melissakbooth.com

Life.Hope.

Melissa — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:06:26 +0000

So I haven’t been around much. I am not the best at keeping this up. Especially considering how many other things I have going on.
Anyway, I wanted to just say hello! I have had a couple of eventful weeks. Went to visit friends in NYC, Baltimore, Philly, Jersey, and spent a few days with my Aunt in Ct. The ALS is terrifying to me. I have so much to say about that and I am not sure where to even begin. I will likely save that post for later.
I did get to go to a couple of Pat Green shows while I was gone. He was amazing as usual! New CD coming out. I have been touched by all of the songs that I have heard so far. Interesting how that works.
Of course wrestling is heating up. lol I love my wrestling. Excited to see the Undertaker again. I can’t help but chuckle. I think of how terrified I was of him when I was younger. Now, I keep thinking how nice it will be for him to get to retire! It is fun for me watching the kids and their interest the same way as I did when I was little.
On the personal side of things, I keep feeling like I am running against some imaginary clock. Not sure for what or why but I am constantly aware of time and it passing. Then there are other days when I just want to pull an ostrich. Put my head in the sand and call a time out.
Life keeps rolling on whether I want it to or not. I had a couple of days lately where I wanted to just run away. Things get overwhelming. I see so much pain and I want to make it go away but it is more than I can carry. So there I am, nothing but a spectator. It makes me want to scream, cry out, throw myself on the ground, and take a fit. Not that it would do any good. But I wish I had it in my power to do more. So that is all I know. Which is nothing. Every day I feel reminded of how much I don’t know.
This sounds much more pessimistic than I feel. In truth, I am hopeful. Without hope, all is lost. I still have hope. To everyone out there, keep on, keeping on. May you find peace and joy in the simple things. A bird on the wind, sun on your face, or just the grace of a single moment in time with someone you love. Remember in all things, you may never pass that way again, so live it the way you want. No regrets. Adios days, friends.

My thoughts on liberals

Melissa — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:18:53 +0000

One of the irony of Liberals is that they scream tolerance. But of course, only for themselves, and their friends. If for instance you are a Christian you are seeminly undeserving in their eyes of the same religious courtesies they want to avail to say American Muslims. Sigh. So I have been replying to simply unbelievable Liberal responses tonight. One of the things I find so shocking is that most of the extremely vocal people are not even very clear on what is going on. They just spew the spin. Seemingly intelligent people being fed horrific notions all dressed up in flowery empty language. Scary.

So anyway, I came across this and wanted to share. From mrconservative.com

Dating back over 60 years to a time when welfare and wealth distribution was considered socialist/communist and completely unacceptable.

AT&T Cross upgrade with iPhone 4S

Melissa — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:56:05 +0000

So I did this process this past week. It was a complete freaking nightmare. Truly. The situation was: My son’s phone on my account was eligible for an upgrade. I was not due to the fact I gave him my upgrade a few months previously when he broke his phone. So anyway, he has a Samsung Galaxy. I tried this twice. Basically, the only way to use someone else’s upgrade you need to upgrade the line first with their number and activate the phone. Then you will need a new sim card for both the iPhone 4S and the other phone they plan to use. So once it is activated on the wrong line, you have to switch it to yours. When you do, the microsim card is deactivated. You WILL need a new one to activate it on your number. Once you manage to do that, you can activate the old phone they want to continue using on their number. You will need a new sim card for that phone as well.
It is the stupidest, most convoluted process I have ever in my life seen. It is a waste of time and money. All to try to keep the iPhone locked to AT&T. So it took me 6 sim cards altogether to get the phone put onto my line because none of the reps knew what they were doing. I sent a letter to the AT&T CEO. I got a call. They were letting me know they are notating my account that I am not happy. Seriously. They have reached a new height with crappy customer service. I have had to contact them no less than 15 times in the last 2 months. One due to a line I added and 2 due to this upgrade. I wasn’t going to bother upgrading due to the contract but really I need to move all the lines at once and considering I stupidly added a line at Christmas I figured if I had to go another 2 years I might as well have the phone I want. So anyway, there it is. If anyone stumbles across this looking for a solution. Just get multiple sim cards. AT&T will cover the cost if you get them in an AT&T store.
Oh and btw Siri is awesome!

