tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57649832011-04-21T23:14:20.063-05:00Read about the honey bee's daysApis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-68852059398231813012007-08-07T11:35:00.001-05:002007-08-07T12:22:53.702-05:00

I met, actually *met* the man in the tan coat. It's almost a hundred degrees outside right now, so he wasn't actually wearing the coat.It started last month during the state-wide food drive. Our secretary who's friends with some of the workers upstairs was asked to judge the final day of the drive where the employees were to "sculpt" the collected items into works of art as part of an interoffice

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-32695362687876551332007-08-06T15:58:00.000-05:002007-08-06T16:22:55.369-05:00

Alright, I think I've got it figured out. The question friends have been asking me as I get sucked further and further into the life of the Church: Why am I a Christian? Not because of the promise of eternal life. Not because I think that Christianity has got it all figured out and they are on the inside track with the one true God. Not because I heard the voice of Jesus in my head and I

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-56023283686801861442007-06-19T10:19:00.000-05:002007-06-29T11:31:56.113-05:00

Work has been sooo sloooow lately. My coworkers seem to be keeping busy, but I just don't seem to be getting very many applications. I don't know if they are all just good at appearing busy, or if there's some cosmic event that keeps people with last names beginning with G-L from applying for public assistance. It's given me a lot of free time to websurf (and blog!) and read books. I wonder if

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-58483949085274503882007-06-15T15:22:00.001-05:002007-06-15T15:22:43.997-05:00

My two-hole punch makes a great stand for me to prop up my bag of microwave popcorn.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-58300959333741506322007-04-02T13:24:00.000-05:002007-04-02T13:26:45.360-05:00

I recently switched doctors and I had to fill out the usual reams of paper forms. You know that little section they ask you if you drink or smoke? Usually I just check "no," write "socially," and move on. But lately I've been making sure to be really honest just in case. Maybe knowing that I smoke a couple cigarettes (no, not a couple packs -- individuals cigarettes) a year might be helpful in

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-30291325386283107402007-04-02T13:21:00.000-05:002007-06-29T11:33:05.095-05:00

Another response to my pastor about a sermon on Palm Sunday.Your sermon yesterday got me thinking. It's easy for people to say that Christ died for our sins. But what does that mean? The phrase has never really had that much meaning for me. I think sometimes Christians have the perspective that Jesus was sacrificed in the same way that a lamb was sacrificed in the Old Testament...that we have to

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-83326056864404026352007-03-19T13:23:00.000-05:002007-03-19T13:38:15.524-05:00

Here, BenjiOn my lunch break today I saw a dog being walked...or something.The river is only a few blocks from my office and at 58 degrees I grabbed some tunes and went for a stroll. On my way back to work, running towards me at a moderate but respectable pace, was a Benji-looking dog. Not the spriest dog you've ever seen, but one in good health. I looked around for who this dog might belong to,

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-15099120212507213102007-03-02T16:24:00.000-06:002007-06-29T11:34:35.408-05:00

There's a man who works in one of the offices above mine. He wears a suit and tie and a tan trench-type coat every day; he's one of the very few people that enter our building dressed so formally. He's middle-aged with greying hair, but not bald. He reminds me of my Japanese teacher, but taller. I saw him a few weeks ago in the little natural food store a couple blocks from the office, shopping

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-50355882975238139352007-02-07T11:08:00.000-06:002007-06-29T11:35:51.913-05:00

I have a little beekeeping operation. Nothing fancy, but I want to someday make a profit. I want to claim my start-up costs on my taxes as a loss so that when the day comes that I'm in the black, I'll feel better about paying taxes on it. Not that I'm against taxes, I just think people that actually make money should pay them and the record should show that I have none. Do I need to file a

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-59041912810084551562007-02-07T11:05:00.000-06:002007-02-07T11:08:26.928-06:00

Woo-ooh wooo-oohLast night was my first police stop in Hancock county. I was "verbally warned" to slow down. This was following a puzzled facial expression (which I could barely see with the flashlight in my face) and verbal question mark at my middle name. Good thing he doesn't know my in-laws. I wouldn't want papa-in-law to know I'm one of those speeders.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-15925737233556881482007-01-17T13:06:00.000-06:002007-01-17T13:15:49.929-06:00

Stupid flashThere are many websites now that are using the Flash technology which, I'm guessing, allows more user interaction with the site. Some websites are completely inaccessible if you don't have Flash, such as Chaco's. I get a taunting message about how I don't have Flash and I need to simply "click here" to download and install it. I'm reassured that it's a quick and painless process

