tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47410472766492992842024-03-04T22:43:41.242-06:00Handcuffs and High HeelsRamblings of a scattered-brained 30-something in a business made for pimps and professionals, or professional pimps.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-80149814630580808802012-05-08T08:56:00.003-05:002012-05-08T08:56:52.816-05:00Where to go?So many things have gone on in the last year, I can barely wrap my head around it. Which is really why I haven't been blogging. My husband wants me to start switching over to another blog format soon and I will be doing that, but for now I will probably be posting here and there.<br />
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We rolled out a new company last year, around 9 months ago. Bail bonds has become a business that no longer has stability and my "colleagues" are not necessarily people I want to be associated with. That's not to say all of them are horrible people. They are most definitely not horrible people, but like they say, a few bad apples can spoil the pie. It seems like some of the "new guys" are trying to stretch the professionalism of the bail bond business into something that can loosely be defined. We had planned a few years ago to make a change, but we wanted to make a slow change. I feel like it has been crawling and I am so ready to be out of it.<br />
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Where to now? Well, we really wanted to use out brains so we decided private investigation would be an avenue we could explore. So far it's been an interesting road. Last month we closed a missing heir case. I'll try to write a blog on it once the case as been closed in court. Let's just say that it really took us on an archival exploration that jumpstarted my background in research. Now I am tracing my family tree and it's turning out to be a story worth telling. Again, I'll focus on a blog later about that too. I will give you a little hint- my grandmother is probably going to haunt me for digging up some of this dirt and I may just have to take a trip to Patrick County, VA. Aaron looked up the area on Google Earth and immediately started coming up with ideas around going to the county. Saying, "That just looks like it's at the top of a mountain ridge. do we really have to go there?" I told him that I could probably find someone to hunt dusty court records, but I would have much more fun doing it myself. I'll keep you posted.<br />
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Well, my feet are cold and I need to get another cup of coffee. I know I've promised this before, but I will be better about posting. I'm kind of gonna have to be. If I want to kickstart the genealogy division of <a href="http://rvainvestigator.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">[truth] investigations</a>, I'm going to have keep you interested, right?Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-79357948369833965572011-12-06T06:59:00.000-06:002011-12-06T06:59:35.073-06:00Mugger picks a fight with the wrong guy<a href="http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-mma-fighter-suspect-20111206,0,5976413.story">Mugger picks a fight with the wrong guy</a>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-52252078941294243262011-11-29T20:31:00.000-06:002011-11-29T20:37:07.010-06:00Stop Spamming Me!Holy moly! I just deleted 671 spammer posts on my blog. I realize I have neglected my blog, but come'on people, really? Do you really need to use my blog to post stories like "Warts and Living Your Life"? I mean, I guess it wasn't a bunch of porno crap. There was a lot of weight loss stuff. Is someone trying to tell me that I'm fat. Well, I know I'm fat, I don't need to be reminded. That's really bad...almost as bad as when a cosigner at the jail asked me when I was due. I chalked that up to her being a crackhead. Thank God for crackheads, because if that had been a sober person I'd probably have borrowed some sheets from the jail and hung myself right then and there.<div><br /></div><div>I have a lot to catch you up on, but I just don't have time right now. I will get to it, I promise. It's the holidays, what can I say?</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-59725190876035464952011-07-21T10:28:00.003-05:002011-07-21T11:00:13.343-05:00Search "women in handcuffs and high heels"I think I'm a little disturbed right now. I decided to look at my blog stats and came across a section that shows you where your traffic is coming from and what people are searching when they find your page. Hrm...<div><br /></div><div>"women in handcuffs and high heels"</div><div><br /></div><div>Yeah, that had a disturbingly high search hits. I mean, I guess I'm not surprised, but I am wondering exactly what they thought they were going to get when they found my blog. When I did the search, I found several books titles that sound like self help books. Scroll down a little farther, and find handcuff porn and "gagged women list". OK, so there's a whole list of gagged women. Wow! I'm scared to click on this link, so for now I'm just going to speculate that maybe this is a place you can put yourself on a list for whatever reason. Or maybe this is a list of women who like to be gagged? I hope there aren't pictures. I am curious, but I like my laptop and don't want some funky virus to invade.</div><div><br /></div><div>One site brought back a memory of this freak I went out on one date with. "Hose, heels and handcuffs- a great combination". Yeah, if that doesn't scare you this story will. This guy, and honestly I can't even remember his name, tells me five minutes into the date that he has a fetish that involves panty hose and high heels. I'm not going to continue with that story because you all can use your imagination. I'm sure everything you come up with is correct. Needless to say, I excused myself to the nearest restroom and snuck out the kitchen door. </div><div><br /></div><div>I scroll a little farther and find this- Handcuffs- Profile. And here's the description...</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; font-size: small; ">Enjoy submissive mature <em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">women</em> who enjoys light bondage in girdle, panties, <em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">heels</em><wbr>, bra and nylons eventually gagged and tied wearing girdle or nude.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Submissive mature women? Yet another link I'm scared to click on. Mature is code word for old. So my imagination takes me to a place where grandma is shuffling her walker around in high heels and handcuffs wearing her girdle. Talk about gagging! Yeah, please stop! This is just getting bad. Right below this site is a site dedicated to pregnant and handcuffed. OFMG! Really?</div><div><br /></div><div>But it's kind of like a train wreck. I kind of want to see how far I have to go down this list to find my blog. I'm already on page 4.</div><div><br /></div><div>Page 5- Women in handcuffs and diapers...this is getting worse. Why am I being found in this search? Every so often Leann Rimes pops up too, so I'm not feeling so bad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Page 7- Wife ties me and forces to wear high heels... Enough said. Do I really need to comment on that one? I think my husband would have a fit if I handcuffed him and tried to put one of my stilettos on his big foot. Actually, I wouldn't even think on doing that. He'd stretch my shoe. And if you know me, you know I love my shoes.</div><div><br /></div><div>I click several pages ahead and it all turns pornographic. I don't know what page this person found me on, but it definitely wasn't anywhere near the front. So this tells me that person was either dedicated to finding just the right page to feed 'his' fetish or he had way too much time to spend on the internet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Any suggestions on the next search?</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-12379333945028015072011-07-20T11:18:00.003-05:002011-07-20T11:34:56.167-05:00Sink or SwimMan, oh man, how things change and change quickly sometimes. Forth of July this year was another turning point in our family. If some of you remember 4 years ago, we had a family falling out that resulted in part of the extended family going their own way and us being portrayed as terrible influences. Well, we've dealt with it to the best of our abilities and at some point you just have to look at the situation and realize the things you did wrong. And you have to realize that some people will never grow a set to deal with the things they did wrong. I still wish things had gone down differently, but I can't make anyone change. So this year, we had a visitor from the "other camp" and she made a pretty difficult decision to come down for the celebrations. Unfortunately, her home turf didn't exactly look at the situation in the same light she did and she found herself faced with becoming an adult very fast.