Undertaker WrestleMania 28 XXVIII 2012

Melissa — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:46:38 +0000

Looks like Taker is back! Woot. Love it. I fully expect he will retire this year. I am curious who will do it. Perhaps it will be HHH. He would be a better choice than say Shawn Michaels (who is also back) Ugh. He just gets on my nerves. Jericho is back. I am sure he will be a spoiler. Not sure how the CM punk thing will work out. The Orton storyline with Big Show feels off to me somehow. Both are baby face. I guess that’s why. Orton needs a new story line. Dolph Ziggler was also on tonight, he and Kofi Kingston are both just dull, dull, dull. Boring! Vicky sort of gives Dolph a little dimension but really it is only her. He is still vanilla. Of course with Q-Tip hair but I will let it go tonight. lol R-Truth continues to crack me up! He comes off with the dumbest shit and it is sooo funny. I really like watching Miz try not to laugh. Not sure what to make of the whole Cena and Eve thing. That kiss was a bit wet. lol For lack of a better descriptor. Zack Rhyder was dull, is dull and I didn’t miss it. But the Eve Cena triangle tonight made it more interesting. Daniel Bryan and John Laurianitis are both still weenies. Nothing has changed there. So we are another week closer to WM. A little more drama, little more building. I love this time of year! Still waiting to see more in the ladies division. WWE is really dropping the ball here. Little girls love to watch the Divas. So do the fellas, of course. The Unico needs to go. We need mysterio back. So I guess that is it. The big news was really Eve and Cena swapping tongues. Drama. love the drama.

All over the place

Melissa — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:33:47 +0000

So I know this blog is all over the place. And there is no cohesion or anything but really, I’m okay with that. Tonight I rather have my panties in a wad. There is someone in my life that repeatedly insults me. And it pisses me off! lol I have kept my temper for the most part but she baits me and tries to rile me up so in that sense it is stupid of me to fall for it. But by the same token I really feel like telling her to Fuck off. Really. Talk to me in a few years when you grow up. If you grow up. Otherwise, bye. I know that sounds cold. It has been ongoing though. For about a year, now. So what if anything should I do? BTW I should point out it is a family member. Someone I do love but really do not much like and do not like how they treat me. Should I feel obligated to take it because it is a family member? Not sure how to proceed really. But truly, she is someone whose behavior I don’t much like at the moment and who appears to delight in insulting me. Almost like trying to see how much I will take. I have gotten mad before and at that time is when things changed. We didn’t speak for a while but now right back to her snide, charming, shitty, know it all self. Ugh. So I guess I am venting. I have no solution except to remove myself from any situation that might put me in a spot with her. It’s a shame. It is a relationship I have wanted for years but not like this. Not to be someone else’s punching bag and entertainment. So there it is I guess.

Undertaker is back!

Melissa — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:40:18 +0000

Taker is back and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! Where is Michelle? And Layla? Michelle had some payback still coming to her. Hot damn! Too bad wrasslin has had such sucky writing otherwise. That funkosaurus stuff is just stooopid! Then Jericho came back and just cackled. What’s up with that?
My assumption is that this will be the last year for Undertaker at wrestlemania. I imagine the streak will be intact 20-0.
Still curious if mysterio will be back anytime soon.
I am still holding out for a match with Jack Swagger and Kurt Angle. I also wanna see Gold dust stomp Cody right and proper.
Lastly, Vicky still needs her ass kicked and puffy Dolph still needs a new ‘do. Egads but it’s just beyond bad. Cut it short and leave it your natural color. The white bleach is only making your curly hair more dried out and frizzy!!!
Oh one more thing, god bless Wade Barrett and his misshapen nose but he sure is boring lately. Even opposite Orton it’s still full. They need something else in their story line.

