A day later than expected the USS Freedom pulled in to port here in Buffalo.

Basically the guy who best friends with my husband is stationed on the ship so we go to take a tour of the ship. It was amazing but I felt like I was in a real life game of chutes and ladders.

It was great for my husband to be able to visit with his friend, even if it's only for a couple days. We last saw him in 2005 when we got married and he was in town for our wedding.

I'll have pictures soon.

Finally, no ranting in my post!

We know someone stationed on this ship. My husband is a Naval Veteran having served 10 years and having just been released from duty within the last 2 years. Who knew I'd be a military wife. LOL

I probably would not be interested in this if I didn't have a close personal connection to the ship.

The Buffalo News has the details and there will be some tours available if anyone is interested.



(e:metalpeter) My husband says that coming late means after 4:00pm but the exact time is TBD.

After a long break, I'm finally getting my butt back to the gym. It's around the corner from work but some days it seems so impossible to get there!

Don't expect pictures like (e:paul) posts. Generally speaking, I do not like to have my picture taken and I'm very very modest - unlike my hubby. :-)

It will be good to go to the gym and decompress and plug in and not listen to anything but music. Everyone is CRANKY lately and my office is crazy hot and while I like to be warm 80 damn degrees is too hot.

I am lucky in that I have a job where I have a private office that has a window that opens and door that closes but when the average temp is 76 degrees, it is making me crazy. The heating and A/C system is totally crazy so I will just deal with it until the weather gets cooler and then things shouldn't be so bad temp. wise.

Since I am already ranting about work, things are just so insanely frustrating here again. I want to change a system we use and the web and DB programmer has time to do the project but our boss won't put the project on the schedule. I've been hounding him for at least 3 years to go forward with the project.

He uses 1 small part of the system and he doesn't want to lose that functionality. Really, no kidding. I want to increase the functionality of it not lessen it. I understand how to do a needs requirement assessment.

Super secure state job that I may have, it's making me crazy to be here. No chance for advancement or a raise that isn't union negotiated, no chance to change in to another job in a cross functional area, no opportunity to release old responsibilities and take on new challenges, nope not here - you get new responsibility constantly while you still have to do the old and the reward - nada.

I realize LOADS of people fall in to the lazy state worker category. Do only what they are told or do nothing at all. I see it every single day here.

I'd like to think I'm NOT that person. I got an advanced degree that I am still paying for out of my own pocket. There is no education benefit here. You can take one class per semester for free and just pay the fees but that is along road to get a degree.

There isn't even maternity leave here for state employees - you have to use all your sick time and then your vacation time. Sure, we get a lot of it but I think that is a very unfair policy. You're not sick or on vacation when you have a baby and WTF happens if you do get sick while having a baby and I'll bet lots of people might need a vacation after having a baby. :-)

If a new opportunity doesn't come up for me when the re-org starts and things get shuffled, I guess that will be my tipping point and then I need to leave. It's about time to be putting that advanced to degree to work.

I should add that I don't think just cause I have an MBA, I'm entitled to advance or get a new opportunity. I feel like I have earned it. I have consistently been told by my boss and the senior management within my unit about how great of a job I do and how valuable I am.

I have been told that senior management outside of my entire organization know me and that I have an excellent reputation for being smart and knowledgeable. I have been an employee here 10+ years, i just didn't bumble in off the street. I did that 10 years ago! ;-)


I don't know how my posts goes from I'm going to work out to a full on rant but I guess it is better to get it all out here.

My husband and I voted this AM. Lines were short at about 7:30am.

We chatted with our neighbors while we waited as you have to wait to get to the ladies with the book to find your name and then they make you wait to line up to use the voting machine and they don't want to seem to let more than 5 people wait in line behind the voting machine.

I will miss those old voting booths when they're replaced. I know they're terrible for disabled voters but I hope we get something that is accurate and has a receipt of our vote.

Hope everyone gets out there and votes!

My hubby's friend called last night to say that he'll be in Buffalo in about 2 weeks. His ship is doing a Great Lakes cruise and they will be pulling in to port in Buffalo.

Hubby spent 10 years in the Navy and was just released from service about 2 years ago. I'm sure he'll be anxious to catch up with his friend, see a new ship and curse like the sailor he is.

The sailors will love the 4:00am bar closing time in Buffalo.