<div><br /></div><div>The good news is that even in the midst of all this change and turmoil, she has started seeing things more clearly. While we're all adjusting to the change, life goes on and goes forward. Forward movement is the catch phrase we're using around here. After all, that's what it's all about...moving forward in a happy and healthy way. Looking at challenges as challenges we can overcome and not as obstacles too big to hurdle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Aaron is working very hard on starting his new company, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rvainvestigator?v=info">Truth Investigations</a>. We've been toying with the idea for years and it is so exciting, nerve racking and scary at the same time. I have always compared the decision to work for yourself to jumping off a cliff. Maybe your parachute will open, maybe it won't. This is more like jumping off the back of a boat in the middle of the ocean. Maybe you'll float, maybe you won't. Maybe the sharks will bite, maybe you'll be close enough to land that you can swim to it. Either way, I guess the good thing is that we'll be doing it together- sink or swim.</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-78938972173124415902011-06-30T02:58:00.001-05:002011-06-30T02:58:08.368-05:00Check out [truth] investigations llc<table width="98%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="40"><tr><td bgcolor="#f7f7f7" width="100%" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="620"><tr><td style="background: #3b5998; color: #FFFFFF; font-weight: bold; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle;padding: 4px 8px; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.03em; text-align: left;">facebook</td><td style="background: #3b5998; color: #FFFFFF; font-weight: bold; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: middle;padding: 4px 8px;font-size: 11px; text-align: right;"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="background-color: #FFFFFF; border-bottom: 1px solid #3b5998; border-left: 1px solid #CCCCCC; border-right: 1px solid #CCCCCC; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; padding: 15px;" valign="top"><table width="100%"><tr><td valign="top" width="150" style="padding-left: 15px;" align="left"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100px" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><a href="javascript:void(0)"><img width="100" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/276513_234489733246391_6753533_s.jpg" style="border:0;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;color:#666666;padding:5px 2px;"><div>29 people like this</div></td></tr></table></td><td width="470px" style="font-size: 12px;" valign="top" align="left"><div style="margin-bottom: 15px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td style="font-size: 11px;"><h1 style="font-size: 13px;">Check out [truth] investigations llc</h1><br />Hi,<br /><br />[truth] investigations llc is inviting you to join Facebook.<br /><br />Once you join, you'll be able to connect with the [truth] investigations llc Page, along with people you care about and other things that interest you.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />[truth] investigations llc<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="font-size: 11px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="padding:10px;background-color:#fff9d7;border-left:1px solid #e2c822;border-right:1px solid #e2c822;border-top:1px solid #e2c822;border-bottom:1px solid #e2c822;font-size:11px;"><div style="font-weight: bold;">To sign up for Facebook, follow the link below:</div><div><a href="http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=670858267&k=AQAMJIoFwdl3pW1lYlsiXdJSAWkXVToAIuiyo-amO_SxFbAnPj91CNgwAtfL6q7vAp-HHCbT0oQ_bJs8&r&oid=234489733246391">http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=670858267&k=AQAMJIoFwdl3pW1lYlsiXdJSAWkXVToAIuiyo-amO_SxFbAnPj91CNgwAtfL6q7vAp-HHCbT0oQ_bJs8&r&oid=234489733246391</a></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: #999999; padding: 10px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;">You are receiving this email from [truth] investigations llc. [truth] investigations llc has sent you this message through Facebook. If you no longer want to receive messages through Facebook, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=5d3393&u=100002569523272&mid=47629bcG5af3a9a21048G2a9daG7c" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;">here</a>.<br/>Facebook, Inc. P.O. Box 10005, Palo Alto, CA 94303</td></tr></table></td></tr></table>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-81195653171047773662011-03-25T13:14:00.000-05:002011-03-25T13:15:01.223-05:00Double fortune for me, lucky me.<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwR47hoAfOw3V5Yhvv4dS6jYO3ToXLmNXABa-LzUPmQ9BQIwnaTQOYk6rI97lrquhnzXc8THuGEJU76cAlp_-jBfnjn9C2q9BtsAtjXDIVFVbrfmEa1HoOLsAJMJoaNx28KtBF7vF2wU/s1600/2011-03-25_14-11-23_96-701224.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwR47hoAfOw3V5Yhvv4dS6jYO3ToXLmNXABa-LzUPmQ9BQIwnaTQOYk6rI97lrquhnzXc8THuGEJU76cAlp_-jBfnjn9C2q9BtsAtjXDIVFVbrfmEa1HoOLsAJMJoaNx28KtBF7vF2wU/s320/2011-03-25_14-11-23_96-701224.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588082740036057778" /></a></p> Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-58883419997551967882010-09-24T20:10:00.001-05:002010-09-24T20:10:06.381-05:00Ahhhh, yesssOh, the weather is cooling down...kind of. It was damn near 95 degrees today. The leaves are changing color...kind of. We haven't had a lot of rain, so they're really just turning brown and I predict will fall within the same few days. There's apple harvest showing up in local markets. I see pumpkins for sale on the side of 460...bought $8 worth today. I'll probably buy some more on the way back.<p>I really need these few days in the Outer Banks. We've been so stressed the last few weeks playing the waiting game and trying to get some projects done before winter sets in. And all I really want to do is lay in the hammock, read a book and drink a bottle of wine.<br>Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerryCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-72439398829832581802010-09-17T09:00:00.005-05:002010-09-17T10:22:00.628-05:00It's really just a tangible option.People never fail to amaze me. In the last few months I have heard some doozies. I can't tell you how many people I've had to explain the basics of bail to, which isn't really a new thing. I didn't really know anything about bail bonds when I first got into this business, but I knew the basic concept.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><blockquote>A bail bond secures a person's appearance in court and allows them to aid in their own defense.</blockquote></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That concept was one of the first things I learned in high school government class. It's in the Constitution, so really it's taught in every American History class I ever took. Teachers never went into the finer points of bail, but it's not surprising considering the amount of history one has to learn in a year. And let's face it, bail bonds is associated with criminals and who wants to focus to much on criminal behavior in high school?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the last few months, I've had to explain why I won't cut rate a bond. What is cut rating? Cut rating a bond is when a bondsman choosing to take less than the 10% normally charged to write the bond. Why don't I do it? Because it's a slippery slope. When you start cut rating, you start cutting your throat. Every time a bondsman takes a lesser rate, that bondsman has to write more bonds to make up the difference. The more bonds a bondsman <b>has </b>to write, the more desperate they become to make up that difference. When a bondsman becomes desperate to write a bond, they start making terrible underwriting decisions. And let's face it, a bail bond is a form of insurance.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large; "><b><blockquote>A bail bond insures a person's appearance in court.