Awareness of Emotions

Sometimes, people enter into your lives, and you arent sure (at that moment) why in particular THIS person is in your life, or why at THIS point of my life...I have friends that have come into my life, and there are a couple that over the years, I have become even very good friends with. One, I can tell we have each even confided in each other over time certain details of our lives that very few, if any one, else knows. A friend of mine told me about a blog that she followed, and that she asked me to read it. I dont ever remember going to someone's blog, and be overcome with emotion like I was, when I went to Sara's blog and read hers. Unfortunately, when I began to read her blog, it was the day that her family had taken her home to live the final days of her life, and I began to cry. Here was someone who was letting the world in, not only to her illness (read the ABOUT ME section about her disease), but then into her final days. (There was another note up tonight saying she was at her home resting peacefully). It really made me think. It made me think that all the bullshit I complain or bitch about, and even some of the stuff that I boast about, my life is really nothing compared to this person, who is dying way too young, and dying from a debilitating disease. Who am I to sit here and complain about stuff, when there are people in this world who are dying from a disease we have no cure for. This goes for Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Duchenne's Disease, and so much more. I have also realized that my outlet to deal with everything going on with my life, I have been ignoring like a red-headed step-child (not that there is anything wrong if you have a red-headed step-child -- its just a figure of speech!) :) LOL I will attempt to do more with this side of my life, as time allows.

Thanks for stopping by to read my life in words.... its time for Sleepy-ville.

J-Dawg

To the Powers that be at TWC (E-I-E-I-O)

As much as I love to admit that I am a techie geek, it still infuriates me to this day that a powerhouse in the technology realm (Time Warner Cable, aka TWC) can be as reckless and clueless as they are. Let me give you the low-down as to what happened.

Middle of June, I called TWC in Green Bay to let them know I am moving and when they should disconnect the service. I was instructed at that time to take my equipment with me to Texas. OK, no problem! Made sure to have that equipment in a box that would get unpacked first.

End of June, I place a call to TWC in Harker Heights to come out and install in the new place here in Texas. As the person is taking my order, they asked if I needed one or two boxes. I told them just once, since I brought one with me from WI. THIS is where the problems start.

Over a period of 6 weeks, I have made 6 calls to them in 6 weeks, asking that they provide boxes and shipping labels to return their equipment to them, since this was their error, and it was documented at my disconnect call for me to take my equipment with me.

6 calls - 6 weeks of waiting.

It is on the 6th call that I deal with a Katie with TWC Wisconsin. She is very willing to help me get resolved any issue I am having...and she finally did. She chuckled (and made a nice WTF kind of training did the first 5 people receive comment LOL) and said she would get them mailed out, then would call me as soon as they were mailed, and follow the process.

Tuesday, I got a call stating that the boxes were on the way (YAY!) and that once I get them, I should package up the equipment, and get it back out quickly. I then (for the 7th time) wanted to make sure that this was in NO WAY my error, and that it would not go to collections because after 60 days (I was told by caller 3 or 4 - cant remember now) it would go to the collection agency.

Wednesday, I get a call from Annie, the boxes have arrived (YAY!) so we can package up the equipment and get it back to them ASAP. SO far so good!

Friday, get home from Dallas, and the boxes are sitting in the living room. Again, good sign! I go out to the mailbox, and what do I find? A COLLECTION AGENCY NOTICE from TIME WARNER CABLE's ACCOUNT COLLECTION COMPANY!!!!!! WHAT THE #^$&^#^$^?????? Are you kidding me? 38 days (from the day I first called to the day it was mailed out)...and you are putting me into collections over something that was THEIR ERROR??? and in 38 days????

So I called TWC in Wisconsin, and lets just say I was JUUUUUUST a little upset! Actually I was beyond upset, to the point of infuriated doesnt even come close to how UNHAPPY I was! However, I did talk to a front line supervisor this time (Mitch) who assures me that this matter will be resolved by Wednesday. I also have his direct phone number, so on Thursday, when he doesnt call back, I will have a field day!

If ANYONE knows ANYONE who might have a contact with Verizon's FIOS, PLEASE let me know - I NEED to get away from TWC and their inability to properly conduct their business. They have destroyed my last straw!

