HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005!

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm drinking Rum Runners and trying not to stress out over the fact that it's raining so I'm cooped up in the house with 7 other people (1080 sq. ft. house...)

Win some, lose some

I've discovered that I can only send photos to another camera phone for now... until I subscribe to the web service... which I can't afford yet. But I can send photos to a friend who DOES have the service, and she can email 'em to me...

The best laid plans...

My daughter (14) wanted a camera phone for Christmas. Well, I suppose just a CELL PHONE would be fine... but first Daddy gave her cash... and then her brother told her to keep her cash, he'd get her one... and neither one did. Therefore, my dd was feeling unloved and lied to... among other things, so it was up to me to "save the day" (as mothers are so often called upon to do)

So we went to Verizon and got her the cherished cameraphone... and I ended up getting one too. There goes ALL of my Christmas cash (and hers) but we both now have shiny new camera phones. Wonder how long it will take me to get used to mine and use more of its features? (I'll just be happy when I get my moblog set up correctly: stay tuned!)

Loner Mode

I don't know if anyone else is like this... but when I clean & do housework, I prefer that no one is in my way. So I like it best when no one is around. In fact... the older I get, the more I prefer to be alone. To read, think, create, clean, whatever. I guess youth's insecurity made me crave company... as I look back over my old songs and writing. But no more. Give me solitude any day!

Loooooooooong days...

Is it all just one LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG day? Or several of them strung together? Kinda surreal having all the kids and their father home all day long for a couple of weeks. I think just having them here wears me out!

Merry Christmas!

Too busy to be online... just logged on to send out my newsletter and drop a quick post to the blog here. Hopefully after tomorrow morning, things can mellow out a bit!

Almost done...

My feet are killing me but I've pretty much finished with all the shopping I want to do for my family. I may still have to take one or more of my kids shopping for their dad's gifts though. I'm expecting to be online for most of the day Christmas Day beginning to catch up... but we'll see!

Another grueling day...

Ugh. Now the kids AND my husband are home 24/7 until After New Year's. Yikes. Well... at least I can sleep in EVERY morning for a while... except for Christmas Day, of course. I still haven't gotten some of my shopping done... don't know if I can, either. ($$$)

Will Wonders Never Cease?

Here I sit with a sleeping 3 year old embedded against my chest. My hands rest on the keyboard drawer which I obtained through freecycle months ago but my husband finally installed yesterday (yay!)

I lost my cell phone tonight. I lost it on Halloween, too... and got it back intact both times. Better not push my luck. Next time I may not be so lucky.

Exhausted...

And miles to go before I sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Nutcracker

Went to see a ballet today. Three words: men in tights.

Two's? What about Three's? Ugh.

My toddler has gone stark raving mad. She is driving us all insane. I can't wait 'til she outgrows this phase.

sorry, not yet!

I know I've been neglecting you guys... but I'm sure most of you are just as busy as I am with the holidays, so I hope you haven't missed me too much. I'll be finding more time to blog soon... I just need to get my house shipshape first. It's looking much better than it did a month ago!

Up too early, crashing too late...

Such is life. Tomorrow's a busy day, so I'd better get to sleep early and try to get up early tomorrow, too.

I miss blogging. Gotta get back in the groove.

Time to make the donuts

Oh. I made the donuts.

Not just yet...

I'm still not ready to sit at the computer and do much of anything... but the plus side to that is that I've been getting a lot done offline. Going to bed early, and rising early. So off I go again to do it once more...

Eliminating CHAOS

CHAOS in "Flylady" language is "Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome"

I have been remaking my house into more of a home, and it's coming along nicely. Unfortunately for this blog, that means I'm not spending much time online. I'll be back though... sooner or later, exhausted and pleased with myself for all the work I've done.

Maybe tomorrow...

I'll actually write a real, solid, coherent post... but for now, I'm ready to crash again. TGIF!

Whirlwind day...

Too tired to talk. But remind me to tell y'all about how my car's rear window got shattered...

Dead tired...

I went to bed last night at about 8:30 and it's even earlier than that now and I think I'm going to hit the sack. Only problem with that is that when I go to bed this early I fall asleep before Bob's alarm goes off, and when it does, it wakes me and I get all disoriented. But... well, I'm tired. So I'm crashing. Nitey nite... and so sorry for the short posts... I've been busy busy busy offline!

Who'da thunk it?