</blockquote></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As every insurance agent will tell you, when underwriting a policy, risk must be taken into account. Well what is the risk of cut rating? On the surface, the "customer" is getting a great deal, no different than a discount at a department store. Well, there's a huge a difference. When purchasing a bail bond, you are purchasing a service that will directly affect your freedom. I can't count the bonds I've written for people who went with that cheaper bondsman, only to have the bondsman come back to collect money and put the defendant back in jail because they couldn't or wouldn't pay. Or because they need to free up their liability to write more cut rate bonds. Or because they are just high on a power trip. Whatever the reason, purchasing a cut rate bond buys you a cut rate bondsman.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've also had to explain to a lot of people why they have to have a cosigner. Hrm, well let's see if this makes sense to you... There must be a cosigner, or indemnitor, on every bond because there has to be someone or something that secures the amount of the bond. Think of it like a loan. I am loaning someone the full amount of the bond so they may be free to go about their daily business and aid in their own defense. Let's keep in mind this person has not yet been convicted of their accused crime. Our Constitution hinges on the fact that people are free. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">See Amendment 1- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; ">Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "> redress </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; ">of grievances.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our Constitution also gives us the rights of speedy trial and confrontation of witnesses.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>See Amendment 6- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; ">In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "> impartial </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; ">jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; ">defense.</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The point of bail is to give a defendant a tangible reason for returning to court. Most of us would do exactly as the court asked, however, let's face it, there are criminals amongst us. And sometimes criminals need a real, tangible reason to return to court. Sometimes it's not so easy to look at a person and determine if they are a person of integrity. There are people out there who have been falsely accused, however there are just as many who will con their way into our homes to walk away with our trust. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">How do weed through the con artists and the persons of integrity? Well, you hold them to their word and secure their appearance with a tangible bond. As a bondsman, I'm going to involve their family and their friends in this process because, after all, it is my money I am loaning out to people I don't really know. Sounds crazy? Well, home insurance is just as crazy. When you go to your insurance company, they are promising to secure your property in the face of natural disasters. Chances are, that tornado will never travel straight through your house, but if it does, doesn't it feel good to know that your home insurance will be there to make you whole again? That's exactly what a bondsman does for the court system. We insure the defendant will appear to face their charges and if they don't, we make the court whole by returning the defendant or paying the full bond amount. Obviously, we prefer to return the defendant.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's review the basics...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol><li>A bond secures appearance.</li><li>I'm not going to cut rate. In turn, I won't revoke your bond for something stupid.</li><li>It is your Constitutional right to bail.</li><li>This is insurance...insurance to appear in court.</li><li>If you don't show, I will make the court whole again.</li></ol><div>Simple, right? So why are there so many in our profession intent on making muddying the waters? Come'on people...keep it simple. Recognize the problem and fix it.</div><div><br /></div></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-76850980123747714762010-05-26T18:54:00.003-05:002010-05-26T19:15:08.769-05:00<div>I've been on Weight Watchers since the end on January and I've lost quite a bit of weight. 28.2 pounds, to be exact. Here's my weight tracker chart to prove it.</div><div><br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynAWdNHoEC4v3gpfmHoLtZVNwMi1UlURkdoebO8AMgTZ0GqdYsYnobhdMWSN4xmuBPlk3gq0szlbjjeRki9sca6t3VCWzrBm3F0ufHSryuztmpwgo5NW9L8cKUFMmdk3St1XWzaPxpm8/s1600/chart.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynAWdNHoEC4v3gpfmHoLtZVNwMi1UlURkdoebO8AMgTZ0GqdYsYnobhdMWSN4xmuBPlk3gq0szlbjjeRki9sca6t3VCWzrBm3F0ufHSryuztmpwgo5NW9L8cKUFMmdk3St1XWzaPxpm8/s320/chart.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475732414715942578" /></a><br /><br /><div><div>Some days though, it's damn hard to stay on track. Like today, I started the day off with a sausage biscuit and hash brown from McDonald's...that was 13 points. Then for lunch I had Five Guys...yeah that's depressing how many points that is. The good news? I was able to get some exercise points because I worked damn hard at the rental house today. Why people think leaves are appropriate mulch, I do not know. I have taken 5 loads of leaves to the dump from the front yard and I've started working on the back. I thought I might be able to burn some leaves, but one of the neighbors decided to call the fire department on me. Yeah, I left her a note. You would think the neighbors would want me to do everything I could to clean up that mess. But whatever...</div><div><br /></div><div>As I think about dinner, I'm starting to think that I should just call it a "fat girl" day and stop counting points. Those are good to have every so often and I haven't had one since I started my diet. There's another side of me that says, "No, eat a suitable dinner, don't screw it up too bad." Eh, I don't know...I could use a beer. Maybe I'll eat some fruit. I did get some really nice looking blackberries at Kroger yesterday.</div></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-47483209662321936632010-05-08T13:07:00.005-05:002010-05-08T22:54:39.730-05:00The Hobby Side of LifeMan, oh man, it's been a little while since I last posted. Well, a lot has been going on so maybe I should update you.<div><br /></div>I've been building my garden. And I actually have some vegetables growing. I've picked 4 ripe strawberries...they were a little tart, so I guess I need to add a little sand to the soil. I told Aaron I was going to steal some dirt from my mother's yard. (So, mom, it would probably be a good idea to dig me some so I don't put a huge hole in your front yard.) I'm not really sure what the Bok Choi is doing...it doesn't look like Bok Choi, so that may be something I don't plant next year. So, here's a pix of the work in progress back in March. We are trying to use reclaimed items, such as that book shelf. Bookshelves work out pretty well since they are already in sections and are deep enough.<div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLPa0rA6Z1kqiu_uyTCN8dMSxIB-MehexJxPodDOPXxJjh5-_hvTpXcjZE5Haque6zu8_5Qn5pDBO7bInRECKOMa_aacBTmeS4jY1uZfH0_uZxpyonD_J57HV36jSmNjCojMWjO59fNY/s1600/garden.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLPa0rA6Z1kqiu_uyTCN8dMSxIB-MehexJxPodDOPXxJjh5-_hvTpXcjZE5Haque6zu8_5Qn5pDBO7bInRECKOMa_aacBTmeS4jY1uZfH0_uZxpyonD_J57HV36jSmNjCojMWjO59fNY/s320/garden.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468964077402144338" /></a></div><div>In this picture, I've planted onions, strawberries, spinach, lettuce, red cabbage, broccoli and brussels sprouts. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxBTYnMP_8RmkX2_bIQ9UpJuCVhzr7mEWr42LyYq7jKZtNBmAvG-278U07SBC93EAduiHmOr22OjtnNqHLtssxgWe3H8vd1yo8LnoGhBvefgXAVDD2QvMQ8-DjYm-g0S5rJKkKUze6W8/s320/garden2.jpg" /></div><div>In this picture, I've planted two different types of tomatoes on one side and cukes, yellow squash and zucchini on the other. There's a line of corn down the middle. I saw the corn at the nursery and thought they were kind of cute. It's probably going to be like a St. Bernard puppy, really freaking cute until it grows to adulthood. Well, at least corn doesn't slobber all over the place.