Nursing student: Put on your big girl panties and deal~

Melissa — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:20:06 +0000

So that has sort of been the theme for school this year. I get a constant reminder that just because I don’t like something DOESN’T mean I don’t have to do it. Example… Algebra, cutting my nails for clinicals, mountains of homework, skills check offs, you name it, really. This year has been difficult but ironically not because the content is hard. It is just an overwhelming amount of work. Sometimes it seems like you are being set up for failure. I guess the trick is how you deal with it. I could be better. There is no doubt. I get insanely crazed on Clinical days. Of course, they don’t know that. I also stay up all hours, and in general just stress. Still trying to work but failing miserably at that too. I think my being bitched at tolerance is lowering the older I get. Especially when it is being done by kids. It is sort of shocking the number of kids that get on the chat to abuse other people. It seems that they assume (incorrectly) that because it is a chat there is no need to be polite or even have basic manners. But even beyond that they try to be abusive. You can go to YouTube and see videos of kids messing with chatters. Then to top it off they send those surveys in. I know it may be all fun and games to them but honestly, those are peoples jobs and the little fuckers piss me off. In an ideal world, I could take the IP address and look up the actual address then Google a phone number and tell their parent that their little spoiled wonderfuck is an asshole and perhaps they should act like a parent and monitor what the hell they are doing. Angry much? Yes, it really pisses me off. What makes me perhaps angrier is the fact that corporations are so concerned with Customer Service and the impression that rather than support an employee in any way they bring them to task for things they cannot control just like little fucking wonderfuck. So there is my rant I guess. I didn’t intend it that way, and really abuse hasn’t been as bad as it was in the past. It is just one of those things that yanks my chain. With that said, I guess I will shut up and log in. Then I will do homework until 4 AM then I will sleep about 6 hours and get up and do it all over again. Who said this life wasn’t glamourous? After all, I am getting these big spanking granny big girls panties. AKA clinical panties. That though is a story for another day.

Loss, Nursing, and ALS

Melissa — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:22:46 +0000

I came downstairs to work. I just can’t seem to bring myself to. I have been wrapped up in life lately. Or the losing of life. I’m not sure if that is the clearest way to define it. I have been impacted the last couple of months by a movement, a tide of change if you will. The passing from one to another. Fall has been a slow dying. From golden colors to a barren, cold, miserable existence. Dan’s aunt Ruby passed late this summer. She was a good friend and really a kind human being. I realize it sounds odd to say you have an almost 80 year old friend but she was. We shared many similar life experiences and had a comfort level I don’t find with many people. We would sometimes just sit and enjoy the silence together. Other times we would talk about her son or husband that had passed or just laugh at old pictures. She also took Dan and basically raised him as her own. She was an amazing person. Then I went to a birthday party for my Grandfather. He was 90. I was acutely aware that many of the people in the room may not be with us much longer. It is palpable and poignant. I watched my grandmother wipe his tears with a gentleness that I have no words for. He was aware too. We all were. Both of them are part of the greatest generation but beyond that, they are amazing people. I don’t recall ever seeing them truly angry. They certainly never cursed and were a shelter and help to everyone they knew. It was always an open door and everyone was welcome. They raised my cousin and me too if the truth be known.

A woman I work with is sick with lymphoma. You surely wouldn’t think someone I never met would impact me so much. She and I have a quite a bit in common and are email buddies. I can’t imagine working without her. Not hearing the sarcastic tone when really someone needs to have one. Not getting encouraging words when it is obvious I have had a bad day.

Now, Tori. My aunt. My beautiful, amazing, strong, kind, and loving aunt. She is the reason I want to be a nurse. Her life has been one of service. She is my mom’s youngest sister. Life has not been good for her in some ways. In her early twenties she married a man that tried to kill her. He stabbed her multiple times and left her down on the river in Dayton to die. She didn’t though. She got better, got divorced, and went to nursing school. She also learned Karate (Shotokan) Boy did she learn. She is now a black belt. She wound up working many years at the St. E hospital in Dayton. 3rd shift weekends in the ER. She got tired of things and decided to volunteer. So off she went to Senagal, Africa. She basically was a solitary health care provider to remote villages. She was gone for a year. Not to be done globe trotting, she soon did a stint in Japan as well. She went to train for her Karate. Upon returning, she donated some of her free time to teach English to Japanese immigrants.