My husband is gonna fall on the floor and hurt himself laughing when he reads THIS one...

You are a Career Girl!

You may not be a CEO yet, but you're well on your way to success.
You take your career seriously, and you wouldn't stop working for any guy!
An independent woman, you pay for your own car, clothes, and housing.
And men appreciate that - at least, the ones as driven as you are.
What Kind of Girl Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

Can I go to bed yet?

Loooooooooooong drawn out day... went for a job interview this morning. Don't want to make to much of it and get my hopes up... who knows if I'll actually get the job or not. I don't think I'd mind it... anyway, been bustin' my ass rearranging and cleaning the house. I think my family's confused. LOL

I've downloaded over 120 entries into my "Holiday Jukebox" and haven't played all the way through it a single time yet because I keep having to turn it down for someone to watch tv or turn off Winamp when I need more memory to do something else. Oh well... c'est la vie!

Nite nite y'all.

Forgot to mention...

I meant to give y'all a rave review for my favorite two artists and Christmas songs, out of all the ones I've downloaded and heard recently: Loreena McKennitt's Good King Wenceslaus and Destiny's Child's White Christmas both kick ass. I'm up to 89 entries today.

Hearing Things

I was only kind of half-listening to the tv this morning while I was making the bed... and there was this garlique commercial on. The pitch is "eat right, exercise, and take Garlique once a day" but I heard "eat right, exercise, and take a leak once a day" ROFL

In other news, I've been downloading Christmas songs and creating a continuous playlist with about 69 entries so far. I say "entries" instead of "songs" because some of the entries are medleys or collections. I've really been enjoying it... but I think the family is tired of the songs already. Maybe I'm wrong, but playing the Christmas songs helps keep me motivated. That's a start!

Tired

Didn't get much sleep last night and been up all day. Better luck tomorrow. Nitey nite.

Helluva Day!

Well... let's see. First my dd wakes me up saying she'd overslept and missed the bus (which wouldn't have happened if I had not been sleeping myself...)

So I jump up and drive her to school... after which I get back in bed for a few hours... since dh gets home in time to take ds#3 to school.

I DRAGGED myself out of bed at about 9:45 am, called Seetha, who had expressed interest in going with us to the park today... but she was worried by the overcast weather and begged off for this time. Good thing, too, cuz I had made plans to meet Michelle from Freecycle there and her car wouldn't start today. So I picked her and her baby up on the way, thus filling up my car pretty much to capacity.

Stayed at the park from noon 'til about 2:30, then took Michelle and Catherine back home, went to my house, switched cars, and picked Timmy up from school... (ds#3)

Stopped in a local food store for some candy, mainly so my 3 year old could give a candy bar to an old lady from whom we were obtaining a computer through Freecycle...

Turned out that the old lady wasn't there, but her daughter will give her the candy bar. My new toy is a MacIntosh PowerG3 (beige) and I got it for Selena to use. She loves to play with the art program on the old Performa that we call "Granny Mac"

Then I went grocery shopping... came home and did a bit of this and a bit of that... hooked up the Performa to the monitor that came with the other computer and let Selena fool around with that for a while, then after she went to bed I put the Performa away and hooked up the G3.

Also tonight I've been downloading Christmas songs. I'm pooped. Now that I've bored you all to tears, good night.

Stealing from Cary

Not really... but I am going to use his idea, sort of.

See, today was the deadline for the NaNoWriMo Novel contest... to produce a 50,000 word novel in one month.

I lost interest in the subject matter, and haven't been able to get into the right frame of mind to return to it... so:

Anyone wanna be a guest blogger and write part of it for me?

I'll do the proofreading and editing, of course... all you have to do is write. If you misspell, etc. don't worry about it, because I will fix it when I check it out. Any interested parties just let me know.
; )

What Planet Are You From?

You Are From Mercury

You are talkative, clever, and knowledgeable - and it shows. You probably never leave home without your cell phone! You're witty, expressive, and aware of everything going on around you. You love learning, playing, and taking in all of what life has to offer. Be careful not to talk your friends' ears off, and temper your need to know everything.

What Planet Are You From?

Holiday Wishes...

I found this on Shawna's blog... but she took it from somewhere else. I may modify it a bit, though...

Step One

Make a post to your diary. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your diary, or link to this post (it'll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.