</div><div><br /></div><div>So while the garden is a big project, I've also been working on my jewelry. I was a vendor in the Fool for Art show at John Tyler Community College. I'm really thinking I won't be doing that again because I basically sold enough to cover the cost of the booth- $75. There was a different vibe this year at the show and I think it has a lot to do with the way John Tyler advertised the event. They really focused on advertising to the "free kid stuff" as opposed to the vendors. Aaron theorized that they had a budget cute somewhere and used the vendor money to promote the kid stuff. That kind of sucked.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0db27b3127ccefa596a67a07700000030O01AcM2LNkzasge3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Two weeks later I had the Arts in the Park, which is a two day show. I was a bit nervous going in because of how poorly Fool for Art was. I am happy to report I did MUCH better. The year before it rained the entire time, which made the weekend miserable. I still managed to sell quite a bit and expected to make more money thins year since the weather was going to be wonderful. And I did. And let me tell you, it's so much fun to be at an art show and have people come into your booth to oooooh and aaahhh over everything. The coolest thing I sold at the show were the two pieces of driftwood I was using for my display. I'm actually really excited about going back to my friend in Manteo to tell him I sold them. He's going to get a real kick out of it since we were just joking about it last time I was in the shop.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0dd03b3127ccef9f8d0436a1a00000030O01AcM2LNkzasge3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" /> <img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0dd03b3127ccef9f83df72a4000000030O01AcM2LNkzasge3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" /> <img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0dd03b3127ccef9f918734a0200000030O01AcM2LNkzasge3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" /> <img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a0db27b3127ccefa5942de21ea00000030O01AcM2LNkzasge3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Some new stuff...I've recently been knotting jewelry and wrapping a lot of beach glass. I've actually been thinking of taking a metal class but since my last close call with the torch, I'm not sure Aaron is too excited about that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, we've been writing bonds, hunting fugitives and juggling the professional side of life. I wish I had more exciting tales of stupid fugitive mishaps, but the most interesting story I have right now is the woman I almost cold-cocked down the stairs because she refused to stay inside while we escorted her husband back to jail. Hrm, maybe I will write about that a little later. For now, I'm going to watch a little TV and maybe make a pair of earrings.</div></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-13934348923791045852008-10-27T21:17:00.000-05:002008-10-27T21:52:34.262-05:00Step 1: Read the directions.A couple nights ago I could not get to sleep. I was up early that morning and ran all day. All I wanted to do when I got home was to have a nice hot cup of tea and relax. I had bought some Yogi tea earlier and thought that would be the perfect thing to wind down after a long hectic day. So, I brewed up some tea, held it in my hands and breathed in the aroma. <br /><br />That's really my favorite part of tea. Breathing in the steam. I think there's something therapeutic in the steam. <br /><br />An hour passed and I was feeling a little more relaxed, but I wasn't tired. So, I brewed another cup. And I sat, breathed in the steam and watched another show on TV. And then I had my third cup, and a forth and before I know it I had drank 7 cups of this lovely, relaxing Yogi tea. When 5am rolled around and I had done my 5th load of laundry, made a 4th wire-wrapped necklace, 2nd bracelet, 3rd pair of earrings and cleaned the downstairs bathroom top to bottom, I wondered why the hell I was still up. I decided to go back and read the box of tea.<br /><br />Yeah, it was Green Tea with extra anti-oxidants to aid in energy and digestion. Uh, yeah so I just didn't go to sleep that night. I think I may have taken a nap around 3pm...for an hour, maybe two because the phone started ringing with bond calls. The story of my life.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-79936171901656833062008-08-29T22:58:00.000-05:002008-08-29T23:49:44.473-05:00Big Pimpin'...Big "Going Out of Business Sale"I have always believed that the secret to a successful business is do it like a baby would. By that I mean the old saying, "you have to crawl before you can run". I think it's one of the most important things to remember when making business decisions. Yes, you should take risk, but take risk that's in line with your next step. One foot in front of the other. I think we've done a good job of crawling and we've really started to master walking. We try to give advice to our agents and guide them along the successful path, but people don't always listen to us. Which is one of the reasons we have a fairly interesting attrition rate.<br /><br /><br /><br />One of the interesting attrition stories I have is one about Sara Gene*. Sara was brought into our little family through the back door, so she didn't really get the full interview process until after she was already involved in bonding. She decided she wanted to cut the middle man out and go direct, but she didn't anticipate that if she changed the rules midway we would change the game. I mean it's only fair to change the game if the "employee" wants to change the rules. Personally, I think it takes a real bold person to think they can run the show if they don't even have the money to buy the tickets, but hey, what do I know?<br /><br /><br /><br />So, we get the new contract together and make an appointment to meet. She missed it, no phone call, email, text. So we make another appointment- she missed it. And then we make a third appointment- she makes it at the last possible minute. We go through everything and she decided that she wants her lawyer to look over it. OK, fine, no problem, but she could have had me fax it on Wednesday when we scheduled the first meeting. I knew it was bull shit, even though I didn't know exactly why she was trying to buy time. She tells me that she's going to call me first thing in the morning.<br /><br /><br />The morning comes. The afternoon passes by and at 2pm I send her a text message asking her what's going on with the contract. Her husband calls me and starts with "now listen here..."<br /><br /><br />Now I don't know about you, but I think it takes balls to call up the person backing you with $800k investment and start a conversation with "Now look here..." But, you know, more power to you if you think you can.<br /><br /><br />Long story short, I don't intimidate easily and he was apologizing profusely within 2 minutes of my "countdown". (Btw, if you ever get the countdown, don't let me get past 3. This guy get to 6.) Those of you who know me understand that I don't really like people who apologize too much because it makes me distrust them and an apology looses meaning when it's given too freely. So, this is a red flag for me.<br /><br />But, still wanting this work out, I overlook this phone call and make a mental note to talk to Sara Gene about it next time we meet. (A piece of advice for women in business- don't have "your man" fight your battle for you because it seriously undermines you.)<br /><br />So, she dicks me around a couple more days to eventually say that "her lawyer" didn't see how she would make enough money to cover what she's already spending in business advertising, etc. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't know many lawyers who will advise on contract rates unless they are negotiating for you. And not to mention, her contract rate was going up from 2 points to 6 points...um, hello, raise. So, again, the bull shit flag goes up. Well, we end up pulling her backing to find out that she had already gotten someone else to back her. Wow, so now she's violated her original contract because we had never released her from the original contract. Hrm, what are we to do? (We're still working on that one.)<br /><br />To get back to my original thought about crawling before you run. My point here is that Sara Gene is cutting her nose off to spite her face because she is jumping sureties/investors too often (4 months in the business and on her second surety). She's spent thousands of dollars wrapping her Lexus and big pimping truck, she's probably spent thousands on Yellowbook advertising and she has the big pimping bondsman mentality going strong.