator, and had them come out to rectify the infestation. Well, we thought we had resolved it soon enough, but by the time we got home that day, the sugar ants had found the sugar, oddly enough, and other foods while they were at it. Supposedly, it was some watermelon juice that we had not sufficiently washed down the sink drain that first attracted them to the place. While they were there, I guess the ants just figured they would have a look around at what other easy food there was to eat. We had a half eaten loaf of bread, sealed with a clip, and an unopened loaf that was sealed with the twisty tie like it comes from the store. Well, the little buggars could not just go for the already half consumed loaf, they had to get into the brand new loaf. There were ants all in the bag. (I am itching just talking about the little things right now.)

Anyway, last week, they showed up again. I saw some of them over by the window sill in the kitchen. They seemed to start coming in after one cold night we had, right after a rain. Supposedly, neither of those things the ants like. They were coming inside to get warm, and dry....can't say I blame them, just want them dead. So, Tuesday, the pest control people came back out. They spent a good 30 minutes spraying outside the house. Then, they came in and finished the job. I felt like they had sprayed a sufficient amount. That was, until the next day, and there were more ants on the sill than before. They were actually coming out and eating the poison that was left for them. It is this gel stuff that is supposedly sweet, which is exactly what they like. I thought, okay, this is good...draw them out and let them eat the poison and die. Well, here it is Friday and they are still roaming about....not dying! I was going to call the pest people back today, but after looking at the sill this morning, they seemed to have subsided. Well, we arrived home to a thriving colony of sugar ants again this evening. It is really bothersome! I am sure I will not be able to get anyone out until Monday, so I hope they don't get into anything.

I pose the question, "Can you call yourselves an exterminator if you don't really exterminate anything?" I think not.

Unbelievable

Unbelievable.

There are things that are unbelievable (and they are good) and those things that are unbelievable (and they are bad). Well, this is the latter.

My car was acting up a little over the weekend, and leaking some oil and stuff. I needed to take it in and make sure it was nothing serious. I followed procedure, and called my manager to let her know I was having car trouble and I might not be in. I then got lectured about how I really needed to come into work, and I should have worked harder to make arrangements to get here. I should have called someone….family….friends….to come get me and take me to work. It is not anyone else's problem than mine when my car doesn't work. If I have car trouble, it is my responsibility to get it back working and to make arrangements for such.

I didn’t get ready for work, because I was expecting something to be seriously wrong with my car. I was not able to make arrangements with Rebecca, because of how early she goes. I would not have been able to drop off my car and leave it, because the Mechanic’s shop was not open, and neither was their gate. I didn’t have a way to leave a key and let them get it. Therefore, I resolved, that I would just take the car in when they opened and wait on it to get done. I didn’t really know when they opened, but I was calling them ever since about 6:45 this morning. I arrived there just before 8:00, and called Phyllis to let her know what was happening. That is when I got the spill about not “wanting or trying” hard enough to get to work.

Unbelievable!

I really cannot believe I was being told I didn’t try hard enough to get to work….when I was having car trouble!

Graves & Stoddard told me that it was leaking from the rear mail oil seal, and from a couple of other spots. Well, they said I could wait to do it, if I wanted to. I decided that was best, since apparently, Phyllis (my manager) knows what’s best for my car. Apparently, she knows what I need to do.

I drove home, showered, and was back up to work (in North Jackson) a mere hour later than I normally get here. Phyllis proceeded to berate me with questions. She was asking things like, “So, you were just going to sit at the place all day?” I said, “Yes.” She went on, “Why didn’t you call me earlier and see if I could come pick you up or get someone else to pick you up?” I told her that I tried to make arrangements, but none of them panned out with the time frame I would be dropping the car off. She just kept on and on and on about all of this. Is she kidding me? Why didn't I call her to come pick me up? What is that? I mean, why am I going to call her to come do all of that, when she lives way out in Madison, and I would have been in Pearl? That doesn't make sense. I should have just been able to use some personal time....or a whole day, for that matter. We have floating CSR's that do nothing but go where they are needed. She could have gotten someone in my stead.

I don’t usually get mad enough to make my stomach upset, but today, it is. I am actually not hungry at all right now. I usually am by now. (10:45 am).

Right after I got off the phone with Phyllis, I called her manager to speak my mind. I wanted to voice a complaint about how this kind of thing keeps happening to me. It is not my fault that she doesn’t have a back-up CSR, and it is not my fault that I had car trouble. I want her to stop pretending like it is. I wanted to have her supervisor speak to her about it, because it is getting ridiculous! I tried to go over her head right after I got off the phone with her this morning, but I could not get in touch with him.

She has crossed a very large ethical line. She has crossed over into MY ethical boundary, and I don't appreciate it. I mean, why would I have personal time, if I am not allowed to use it? I never get to use it. When I am not feeling well, I call in and she tells me to take some medicine and come on in. I am basically told to suck it up, because it is for the good of the branch. However, when she has a little allergy to something, or is not feeling well, she just goes home for the day. We don't call her back and say that we need her to come back up there.

While on that note, another thing she mentioned last time when I was not feeling well and she was telling me to suck it up was that I ought to be going to the doctor when I am not feeling well. Well, I don't run to the doc every time I have a sore throat, or some excruciating back pain. I have already been to the doctor and they have prescribed stuff for me. There is no need to go pay my copay, just to say I have been to the doc. I mean, what are they going to say, "Yup....looks like you have a sore throat. Go home, get some rest, and take some of the stuff I gave you last time.?"

Anyway, I emailed the head of the Human Resources Department this afternoon. I should be finding out soon how I need to go about filing a complaint against my manager. This should not be happening, and they should have it on file. Even if they don't end up doing anything about Phyllis' antics, it will be on file for a reference.

Well, that is all for now. Quite a rant, but totally necessary.