Step Two

Surf around your buddy list (or your buddy's buddies, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

My Holiday Wish List:

- I wish to spend more time this coming year on my music than I did this year.
- A new guitar, P.A. and some other equipment for performing music publicly
- A karaoke setup complete with the discs
- The usual Amazon wish list stuff...
- Braces for my oldest 3 or 4 kids' teeth...
- A new cage for my hamster
- Better hutches for my bunnies
- A vehicle large enough to fit my whole family of seven into so we don't have to take two cars when we all want to go out together
- A larger piece of property that's zoned so that we could have livestock
- Any kind of gift card, certificate, or cash!

How you can make MY holiday wishes come true...

Saw something interesting on a friend's blog...

I'll link to it and try it tomorrow. Right now I'm wiped out... heading for bed. Nitey nite!

Thanksgiving...

Had a great day today... good food, etc. Hope everyone else did, too. Ugh. I'm stuffed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all Americans... hope you have a great holiday. I'm sleepy... off to bed. Tomorrow will be a long busy day for me.

omigod! there's a house under all that rubbish!

Okay. No such thing as spring cleaning around here... but I've been trying to re-situate everything so that I can decorate the mess for the holidays. Call me crazy, but I like hanging up a bunch of lights and stuff.

Hoping to find time and energy to sit down to the "novel" soon... now that I have some real ideas percolating in my head. You'll see it when I do it. I'll post a comment on this blog when I've made any further substantial additions, since I've been so few and far between with 'em.

My fitness plan is currently dead in the water... and I'm REALLY enjoying a healthy dose of White Russians. Mmmmmmmmmmmm 'tis the season.

Well... back to the grind. I've half a dozen loads of laundry to fold, a load of dishes to wash... and oh! A meal to cook?

Inspired, yet too busy to write...

I'll get there, though. The suggestions have helped to stir my creative juices, and I also actually have a commissioned job to create a new business card for someone, so I need to get the housework done & sit down to concentrate at the computer.

Random thoughts

Okay everybody. Your love is apparent. THANK YOU! To the many who have been emailing me with suggestions for my novel. It will be so much better because of all the subtle nuances that are going to be there largely because you cared enough to throw in your 2¢ worth. Keep checking back to see the rewrites with your suggestions. (Chapter 5 will be forthcoming shortly as well)

I also think I'm getting to the bottom of my self sabotage cycle. Setting goals based on personal wishes and dreams may not work for me. I think I need something larger than life... something BEYOND myself for motivation. I'm sure many of you will recognize yourselves in that statment. That is why you run marathons and stuff, right?

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm feeling the need to expand my arena of influence a bit. Staying home alomst 24/7 is killing me. If I CAN'T find a job, then I need to volunteer somewhere a few hours/week. Wish me luck on finding a niche I can fill!
; )

Voodoo & stuff

I was watching a tv program this morning, and something the lady was saying about voodoo kinda clicked for me. See, with voodoo, they basically separate illnesses and other bodily troubles into two categories: natural and (for lack of better phraseology) supernatural.

Long story short here is that when they try and try to treat someone, but their health doesn't improve by NATURAL means, then it is generally assumed to be of a SUPERNATURAL or SPIRITUAL nature.

Seems to me that this concept was well explained... but shouldn't the majority of religions be utilizing some sort of healing methods then, since I've heard others mention similar concepts?

But the bottom line is: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I'd like to hear some true stories of "faith healing" regardless of your religious affiliation (or absence thereof)

Novel

I seem to be incredibly stuck with my novel. If any of y'all have suggestions, please throw 'em at me. But anyway, I'm hoping to meet with some inspiration soon... one way or another!

The lost post

See... you didn't think I posted yesterday... but I did. LOL

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Here's a SOMEWHAT neutral-gender quiz...

I Am Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

What Kind of PJ's Are You?

Sorry Rob... another girlie one!

The PJ's I Am Most Like: Underwear

I enjoy the simple things in life and ain't hard to please...
I have an understated, easy sexyness that men love...
And I'm confident enough to pull it off - without being overbearing!


What Kind of PJ's Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

Blah blah blah

Well, I'm still in a non-mood. Dunno what it is but it seems to be going around. A couple of other bloggers whose blogs I read regularly have also not been in the mood to write much, although Zoe does a pretty good job once she gets going, LOL

Anyway, my sincerest apologies for being so damn boring lately, but I'm sure it will be over soon.

Not much to say...