<br /><br />Yeah, these people come out here, attempt to play with the big dogs and get hurt. The problem I see with these wanna-be business people is that they are a big nuisance for a short period of time and leave the rest of us to clean up their bull shit. It annoys the hell out of me, but gives me a good story to train our "play by the rules" agents. <br /><br />We're all going to make the money and we're all going to be successful as long as we learn to master each step...crawl, walk, run, sprint, fly. Simple concept to some, impossible to understand for others.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />*Names have been changed.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-10026078783457980222008-08-09T07:57:00.001-05:002008-08-10T14:45:06.528-05:00As sacred as they can be.I have to say this career I have chosen continues to supply me with colorful stories which I can share with my friends and family. This one is no different. I must warn that the following story may be a bit offensive to some, so if you're going to get all huffed up about some of the language in this story, don't read any more.<br /><br /><br /><br />As part of our business, there comes a time when we may have to arrest someone because they don't want to go to court. This doesn't happen a lot because most people have some sense of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">responsibility</span> and know if they don't go, we'll pick them up and make them. And then you have other people like "Evan". (His name has been changed.) Evan is a saucy- or sauced up- old redneck who is a "personal friend of G" and has been through the system once or twice before. Now, in my mind, if you've been through the judicial system a few times, you should now the score. You get arrested, you get bonded out, you go to court...very simple. But this guy forgot the "go to court" step. So he advanced to the "get picked up by the bounty hunters" step.<br /><br /><br /><br />The bounty hunter step is reserved for special clients. Being a member of this special club is like being a member of the special <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Olympics</span>...even at the finish line you're still <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">f'ing</span> retarded. (Please don't throw tomatoes at me for that comment, I already know it's crude, but the effect is warranted here because the only people who skip bond are sissy asses on charges like Driving on Revoked or Indecent Exposure.) <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Seriously</span>, the punishment for NOT going to court is always more <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">seriously</span> than if you just go and suffer your lumps from the judge.<br /><br /><br /><br />So the bounty hunters go to the girlfriend's address and get little response from knocking, except from the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pit bull</span> mix barking and a few drunken adjectives shouted from inside. The guys couldn't see Evan to make a positive ID and we don't really like to kick doors down until we are certain the fugitive is inside. The guys decided to hang outside and tempt Evan out. After an hour, the police are called by Evans girlfriend. I guess she though they would get rid of the bounty hunters, however it back fired because the cops left after knocking and receiving no response from inside. So, the guys pulled out some lawn chairs and decided to do some moon-tanning while they waited for Evan to come outside. The boys didn't think it was fair that they were the only ones who weren't getting any sleep, so they kept the dog up by knocking on the front door and then the back door and then the front door and then the back <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">door</span>, and then the side window the the front door, etc. While the dog goes crazy and pushes the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">curtain</span> aside giving a little peak inside, the people inside get more annoyed. Oh yes, the fugitive's mental strife makes us laugh.<br /><br /><br /><br />After 5 hours, the boys are still tapping on windows and doors until an AC unit falls out of the window and allows access to a bedroom. One of the boys jumps in, gets to look down the hallway until the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">pit bull</span> mix comes to greet him. He shuts the door as the fugitive gets a running start and kicks the door into Corn <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Flae</span> as he screams threats of "going and getting his AK". CF jumps back out the window as Evan comes out the front door chugging a bottle of Malibu Rum. While on the front porch, the dog follows him. Bake holds his gun on him and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">attempts</span> to get Evan on the ground while D maces the charging dog. The fugitive continues to approach aggressively screaming all kinds of "F <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">you's</span>" and "F your mothers".<br /><br /><br /><br />Now this guy had a Confederate flag on a flag pole in his front yard and an entire room dedicated to the "war". On the team, we have a black guy and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Puerto</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Rican</span> guy, so insert all the racial slurs you've ever heard because he used them all. I have to say, our guys are very professional an didn't respond to Evan's rantings. Although they did tell the guy he should be a comedian.<br /><br /><br /><br />On the ride back to jail, Evan told the guys how he was going to get them back and he was swearing on some interesting things. I've heard people swear on their mothers and on their children...and sometimes even on the graves of their loved ones. But this swear is a first. I promise. this is truly what he said...<br /><br /><br /><br />"I swear on my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">momma's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">pu</span>$$y hairs. That's sacred, well that's kind of sacred....well, as sacred as they can be."<br /><br /><br /><br />Now, what I find funny about this is that you can almost see his drunken mind thinking about what he's saying...and he's almost rationalizing how "sacred" his mother's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">pu</span>$$y hairs are. I mean, really, what son wants to think about his mothers V-zone? This man is a little off.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-27972838337424819922008-05-17T21:58:00.000-05:002008-07-05T00:53:37.701-05:00ATM WithdrawalSeveral weeks ago I had to run to the bank to deposit a check someone wrote us for a bond, which is normally a fairly easy thing to do. It was 9:30pm and it wasn't an unusual thing for me to ride right up to the ATM and make a quickie deposit.<br /><br /><br /><br />I always look around to see who's in the parking lot because, after all, I usually carry large sums of cash on me. I noticed this dark SUV in the parking lot with a couple guys walking around it. I thought it was strange, but I thought maybe they were cleaning the car out while a friend was at the ATM. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">When</span> I came around the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">building</span> I noticed the SUV had moved to a neighboring parking lot and it looked like it had stopped facing the exit. Another guy was kind of lingering on the front side of the bank. Feeling the hair on the back of my neck rise, I decided to take note of where my gun was, which was in the trunk because I had been through the car wash earlier. I stopped the car just before the ATM and felt confident that I could get to the trunk and hands on my gun fast enough just in case this turned into a bad ATM camera video. I kept one eye on the SUV and the other eye on the strange guy lingering. When I got out of the car, the lingering guy decided to move up kind of behind me. <br /><br />I mean, I can see why I'd be a good target...lone female in dark parking lot going to the ATM. I figured, he would wait until I was at the ATM before he tried anything, but this guy was a little jumpy.