Sorry to interrupt the news, especially about the way Lindsay Lohan had her nails “did’ for court:

(I know, I don’t really care about her, either) but there was just a big drug raid a few doors down from me!

My daughter comes running in the back door yelling, “Don’t go out there! There are guys out there with guns drawn!”

I, of course, take that as a cue to find out what the hell she is talking about…what guys? Guns? I had to know what was going down. Call me fearless, or call me foolish, I ran out the back door.

Not a hundred feet away were men dressed in camo, wearing vests with DEA emblazoned on the back, some with K9′s by there side. They had assault rifles pointed at two young men who were lying handcuffed on the ground. These aren’t the guys, but they were dressed similarly:

Come to find out my daughter knows these young fellas. And also come to find out the Feds weren’t after them, they were after the father of one of them, but he wasn’t home*. They still took the boys into custody, and carried several bags of evidence out of the back door of their apartment.

The daughter has been instructed she is never to associate with said young men, ever again in her lifetime.

*Evidently the father was home, and he’s in custody. They seized a pound of marijuana. Here’s the story from our local news station:

Posted: 4:50 pm EDT July 7, 2010

KETTERING, Ohio — Police in Kettering said a man and his son were arrested late Wednesday afternoon after serving a search warrant in their apartment. The warrant was issued in the XXXX block of South XXXXXXXXXX Road at the XXX XXXXX Apartment complex. The Kettering SWAT team issued the search warrant and found about one pound of marijuana inside the apartment. Officers said the son is a juvenile. They said two others inside the apartment are being questioned because they tried to flee from the scene. Police said the warrant was issued after receiving complaints from neighbors about traffic going in and out of the apartment.

(Yeah, they didn’t mention DEA, but that’s what the vest said…I’m also assuming this isn’t the whole story and they probably found much more than just a pound of pot. Just sayin’.)

Have you ever witnessed anything that made you feel like it was out of a movie, too bizarre for real life?

A lot (not all) of my old friends at Xanga have moved on to greener pastures. For whatever their personal reasons are, they are not here any longer. There are new faces in their stead. It’s not the same as it used to be. Some might say Xanga has jumped the shark. Others, enjoying their popularity here, believe it to be at it’s zenith.

Still others might say that CynaraJane has jumped the shark, which is laughable because I hate sharks, or anything with teeth in the ocean that can eat me. I’d never do such a thing.

Do you think Xanga has jumped the shark?

Not a shower, a beer, but the shower might work for a minute…

Whoa, is it ever hot here in Dayton, Ohio! I know, we’re not the only ones feeling this heatwave, and I feel sorry for those who are getting worse than what we have heat-wise, but this heatwave is enough for this winter hating Piratess to start wishing for snow again.

There is nothing good about it being so hot and humid here in the Midwest. There are no beaches, no ocean, no mountains…no real way to beat the heat but stay inside.

Maybe I just can’t be satisfied in my current geographical location. It’s too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. I like things a bit more temperate.

I have been thinking that as soon as my mother passes I am moving to Portland, Oregon.

No super hot and humid summer days, and no being buried under a blizzard or Arctic Blast in the winter. I have family there, and it is close enough to the shore or mountain for a nice, relaxing day trip. Mind you, I am in no rush…I hope my mom recovers and sticks around for a while. Until then I will have to deal with the weather here the way it is.

If you could live anywhere, where would you live, and why?

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I have been receiving inquiries about my low carb way of eating. I will be doing a post soon for those interested in learning more. If you have any questions you’d like answered about low carb living, please leave them in the comments, or you may message me. You will remain anonymous if you send them via private message.

“Thank you for shopping with us, please come again!”

Sometimes I do get tired of saying the same things over and over again at work. “Have a great day!” “Will that be debit or credit?” “Would you like paper or plastic?”…I get a break from that momentarily.

I have a day off today. Not because it is a long weekend/day-after-a-holiday-Monday, but because I’ve been scheduled to have Monday’s off for a while. My schedule changes at the whim of my manager, so I’ve really no clue what the coming weeks will bring as far as my schedule goes, but I just roll with the flow.

I’m glad to have today off. I need the rest. Of course I use the term “rest” loosely, as I have plenty to do at home chore-wise, and many errands that need to be done. But, after yesterday at work anything else I must do seems like a light task. We were so busy at the grocery where I work yesterday, you’d have thought the holiday “snuck up” on everyone. From the time I got to work at 11:00 A.M. until late afternoon/early evening we were slammed. I was non-stop scanning groceries and bagging. Cases of soda pop, large bags of ice, huge bags of charcoal, huge slabs of meat. You see, we don’t have the typical conveyor belt system that other grocery stores do, where the customer takes the groceries out of the cart…no, our system is that the cart pulls up to the conveyor and the cashier unloads as they scan. Tote that barge, lift that bail…I manhandled it all. I certainly got a workout.

The customers yesterday were generally jovial. Some seemed to think that we workers were the lucky ones, since we were working a holiday, missing out on festive events with family and/or friends, because we were obviously making time and a half. One lady who came through my line made the comment about holiday pay, to which the carry-out bagging her order spoke up quickly, saying, “We don’t get holiday pay.”

“You don’t get holiday pay?” Her face showed puzzlement. “You mean you don’t get holiday pay for this holiday…or ever?”

“Not ever. No holiday pay. Ever,” the bagger responded. I nodded my head in affirmation.

“That’s horrible!” I nodded again. She just looked at me with pity. As well she should. The work I did yesterday deserved at least time and a half. But, I just try to put things in perspective. I’m working. A lot of people aren’t in my town.

I was finally told that I could close my register at 7:00 P.M. As I was making my way to the time clock to clock out I passed the manager.

“Are you going home?” he said, smiling.

“Oh, God yes! I am exhausted!”

He just laughed. He knew. He was working his ass off, too, yesterday, making sure the shelves stayed stocked and dealing with customers.

My feet felt like bloody stumps as I limped to my car to go home. I got to rest for a little while before we made the trek, walking almost a mile away to watch fireworks. It was a good show. I saw some fireworks I had never seen before. I got to share the experience with my husband, my son, and my son’s father who tagged along. By the time we walked back and I sat down for a few minutes, I was ready to fall into bed. And that I did. I got some well-deserved sleep, and I feel surprisingly good today, with no major aches or pains.

Has the job market in your area improved recently? Do you see any positive changes in the economy where you are?

While many of you are enjoying your cookouts with family and friends, know that I am at work asking people if they want paper or plastic. I will have a smile plastered on my face, but it will not be a genuine one. I do not want to be there. I want to be with my husband at his family’s gathering. But, to me today “Independence” means being at work. Gotta pay those bills, ya know?

All is not lost, however. I will get off work just in time to hoof it to our nearest Fireworks display. Yes, we have one close enough to walk to, so after standing for nearly 8 straight hours I will be walking a couple miles total to see them. Anyone who knows me knows I loves me some fireworks. And for the first time in several years the forecast does not call for rain.

I just hope someone brings me a plate of food (light on carbs, thanks) so I don’t starve today. Heh.

What are your plans today?