Just a small reminder, most of the posts in this journal are friends only.  If you are not on my friends list and would like to be added, please send me a message and I would be happy to add you.  (It helps if you tell me who you are or why you would like to view my journal too lol) 

Thanks,

-RW/JP- 

Oh for crying out loud! I just got hit on the head and recalled that I have not updated this since I had to start working to pay the ridiculous food and petrol prices to feed my kids... You would not believe the amount of people that are totally stalking me. I prostrate myself in sorrow and beg thy forgiveness..

I am flat out like a lizard drinking with learning to play lawn bowls, driving from one end of the city to the other, just generally being a doormat to my employer, my day often feels wasted from my partner kicking me out of bed to I am begging my kid to go to sleep or so help me God that kid will be decorating my wall, 'Duct tape still life'. I am quite the socialite. but who cares.

I totally promise I will update you with my nefarious activities as soon as I get a chance. Honestly! What do you mean you don't believe me?.

You can make your own here!

I so totally stole this from koakako 

~JP~

Many of you know I work for a major retailer, rarely I mention them by name, but moreso as "The Orange Box".  I have been in management with the Depot for almost 4 years now, and it has been a hell of a ride.  No, I am not loosing my job, I am not at risk of loosing my job any more than the thousands of Orange Box employees, but, unfortunately, I have some friends that can't say the same today.

Read the press release here...

To the couple of friends I have across the country that work for Expo, I am sincerely sorry to hear the news today.  HD will downplay this and point out it's only less than 2% of our total workforce, but, it's still 7k people!  Those thousands of people are now being tossed into a sea of uncertainty that I have been in a few times myself, and I hope they land on their feet, I really do. 

The state of our economy is horrible, and it's not something that is going to be fixed overnight, or by any one man, as much as folks would like you to believe.  The lack of oversight on our financial institutions is what landed us here finally, but you can't point the finger of blame at any one person.  It's through much complacency that we have landed where we are, and as they say, we made our bed, now we have to sleep in it.  I had been avoiding commenting on several friends journals, because I seem to have an unpopular opinion about things, but it sure hit home today.  Locally, those that work at Sprint, I hope you are not one of those let go, that's not something that will be good for our area, but there will be so much more to come.  I am taking nothing for granted anymore.

Our store will be effected by these changes, our installers, our partners, they will all be effected by what comes, I can only hope that since Nardelli is finally gone, that we can weather the changes and come out on top. 

I really urge everyone to get involved!  Don't sit by and let those in our government, local or national, to continue to make these bad decisions soley to line their pockets or further their careers.  I had some conversations recently with some friends when one of them said to me "I don't bother following all this politcal crap, its all just bullshit, and there is nothing I can do about it."  Your wrong, even if your not voting, your voice does still count, and their are strength in numbers, state your case!

To those folks that I have been "ignoring" or, "avoiding".. that's really not the case.  I am fighting for what I have, to keep what I have, in a financial and emotional state, and holding on by the skin of my teeth.  Yes, I am grumpy, moody, rude, short and all those other things I have been called recently, and it's going to stay that way until I can be comfortable in my life.  I've lost everything in my life twice now, I will be damned if I do it a third time.

Once again, to any fellow associates, managers or partners reading this, I hope you weren't effected by this first wave of changes, and, if you were, I wish you the best of luck...  for my friends that are effected, if there is anything I can do, please.. you know how to contact me.

~JP~

Copy this message into your Journal if you are in a heterosexual marriage, and you don't believe it needs to be "protected" by folks who think that allowing gay marriage will hurt its "institution."

I have a friend who is in a bad situation where he is, and needs help getting out.  He has a page out there explaining what is going on and why he needs help, I thought I would help him out and post this link to his site..  Check it out and help if you can..:  http://bunny.thewarren.ws  

Wanted to shout out a very happy Birthday to koakako!!! I hope you have a great day and an even greater year to come!

RW

Just so everyone knows, I don't enjoy April Fool's jokes, especially about work! Why would you want to go out of your way to make someone look like a fool? I mean do people really get off on making other people look like idiots? They have feelings too!

Every year it's the same thing, ha ha very funny, I will seriously go "house" on anyone playing a joke on me this year, my temper is too short to put up with it! THIS MEANS YOU!

Ok, I am like any other guy, I have a truck, I need it for work, its just something I cannot do a lot about.  Now they are saying gas prices could go as high as $3.75 a gallon by the end of the spring.  Now, we do have a more economical vehicle too, but since all of my driving is done in town, the savings is minimal.  They are saying the reason that oil is jumping so high despite production being up by over 6 million barrels is because the dollar's value against the Euro is dropping.  Oil itself is a good hedge fund because foreign investors buy oil when the dollar is low as they get more bang for their buck so to speak.

 One of the biggest blessings I have in life is my friends.  It hurts me to see them in pain or suffering.  I have a friend who's father has been sick for some time, and he is in the hospital again today, and she is worried terribly about him.  He is getting ready to say his goodbyes and move on so he is no longer in pain.

It's never easy to say goodbye to a parent, in fact, I think that it is one of the hardest things anyone can do to help a family member move on and say good bye.

Whatever your faith, whatever you believe happens after death, I ask all my friends to keep "C" in your prayers and thoughts today and through the rest of this situation, whatever the outcome may be.  If you have thoughts or well wishes, please comment here and I will pass these along to her.

Together we can get through anything.

Thank you everyone

-RW-