<br /><br />I got my gun out of the back of my trunk and put it straight down against my side. I didn't want to appear to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">swinging</span> it around, but I did want to the guy lingering <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">around</span> to notice I had something in my hand that may not be too <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">friendly</span>. It worked, because he noticed something and stopped. It was like he was thinking. Well, this guy wasn't too stupid because he turned tail and ran back to the waiting SUV, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">which</span> pulled away and went on it's way down <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Midlothian</span> Turnpike.<br /><br />I got back in the car and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">preceded</span> to make my deposit, secure in the fact that if someone was going to rob me, I was certainly going to share my thoughts with him. Of course, I would never want to shoot anyone, but I would protect myself and my money.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-89362045356033698082008-02-24T20:51:00.001-06:002008-02-24T21:02:29.088-06:00Flushed Take-overOk, so we returned from Vegas and finally caught up on our sleep. Now I've got to get back in the swing of things...not that the swing around here is normal by must people's definition. I wasn't home 12 hours before I dropped my phone in the toilet. Yes, I had just flushed...thank god. I think I might have left it in there if it were not a "fresh bowl". So $500 later, I have this thing they cal a smart phone. It is so damn smart that it can take over small counties if need be, but I'm just trying to figure out how to get it to sync with my email. The other thing I would love to figure out how to do is make a call easily. I have figured out how to call someone, but I have to go into a program and push a couple buttons- well it's touch screen, so I touch a couple buttons and then it dials for me. Now if I get a text message while I'm on the phone, it beeps me and then opens a dialog window...but I can't figure out how to open the dialog window without making it reply first. So I end up having to go out of the reply and go back into the text to read it so I can then reply. The salesman told me not to get frustrated with it, and I'm not....I actually think it's pretty damn cool. I just need to read the instructions again. Of course I'm not good at that either, so maybe I'll just play with it until I get it...<br /><br />...and hopefully I won't set off any <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">missiles</span> or destroy a third world country in the meantime.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-80560816385472978752008-02-19T20:47:00.001-06:002008-02-19T20:47:39.429-06:00Honey, pack the bags, we're going to Cuba!<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/19/castro/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/19/castro/index.html</a>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-19540445705008086142008-01-28T10:57:00.000-06:002008-01-28T12:26:38.233-06:00A crack house?! By yourself!? Really, come'on?!I don't know what The Other Boyfriend was thinking when he thought it would be a good idea to go into a crack house by himself. He called me and said he was going to pick the girl up on P St in Church Hill and I about had a fit. He bonded the girl out and took a check, which of course bounced and then she didn't show to her last court date. (People will do that sometimes when they are going to see some jail time. I've never figured out why, because it always causes a worse situation in the long run.) So, basically, he bonded this girl out "for free".<br /><br />He had tracked the girl's government check down and knew she was going to need to get it, so he held it while waiting for her to show up. Now I would never normally suggest holding a check, but in this situation it worked out OK because she did call and she did end up signing it over. Of course, she did try to accuse him of forcing her to do it, but with my husband and I as witnesses, she didn't get that far with the claim. Or it could have been her cracked-up lazy eye that gave away she was lying. People don't lie so well when they are chemically impaired.<br /><br />Aaron and I met up with him at an address in Richmond's Southside and drove over to the Lock-up to leave one car so we could travel together in one. We got to P St and saw a couple lookouts on the corner and hiding in a bush in the front yard. We knew we were getting ready to walk into a crack house, so we called the police for a little support. Now in situations of bail pieces, the police can't touch the person because they don't have an active warrant in the system. The bail piece acts as the bondsman's warrant because we are the authority deciding to arrest this person. We don't have to get permission from a judge and we really don't have to have a "good reason", but that doesn't mean we revoke bonds for pleasure either. In this person's case, we were completely justified and probably should have done it as soon as the check bounced.<br /><br />We hung back several blocks to keep an eye on the front door while we waited for the police. We saw 4 cars pull up, with 2 cops each and met them outside the residence. The look outs scattered like cockroaches when the lights are turned on and we knocked on the door. The police hung out to make sure no one got hurt and The Other Boyfriend searched the house. Aaron was at the back door with an officer. We found her hiding in the bathroom as the other residents of the house claimed they "didn't know no Sally*" and hurriedly hide crack pipes under bedding. Suuuuuuure, they didn't know her, of coouuurse...why is it no one knows no one when the bail bondsmen come knocking on the door, but we're your best friend when they are locked up and crying about getting out? That's a question for the ages...maybe a question for another blog.<br /><br />So, we got her in handcuffs and walked her out to the car. Said our thank you's to the officers and took Miss Sally* to Lock-up. She was a bit non responsive while she was being driven back to jail but quickly perked up when we walked her to the door. It was like a light bulb was turned on and she realized she was going back to jail. She had the same look my students used to have when they realized they learned something new even though they had been fighting it. It was almost like you could see her brain tell her conscious, "Oh yes, you are going back to jail now." The delay on it was unreal. It took about 30 minutes. I can't believe it didn't clue her in when the hand cuffs went on, I can't believe she didn't realize it when we fussed at her for not going to court, and I certainly can't believe she didn't understand it when she was strapped into the car on the way to jail. I don't know, maybe she got confused because we rode her in on the leather seats of a Mercedes. I can see how that would have been confusing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*Names have been changed.</span>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-37811504999653712212007-12-11T16:47:00.000-06:002007-12-11T16:48:25.428-06:00Reindeer got it Done!According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.<br /><br />Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should've known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost. <br /><br />HAPPY HOLIDAYS!Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-79484086055004910342007-10-29T10:51:00.000-05:002007-10-29T10:52:40.628-05:00A "Grateful" kind of TimeOK, so I've been having a Grateful Dead moment for the last few days. I don't know what's up with me...Aaron buys a V-dub and I regress back to high school. If I start walking around with dreds, please make me go to the spa. And those of you who knew me when I was 16-ish know I could very well walk in one day with a dredlock...been there, done that.<br /><br />I have to say though, the music is keeping me flowing this afternoon...and that's an oxymoron b/c who would have thought Grateful Dead would keep me working? If this were high school, I'd be high....say hello to the gravity bong in the bathtub, although I do remember this one time at Parker's house where SOMEONE lit my shoe on fire. Yeah great idea guys...let's smoke Carrie's hemp shoes! Yeah, that worked real well, didn't it? And then I remember a time when I was hanging with the surfers in OBX and we were going down to Pea Island...um, longest, strangest trip I'd ever been on...literally. What was up with Sabastian and his dancing tattoo? Wtf? I swear it was doing back flips right there on his chest. And what a nice surfer chest....yes, I had a thing for surfers. Of course, he wasn't the one I really liked. It's funny, I married a surfer...haha...And there was this other time we piled in a car- seriously looking like clowns in a VW bug, and we crashed this preppy's party. We had that sweet smell on our clothing and probably coming out of our pores...we told them it was Patchouly. (Enter paranoid delusions.) I don't think the preppys were the same after that night. Half of them came to school the next Monday wearing Birkenstocks. Great party!