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-63003455050378716592007-01-12T03:27:00.000-06:002007-06-29T11:36:29.973-05:00

I'm applying to be a Deaconess. On the application they have one of those standard sort of questions about what historical figure I most admire and why. Boring. I think my answer is valid. Hope they like it:History is not one of my strengths, and I spent some time reading about various historical figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Frida Kahlo, Mother Theresa and Mahavira, trying

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-73592431424769136452006-09-13T16:30:00.000-05:002007-06-29T11:37:06.337-05:00

Friends, Tasha and Ryan, came to visit last weekend thanks to Amtrak. They were the most gracious guests. Visiting during the week, they entertained themselves while spouse and I worked. Pleasant interactions came naturally as we shared time between talking, shopping, cooking, dining, washing what seemed to be endless dishes, and walking around the property, dodging poison ivy in my sandals.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1157725434430464742006-09-08T09:07:00.000-05:002006-09-08T09:23:54.440-05:00

Dear Liza, dear Liza...There's a cricket in my office.This may not sound noteworthy to you, but it's serious. Our house had been completely uninhabited, yet full of junk, for over a year before we moved in. Also, given that we're a far, far cry from being clean freaks, when the master's away the crickets shall play. Every room in our house has at least a dozen crickets in it. I don't believe I'm

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-15629337619398652302006-09-01T11:01:00.000-05:002007-06-29T11:37:53.584-05:00

I really have a craving for a brownie today.About two weeks ago the counseling center next door to my office was having a bake sale on the sidewalk. They provide counseling and case management mostly to people with severe disabilities and mental disorders. They are one of the only counseling offices around here that accept the state medical assistance program, which we administrate. One of our

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-8906591330800249122006-08-17T14:30:00.000-05:002007-06-29T11:38:28.235-05:00

My pastor presented a sermon last Sunday about C.S. Lewis's arguments in the book, Mere Christianity. This is most of the text of my reponse to him. He ended up responding favorably.From your summary of Lewis's book, the take-home message seemed to be almost a proof of God's existence. For centuries Christians and non-Christians have applied their clever little minds to this task. Descartes's "a

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1153941043792844932006-07-26T14:05:00.000-05:002006-08-22T11:38:10.033-05:00

I want to drive!Saturday was the county fair demolition derby. I had never been to a demolition derby before and I wasn't quite sure what I was imagining was going to happen... What did happen was the best entertainment EVER. If you've never been before, imagine 16 normal, beat-up, oldcars -- like Crown Vics, Dusters, Cutlasses, Escort wagons -- with a home-grown paint job (a few were very

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1152913041269737832006-07-14T16:29:00.000-05:002006-08-22T11:36:51.806-05:00

When a simple "no" won't doI asked my honey today if my shoes matched my outfit. He said instead, "They match your panties." I knew he liked the red/white pasley hipsters, but I didn't realize he could remember that I was wearing them when I was fully clothed. I smile inside. It's heart warming when someone else pays more attention to you than you do to your own self. It's even better when

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1152556157002385602006-07-07T18:12:00.000-05:002006-08-22T11:29:42.276-05:00

Kum & GoGet your mind out of the gutter. Kum & Go is just a gas station chain found all over Iowa. Some call it, "the ol' E&E." I don't much care to think about what the diminutive might stand for. The only gas station downtown where I work is the Kum & Go with it's maraschino cherry red canopy and sign. I always see the same clerk if I go in for a pop or snack. He's a tall, some might call lanky

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1151617349515141932006-06-29T16:34:00.001-05:002006-08-22T11:30:54.443-05:00

For MattToday was catching up on Ryan's blog in preparation for seeing him this weekend. I'm sad Matt won't be there.I'm debating whether to use real names in my blog. Of course I could never use real names for my customers, but I'm not sure what to do about friends and bosses. I think I previously made up names for my boss and coworkers, grasping for a sliver of indemnity in case they read

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1091634860845718032004-08-04T09:34:00.000-05:002004-08-04T11:14:32.606-05:00

You shall be gotten up-to-date: 1. Work is still driving me batty (do you know any poor 3- or 4-year-olds in "rural" Story County?). 2. I'm an old married lady. 3. I don't know if I want to get an MSW or be a nurse. This place has both: http://www.augsburg.edu/main.html Tomorrow I start the Road Trip Honeymoon out west to see mountains and desert and my aunt and friends' nuptials.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1081894062649327972004-04-13T17:07:00.000-05:002004-04-13T17:10:34.796-05:00