She soon found love and got married to WenLi. Together they had a beautiful daughter, they named Lilly. However, it was not to be. Lilly died a few hours after birth from a Strep infection. Heartbroken they decided to make a change. I remember, I found out I was pregnant with Zachary the same day Lilly died. How awful. Then she did get pregnant again. This time with Olivia. Olivia was born with Downs but has been a daily blessing in many ways. Soon after they also adopted a child from WenLi’s homeland of China. XiaXie. So now they have two beautiful daughters. Tori has run a Senior Citizens clinic for several years in Connecticut. She also has studied massage therapy to provide her patients better care. That was before the loss of the use of her arm a few months ago. They thought perhaps it was frozen shoulder. They called today to tell me she has ALS. I am shocked. Angry, There just aren’t words. I want to scream why? But I know better. There is never an answer. It just is. Any prayers for them and their families would be greatly appreciated.

Setting up your home based business.

Melissa — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:27:19 +0000

I was looking things over and realized that the working from home section is pretty sparse.
For me the first step was recognizing what I was good at. At the time I first started working from home I was working in Lexington at ACS. Gas was at a ridiculous price. I was getting ready to be transferred to another ACS in Richmond, KY. It meant more money but an even further drive. Simply put, I still could not afford it. So my first option was to search for work that I was already doing. Call center type work. There are tons of work at home options out there for call based work. I would definitely recommend checking out ratracerebellion.com
For most people the appeal of working at home is that you can have a home based office. Meaning it is a tax write off! This is important. Frankly if you work from home and do not do your homework and utilize this you are missing out on an enormous benefit to working at home.
Most companies require that you are incorporated and that you have an EIN. I would say there is no reason whatsoever to pay someone to incorporate you. I know that there are tons of services out there that will but in most cases you can do so for roughly 20% of what they charge. While it has been a long time I am thinking all of my fees here in KY were less than $50.
What you need to do is go to your states website. Usually they have a section for business. Click it. Then almost all of them have a starting a business section. This is where you want to be. There should be a spot to search business names. Make sure yours is not taken! Then proceed.
You will have then have the choice of which type of business you would like to be. I think most people choose Limited Liability Corp or LLC.
Once you have decided on a name and registered you can then get an EIN It is free and offered through the IRS. You should be pretty much all set if you would like to plow on ahead. See how easy that is?

Apple Mac App store coming to a Mac near you!

Melissa — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:29:37 +0000

With the upcoming Jan 6th launch of the Apple Mac App store there is massive excitement brewing! I am not immune. Currently the method of finding new software for your Mac consists of either a Google search or searching the Apple website. Previously there was a tab along the top of the webpage that took you directly to downloads. It is no longer there. However, the downloads section still is. It just takes some creative hunting to find it. Once in there, there are various sections for software. Some are trial, some are shareware. There is no search function though and it makes the process a royal pain in the butt! Some items should have been automatically installed on all Macs if you ask me! Flip4Mac is one of those items!
One of the most common questions that I got in chat was why won’t my movies play? They were often just WMV movies. While I do not have the technical answer I can tell you that Flip4Mac resolves the issue. Often times people are unfortunately sold the QuickTime Pro and simply put it does not work.
So my hopes are that simple programs that are needed will now be easily searchable! The new store is supposed to make it easier to install those programs as well. To be frank, it is already an extremely simple process. My assumption is that with the ease of use it will be similar to the iTunes App store. Meaning you can install all updates and software from a single point and click interface. It is no surprise either that it will bring in more revenue for Apple. Basically they can now control the electronic downloads of full software versus the previous option of trials, shareware, or just buying the boxed version through the Apple website. With all the different Mac operating systems out there now and the upcoming launch of OS Lion it remains to be seen if it will indeed make the process easier or if it will force Mac users to upgrade their OS. It seems it was just yesterday or perhaps last year we were convinced that we needed to upgrade to Snow Leopard for all the latest and greatest Mac items. Now it seems that was wrong and we need to upgrade again. My guess is that if you are still using a Power PC you will be out of luck and need a new machine. Such is life in a tech world.