<br /><br />Other grateful moments were of course concerts and parking lots, where one miracle was all I needed. Yeah, you know what I mean by a miracle...no, not that kind...I didn't need free drugs...I mean a ticket, man. Man, I wonder whatever happened to Dave? I'm sure he's around somewhere, but he was my favorite tour hippie. He'd show up every so often...right there on the doorstep, with a warm bear hug and stories from the road. He was that kind of hippie who broguht happiness with him...pure happiness, the kind of happiness people have from within and it just overflows to whomever will accept it. (no, not drug induced happiness!) Dave was a dude I went to middle school with but we went to separate high schools. He was at Meadowbrook, a primarly African American school, but he got along with everyone because of that happiness. It had a calming effect on everyone he was around, an almost religious effect. Hard to explain, but easy to remember. Hrm, maybe this should be a blog...yeah I could write a bit about Dave...look for a blog later.<br /><br />Well, got to go back to reality. I do have a couple courts I need to call and finish up that monthly report for Wayne. Which, I'm still waiting for his files, so this could be an interesting end of the month. Oh well, a little Dead in my ear, I'll figure it out.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-79140122663850503752007-08-31T13:54:00.001-05:002007-08-31T14:37:57.285-05:00How to relax- rule # 108Aaron and I have had an interesting time in the last few weeks. We've fought battles with Yellow Book (yes still!), we've hired and fired, we've been betrayed and sucker punched, we've wrestled with real estate agents (now I know why they are the devil!), and we've booked a trip to Vegas. Well, the one year anniversary is approaching and I'm just hoping my mother brings my cake top back uneaten and unbattered. I'm praying to someone that our flight doesn't get delayed and I'm making deals with flying purple elephants to ensure that we write quality bonds between now and the day we leave. And through it all, as frustrated as I've been, Aaron and I still managed to find an activity to help us relax.<br /><br />What is it, you ask? ........ No! You dirty mind! I don't know why people think we swing from the rafters? We really don't have that wild of a life...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">We've landscaped part of our yard.</span><br /><br />Yes, that's right, after 3 years of talking about it, I finally broke down and had 10 cubic yards of mulch delivered. Well, I was JUST going to mulch, but then I decided I needed something natural, yet design-ish, yet cheap to hold the mulch in place. I stepped off 15 steps and bought 20 stones (just in case). I got those down and decided it really would look better if I continued the line around the mulch bed. Then we had a lot of mulch left, so I decided to clean up my dying rose garden. Yep, cleaned them all out except one yellow rose bush that I'm hoping to save. (Well, it's actually more of a rose twig, but I'm hoping to nurse it back to health.) So, my 20 stones turned into 120 stones. And then I bought 50 more. I have vowed not to step back into Lowes. And I have figured out a great way to relieve some of that unwanted stress. Of course, I can't bend over anymore and my body feels like I just performed some circus trick, but at least I'm not feeling crazy anymore.<br /><br />The yard looks great and we finally raked the huge pile of mulch down. There is kind of a slight mound, but Aaron thinks it will go down once it rains hard. Either that or it will wash it away and my stones will have been in vain. I haven't told my mother every detail about this venture. The only thing she knows is that we've been working in the yard and it's a noticeable change. She's looked on the satellite maps to see if she can notice anything, she's guessed we've put everything from a hot tub to laid sod. And yet, she's totally off. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's had spys drive by.<br /><br />Now, I'm going to take pictures and brag about my hard work online. Of course, I don't know if anyone is reading since no one ever comments....so comment people! I'll post some pictures when I figure out how.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-55201534156706595702007-08-14T16:49:00.001-05:002007-08-14T17:01:58.355-05:00And we terminated her!Wow, it has to be the shortest lived job ever. You know, I was very excited when we were able to sign her up, but I'm more excited now that I don't have to worry about the mistakes we would have to clean up. Chalk it up to learning to respect your first instinct and following what your gut tells you. Details to follow as to why we let her go.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-63599505679962558242007-08-09T14:42:00.001-05:002007-08-09T15:05:54.358-05:00We've finally signed her!I've been talking about getting this posting agent and talking about getting her signed up for, what seems like, forever. Well, we finally got her signed up and her powers in her hand. We know she's going to require some retriaing because she's been working under another company that we don't particularly work closely with. No reason in particular, we just don't share the same business practices and prefer to work at a more level playing field. Of course, that doesn't mean we won't work angles, we just aren't willing to cut corners and manipulate the grey areas of the law.<br /><br />She's starting out as a posting agent, which means she won't be taking liabilty. She is a bondsman, she does work under her own company name and she is responsible for most everything a regular agent would be responsible for. That has it's good points and bad points. We don't really like posting agents to stay posting agents. We want them to develop their good habits early so they aren't hit by a speeding bullet train when they do become full liable agents. The bottom line is we want them to start off on the right foot so they don't have to tap dance to get marching again. I think we'll get her there, it's just going to take a song or two.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-43316945019331888742007-07-19T13:20:00.000-05:002007-07-19T13:49:37.698-05:00Fortune Cookie Says "You are independent politically"I have found that usually my horoscope is right, weird things happen on a full moon, Friday the 13th is rarely a day I should get out of bed and fortune cookies hit the nail on the head. Today at lunch, my husband and I went to the Chinese buffet and ended the meal with the same fortune in our cookie. Now while this is a rarity, it does happen to Aaron and I quite a bit. But today it hits home because we're both ready to offer commentary on a variety of issues. <br /><br />I think my issue today is why lawyers are such arrogant dumb asses. In our line of work...<span style="font-size:85%;color:#000099;">pause for a brief commercial moment</span>... (<a href="http://www.custombailbonds.com/">Custom Bail Bonds</a>- serving the Richmond Metro, Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, Tri-cities and almost the rest of the state of Virginia)...<span style="font-size:85%;color:#000099;">end pause</span>...we run across different types of lawyers, but most of them we end up having to talk to are just a little off. I guess it's about par for the course when Virginia doesn't actually require lawyers to have a law degree. Which I have always found interesting...did you know that anyone off the street can be a lawyer, all they have to do is pass the Bar Exam? So that means Slappy from the corner can take the test, pass it and be practicing law the following week. Now that doesn't mean I have a hatred for all lawyers. In fact, I think there are a lot of great lawyers out there who do a wonderful job, however even they have to admit there are some that crawl out from under their rock every morning swearing up and down that they know everything there is to know about how the court system works. I would venture to say those are the lawyers we run into and remember.