Today was whiney. The past two weeks have been busy-y. Overwork is just killing me. I need a new job. Or, I need to go back to school. It might be time to go back to school. I've been looking at nursing programs, especially the University of Washinton's Master's Entry Program in Nursing. I made a new friend. She took me to see Prince because she got free tickets. She's way cooler

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1080255811787488342004-03-25T17:03:00.000-06:002004-03-25T17:11:58.543-06:00

Last night was frustrating and then delightful and then mad. Fred's key didn't work in the ignition, but we got a ride home and got our old spare set of keys, which are unwarped by the weight of my wallet and his gobs of office keys, respectively. Had a nice walk to church for our weekly soup supper. We met a Sarah. A soon-to-be-off-to-greener-pastures-in-California friend loaned us her

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1080168660043735522004-03-24T16:51:00.000-06:002004-03-24T16:56:24.843-06:00

This month has been weddingy. Finally am getting some things put into place. The Maids picked out a dress they like and I think I shall have them order it. I also have a dress, but am in search of sparkley silver sandals. Let me know if you see any. I also need a veil. Sparkley would also be nice, but long and sheer is a must. Today my car is very stubborn. The key won't turn in the

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1074120118058770622004-01-14T16:38:00.000-06:002004-01-14T16:43:24.996-06:00

Today was errandy. With my new job I'm not chained to my desk. It's lovely. We still haven't done the dishes. We hosted a going away party for a friend on Sunday night, and there's still dirty dishes everywhere. It's pretty yucky. I cut part of my finger off while chopping onions for said party. Fred and Leslie the Nurse Lady both said that I will live and my finger will not fall off.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1074036146716420312004-01-13T17:16:00.000-06:002004-01-13T17:23:46.046-06:00

Today I executed my first home visit. It went just fine. Today Ernie might come to visit. We haven't heard anything yet though... I didn't expect much out of Cold Mountain, but it was actually really excellent. We saw it this weekend at the mid-priced show. I'm not sure if it was excellent enough that I would see it at the expensive show, but I definitely would like to see it again when it

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1073956255336627382004-01-12T18:54:00.000-06:002004-01-12T19:13:30.216-06:00

I have forsaken you lately and you have turned away. There has been tumult; I apologize. I've made a lateral transition at overwork, which is seen as a vertical transition by those that pay me (which is, in result, good for me), so my attention has been elsewhere. I have recommited myself to your graces. Today there was nothing wacky. We'll try again tomorrow.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1067295561427492122003-10-27T16:59:00.000-06:002003-10-27T16:59:46.680-06:00

No one wants me. Last rejection letter for employment received on Friday. Well, I've decided I don't want any of them... at least not right now. Fred needs to get a real job so I can be content to overwork for underpay. I got an assistant, so that should be nice for while. I crave apple cider. With cinnamon sticks. I'm a Friendster. Join my legions.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1066150759452911632003-10-14T11:59:00.000-05:002003-10-14T11:59:18.770-05:00

Someone wake me when West Wing starts getting good again. Maybe it really did always suck and the finale was just so good it ruined it for the regular episodes. The cats caught a mouse today. Their first catch. Finally starting to earn their keep. Luckily, I wasn't home when this was discovered. Fred left me a voicemail with the news while I was interviewing for an assistant at overwork.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1065216650218170302003-10-03T16:30:00.000-05:002003-10-03T16:35:25.096-05:00

There's a ladybug walking around on my files. A client brought it in and I plucked it off her fuzzy collar. I put it in the trash, but I didn't smash it or anything. So it must have flown out and now it's tooling around my files. It makes me happy. Its one of those spotless orange ones, so I'm not sure if it's really a ladybug or not. I once heard someone refer to the orange ones as potato

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1065045960158539542003-10-01T17:06:00.000-05:002003-10-01T17:06:00.250-05:00

Today is gooey again. Too much snot, not enough lotion-ey facial tissue. Too much data entry, not enough reliable internet. My stress ball is a blood drop with plastic hands and feet. I like him. I wrote my name under his left foot. I accidentally wrote on him with a wayward pen stroke. Now he has one little hair coming out of the top of his "head," like a desperate bald man. It's time

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1064875603463339382003-09-29T17:46:00.000-05:002003-09-29T17:48:05.930-05:00

This weekend was busy. Lots of lugging garbage bags full of clothes downstairs, cleaning out a local clothes closet. Started the process of becoming a United Methodist. Lots of social action activities. Saw Tracy Chapman live for free from the third row. Promoted Dennis Kucinich. Talked with Howard Lyman. See if they're coming to your area: WeThePlanet. And now here I am. Back at

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1064527105008059842003-09-25T16:58:00.000-05:002003-09-25T16:58:24.356-05:00

Today was sweaty. Grocery shopping in bulk is hard work. And I wasn't even the one doing the shopping! My food pantry bought two van loads of food at the grocery store. It cost $1,600. My feet hurt. My boots + cordless clip-on phone put three more pounds on me. I know because I have a scale. I also know that Nutella is tasty. Even better with pretzels! Pray to the blogger Gods that

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1064335983353913342003-09-23T11:53:00.000-05:002003-09-23T11:53:03.543-05:00

Fucking Blogger! I just wrote a nice big two-paragraph post telling you about last week and my wonderful birthday yesterday, but now you don't get to hear about it because Blogger timed-out and I'm not writing it all again. Today is pouty!