J-Dawg

FINALLY!!!!! bin Laden is dead!!

God bless our military. (from here)

Remember 9/11 and the 2,977 innocent men, women, and children murdered by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 2000 USS Cole and the 17 sailors killed by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the six killed, and hundreds injured by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 1988 US Embassy Bombings in Africa, the 12 US diplomats, and hundreds of Kenyans slaughtered by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 1983 Beirut bombings and the 241 US servicemen murdered by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

J-Dawg

Happy Easter

Its been quite a while (6 months) since I have sat down to write. Alot has gone on in my life. Sometimes you have to lighten the load on the plate. Even when I lightened my load, it seems like some days I cant get my wheels to turn fast enough. Some days I feel like I have ran a marathon, but never left the starting gate. God blesses me every day. He keeps me safe while I drive all over this country of ours. He provides me shelter, food, and a means to make my living.

So why is it that sometimes I doubt Him?

My friend Dawn once said "...when I feel like my life is out of center, I start looking at how much I am going to church. Its my center." For me, church is not something I am able to do regularly. My job takes me away from my house so I dont have the ability to attend a building for a church to worship, so I do it in my own way. I keep my bible with me in the truck while I am travelling around the country. I read it, and I also have a program on my Droid to send me a new verse daily from the bible.

My Easter will be spent with my kids, and I will be taking them to our traditional Easter dinner (a family restaurant that puts on a FABULOUS holiday meal). My God continue to Bless you all :)

J-Dawg

10/10/10 wishing for 7/11

This evening, I was sitting here catching up on some reading, and I re-read a couple entries from my own blog, one of the being a post from New Years Day. I know in my last post I had become down on myself for some of the choices I had made in my life...more down on the consequenses of the choice, not the choice itself.

Sometimes, I just wish that I would think about things before I just do something.

Lets just say after re-reading that post from New Years, so far, it is a fail, fail, fail, and fail....at least that is how I am feeling :(

J-Dawg

Life...and the hard lessons learned

This self-destructive train-wreck of a person has decided that I am no longer going to allow the character flaw that I have to be hurt anymore. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and unfortunately that comes with some consequences. Just like in my last post, you make choices, and you live with those choices. I wouldnt change the world for the choices I have made, but they come at a cost. That cost is the pain I feel tonight. A pain that I am not sure will go away any time soon.

Life, love, pain, tear - all 4 letter words. Agony, heart, broke, tears - all 5 letter words.

J-Dawg

Condendum of Situations

Do you ever become hard on yourself for decisions you consciously made? Sometimes, I find myself to be my toughest critic. I never regret decisions I made. We arent 18 and in high school anymore. I am 39 and an adult, making adult decisions. Some of these decisions are as a result of doing what makes me happy. Some of these decisions are because they just feel the right thing to do. Either way, they are MY decisions. You don't have to agree with them, but I do ask that you respect them. Sometimes when you make a decision, people can get hurt. Sometimes, people just dont understand, because they choose NOT to understand.

In life, we sometimes have to make decisions that don't necessarily "agree" with those not involved with the decision, mainly because they don't understand the entire situation, or are only seeing it from their own perspective, or as if it were their decision to make.

I dont want to divulge the entire situation, for some things are meant to be private. Just understanding what I am dealing with, or knowing that sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, is enough for me. Do I do the right thing, or do I do the right thing for me?

Its never easy, that's for sure. I never have a situation where you look at it and go "Well, duh! that's an easy one!" I seem to find myself looking at things and basically says "WTF have I got myself into this time." Whether its a work related issue, or in this case, a personal issue, sometimes life just lends itself to working itself out to the best decision. Which still leaves me with the question "Do I do what's right? or do I do what's right for me?" My buddy Rick told me today "you have to be happy. Whatever makes you happy, is what you should do. You will know when you have the decision you need make made."

He's right. We owe it to ourselves to be happy. Either way would make me happy. Which way would make me happiest is another question. In my mind I think I have the decision made, but at what cost? In my mind, I know which decision would make me happier.

J-Dawg