<br /><br />An example of this type of lawyer is a man, who will remain nameless because after all he is a lawyer, who tells his clients not to go to court. Now here's the problem I have with this... The defendant does not have any reason not to trust the lawyer, often my clients will say they thought the lawyer knew what he was talking about...and I can't blame them for that, after all they are paying the lawyer to look out for their well being. So the lawyer tells the defendant that they don't need to go to court, that the lawyer will take care of it. To me, I see several problems with this:<br /><br /><ol><li>The lawyer cannot testify for you. So if you aren't there, then how are you going to face your accuser and defend yourself?</li><li>The lawyer is not the one who has to go to jail for Failure to Appear (FTA).</li><li>The lawyer does not have to pay the bondsman again for the additional charge of FTA.</li><li>The lawyer is not the person who will have the FTA on their record.</li><li>The lawyer does not have to do the time for a guilty verdict because the defendant wasn't there to defend themselves.</li></ol><p>And the ironic thing here is that the lawyer will most likely charge the defendant's family for all the time he spent running back and forth to correct his mistake. So, I'm thinking that could get really expensive and time consuming.</p><p>I guess what I'm really saying here is that if you ever end up being accused of a crime and need the services of both a lawyer and a bondsman, go to court no matter what the dumb ass lawyer tells you. I have seen so many good people get f*c$$% because they listened to someone who told them going to court wasn't necessary. If you have a court date associated with your name, you need to make sure you appear in front of the judge. The judge doesn't want to see anyone but you...if you don't believe it, waste a few hours in jail thinking about it after you're picked up on an FTA. Now that's a day that's going to suck.</p>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4741047276649299284.post-5669628840518122522007-07-10T12:05:00.001-05:002007-07-10T13:26:18.974-05:00Get hydrated...drink more margaritas!Aaron and I went to the <a href="http://www.margaritaville.com/">Jimmy Buffett </a>concert in NOVA a week ago and are now getting back into the swing of things. We go every year and know that we will need to reserve at least the weekend for recovery. This year we decided to go with a couple we met 2 years ago. They are from VA Beach and love Jimmy as much as we do. Well, we talked for several weeks about what they were bringing... and what we were bringing... and how about an RV?... we'll do the hot dogs if ya'll can do the grill... do you have the Margartor?... we'll both bring tequila! We finally got it together the night before and decided to meet in Ashland and carpool up. Once settled in the parking lot, we set up our tailgate party. We were set up with tents and chairs and beer and food and everything you could possible want before a Jimmy Buffett concert. We didn't do the sandy beach this time, but we all decided that's going to be a definite requirement for next year's party.<br /><br />The grill got warmed up and we BBQ'd chicken and hot dogs. We put fresh strawberries in the <a href="http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-9902994-9352961?asin=B000JECQ8Q&afid=yahoossplp&lnm=B000JECQ8QMargarator_Margarita_Maker__Green&ref=tgt_adv_XSMG1060">Margarator</a>. And I quickly decided that I had a fool's proof theory developed. Even though we brought plenty of bottled water, I decided I would try getting my water intake from frozen margaritas. I figured that the ice was just frozen water, so as long as I drank plenty margaritas, I'd stay hydrated. It seemed like a good theory, so I stuck to it. After all, I was getting my full daily requirement of fruit intake as well (ie. the fresh strawberries). So, I had a couple really great margaritas and decided this theory was really working out because I felt cool on this 90 degree, muggy day. I wasn't sweating too bad and I didn't feel light headed. So, I drank a few more. Stopped, thought to myself that this really might be working. Then I decide to share my theory with my group and they encouraged me to keep testing it. (Which, by the way, now I am wondering why they would encourage me...I'm hoping it was because they were as drunk as I was and not that they thought it would be funny.)<br /><br />Parrotheads are always a funny bunch. At least 3 Johnny Depp-type pirates came up to our tailgate asking us to blow their shell or try their rum. I was blown by an older guy in the RV section. I saw one lady who had "gotten drunk" and was showing off her fat belly where she had proof she "screwed" Andy tried to ride his blow up children's water sky and we almost got him to ride it in the fountain. A couple cops came by to tell us "no alcohol" and we laughed at them. We met several, while very cute, very young barely legal boys who just wanted a Miller Lite. (God! A Miller Lite at a Jimmy Buffett concert! They show have been shot!) I had a couple more really refreshing margaritas. One really obnoxious guy offered us pot, but I refrained and gave him a business card. The kid we yelled at trying to park us came over for a water, we offered him a refreshing margarita...he refrained. I saw a volcano erupt. I tried to ride my shark. I tried to get Andy leid, but he didn't rise to the occasion and missed the hot chic as she walked away. I had another couple margarita refresh-anitas. I met a guy dressed as a parrot. I met another man who had a really nice set of coconuts. <br /><br />As the Margarator continued to turn out it's refresh-anitas strawberry margaritas, we decided it would be a good idea to pick up our mess a little so it wouldn't be so bad when we got back from the show. That was a surprisingly great idea for a bunch of drunken parrotheads. But what really got us moving was the promise of mango-strawberry margaritas.....mmmmmm. Yeah, so we had a couple more. And I think I should mention, one more time, that my theory was still working out. I felt very refreshed, I was sweating slightly and peeing a great deal, so I figured I was not really dehydrated. Of course, I had another margarita.<br /><br />The show was awesome, although it rained! But we really didn't care! Aaron broke up a fight and missed his favorite song. We saw a fat girl pee on the lawn instead of going to the bathroom. I danced to Brown Eyed Girl with Aaron. We saluted to "<a href="http://www.myspace.com/carrie_helen">Let's Get Drunk and Screw</a>". We did a little jig to Margaritaville. We got hit in the head by a beach ball and it continued to rain. We pledged to be Pirates for Life as we toasted to "A Pirate Looks at 40". We sailed around the world with the "Son of a Sailor". And we "Partied at the End of the World". And after 2 hours, we pouted as we had to go back to the car. But it finally stopped raining.<br /><br />So we got the grill out and grilled some ribs. We grilled more hot dogs and drank a couple sodas, because after all, we did need to get back on the road. It took a while for everyone to get out of the parking lot, so we enjoyed our ribs and chatted with the cops and packed the cars up. We let out the air in our blow up toys. We played a little more Jimmy on the radios. And when we finally got back int he car, we laid back and enjoyed the ride home. Aaron drove and I promptly decided my theory may not have worked out just right. I was starting to spin a little and I had dry mouth BAD! So I got some water at Wawa and held on. Once we got home, I crashed into bed and woke up around 6am worshiping the porcelain God. I drank more water. I worshiped some more. I drank another 2 glasses of water- really big glasses. I fed the fish. I let the dogs out to pee. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283">I drank more water</a>. I semi-worshiped one more time and drank more water. I them decided my theory didn't work out the way I thought it would have and drank more water. I also decided that even though ice is frozen water, it does not hydrate as well as drinking regular old water. I decided to lay down for a while and the next day, I surveyed the results. Hrm, well the bathroom was a little disheveled and the cooler was still in the driveway. I drank some water and decided my theory was not as sound as I had first thought.<br /><br />Of course, I'm not quite ready to dismiss it with just one failed testing. So, if anyone is willing to help me test it, please apply online.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767228360505295006noreply@blogger.com0