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1063662949656716292003-09-15T16:55:00.000-05:002003-09-15T17:03:41.883-05:00

Today is maddening. I called up the prospective job. Filled. I should receive a letter soon. Wacky proposition did not fly with the one boss, but maybe if I commit to staying longer than "whenever I get another offer," it might work. Today was crazy people day. Or maybe it was just every-mundane-thing-drives-Melissa-crazy day. Hard to tell.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1063402972137399922003-09-12T16:42:00.000-05:002003-09-12T16:44:04.333-05:00

Today is restless. I proposed My Plan to June, the Head Clerk. It entails dropping down to half-time in my current position so that my current boss, can start looking for someone else to do my job. Meanwhile, I pick up a half-time Clerk position and stick around to help my replacement do their job. June thought it was a decent idea, though, honest as I am, she's uncomfortable training me if I

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1063310587840197342003-09-11T15:03:00.000-05:002003-09-11T15:43:25.723-05:00

Today is a blah day. The sky threatens rain, but no dice yet. Still no interview phone call. I am headachey and tired. And I have nothing else to write about. I got my cell service cancelled last night so that was good! No more dealing with frustrating Verizon. I'm planning on being a Working Assets Wireless girl. I know they're tools, but so am I! They're not as bad as these MCI

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1063219075099743102003-09-10T13:37:00.000-05:002003-09-10T13:37:55.010-05:00

Today I am nervous. I put in a job application last week and they haven't called yet. I got a letter from them yesterday stating they'll be calling this week to schedule interviews, along with some voluntary EOE/AA paperwork for the university. I threw out the voluntary thing since the person that makes the hiring decisions won't actually see that they should hire me and get AA points. It's

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1063136455229097212003-09-09T14:40:00.000-05:002003-09-11T15:03:23.480-05:00

I am a bad chewer. Sometimes I just forget to chew. Or, I'm just not coordinated enough to handle all of the action in my mouth necessary for eating some days. Today I forgot to chew a miniature Matzo Cracker. Those hard-as-a-rock hexagon-shaped crackers were donated to our food pantry and I stole them. I steal from the poor sometimes. Technically, it's not stealing. When different kinds

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1063061531753726562003-09-08T17:52:00.000-05:002003-09-08T17:57:38.570-05:00

Today I am recovering from an ill. It may be a bug or it may "just" be allergies. Whatever it is, it sucks. It makes me gooey and my sneezes turn heads in the hallway. Today I make more progress on Neptune which pleases me. Today I have no aspriations, except those of a decent meal and a good night's sleep. Next weekend is too far away.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1062799218676233812003-09-05T17:00:00.000-05:002003-09-08T14:46:21.556-05:00

Today the kitty cats stole my cotton balls again. They snag them from off the bathroom counter and drag them all over the house, trailing evidence. I couldn't even find where they left the bag this morning so no witch hazel for me! Perhaps I should keep them in a drawer... the cotton balls, that is, not the cats. Today I resist the work muffins and chocolate cake and danishes, but snag a

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1062713131062532032003-09-04T17:05:00.000-05:002003-09-04T17:05:31.083-05:00

Today I wear my pink bell sleeve blouse I bought seven seasons ago. It finally started to look cute, so out of the return bag it came, and off with the tags! I've been getting comments about how cute it is all day, which really isn't a good thing, because I want to be able to wear cute things without it being novel.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5764983.post-1062626844703116332003-09-03T17:07:00.000-05:002003-09-04T14:31:00.770-05:00

Today I eat a monster cookie. Oatmeal M&M from Great Plains Sauce & Dough, serving the best thick-crust pizza in Ames. Which actually doesn't say much, but what can I do? This is my home now and I like it here. Today I read my current's ex's blog and wonder if I would be her if it weren't for finding my niche at IMSA. She's dramatic and emoteful and obscure and she knows all the new lingo.

Apis melliferahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01115836312535692024noreply@blogger.com0