So I won't. Just wanted to cram in a post for the day, however inconsequential. Okay, I'm obsessed, so what? Am I hurting anyone? Nope. See ya!

33 Reasons Why you shouldn't post your picture on the internet:

You have to see these to believe 'em!

I wonder how often they're changed?

The Most Important Meetings You'll Ever Attend Are the Meetings You Have With Yourself

by Denis Waitley

You are your most important critic. There is no opinion so vitally important to your well being as the opinion you have of yourself. As you read this you're talking to yourself right now. "Let's see if I understand what he means by that... How does that compare with my experiences? - I'll make note of that - try that tomorrow - I already knew that... I already do that." I believe this self-talk, this psycholinguistics or language of the mind can be controlled to work for us, especially in the building of self-confidence and creativity. We're all talking to ourselves every moment of our lives, except during certain portions of our sleeping cycle. We're seldom even aware that we're doing it. We all have a running commentary in our heads on events and our reactions to them.

- Be aware of the silent conversation you have with yourself. Are you a nurturing coach or a critic? Do you reinforce your own success or negate it? Are you comfortable saying to yourself, "That's more like it". "Now we're in the groove." "Things are working out well." "I am reaching my financial goals." "I'll do it better next time."

- When winners fail, they view it as a temporary inconvenience, a learning experience, an isolated event, and a stepping-stone instead of a stumbling block.

- When winners succeed, they reinforce that success, by feeling rewarded rather than guilty about the achievement and the applause.

- When winners are paid a compliment, they simply respond: "Thank you." They accept value graciously when it is paid. They pay value in their conversations with themselves and with other people.

A mark of an individual with healthy self-esteem is the ability to spend time alone, without constantly needing other people around. Being comfortable and enjoying solitary time reveals inner peace and centering. People who constantly need stimulation or conversation with others are often a bit insecure and thus need to be propped up by the company of others.

Always greet the people you meet with a smile. When introducing yourself in any new association, take the initiative to volunteer your own name first, clearly; and always extend your hand first, looking the person in the eyes when you speak.

In all your telephone communications, answer the telephone pleasantly, immediately giving your own name to the caller, before you ask who's calling. Whenever you initiate a call, always give your own name up front, before you ask for the party you want and before you state your business. Leading with your own name underscores that a person of value is making the call.

Don't brag. People who trumpet their exploits and shout for service are actually calling for help. The showoffs, braggarts and blowhards are desperate for attention.

Don't tell your problems to people, unless they're directly involved with the solutions. And don't make excuses. Successful people seek those who look and sound like success. Always talk affirmatively about the progress you are trying to make.

As we said earlier, find successful role models after whom you can pattern yourself. When you meet a mastermind, become a master mime, and learn all you can about how he or she succeeded. This is especially true with things you fear. Find someone who has conquered what you fear and learn from him or her.

When you make a mistake in life, or get ridiculed or rejected, look at mistakes as detours on the road to success, and view ridicule as ignorance. After a rejection, take a look at your BAG.

B is for Blessings. Things you are endowed with that you often take for granted like life itself, health, living in an abundant country, family, friends, career.

A is for accomplishments. Think of the many things you are proud of that you have done so far.

And G is for Goals. Think of your big dreams and plans for the future that motivate you.

If you took your BAG - blessings, accomplishments and goals - to a party, and spread them on the floor, in comparison to all your friends and the people you admire, you'd take your own bag home, realizing that you have as much going for yourself as anyone else. Always view rejection as part of one performance, not as a turndown of the performer.

And, enjoy those special meetings with yourself. Spend this Saturday doing something you really want to do. I don't mean next month or someday. This Saturday enjoy being alive and being able to do it. You deserve it. There will never be another you. This Saturday will be spent. Why not spend at least one day a week on You!

Action Idea: Go for one entire day and night without saying anything negative to yourself or to others. Make a game of it. If a friend or colleague catches you saying something negative, you must put 1/2 dollar in a drawer or container toward a dinner or evening out with that person. Do this for one month and see who has had to pay the most money toward the evening.

With over 10 million audio programs sold in 14 languages, Denis Waitley's CD album, The Psychology of Winning, is still the all-time best selling program on self-mastery. To order this Best-Seller or his newest release, The Platinum Collection and save 30%, go to http://deniswaitley.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434.

To subscribe to the Free Denis Waitley Weekly E-zine send a blank email to mailto:deniswaitleyezine@jimrohn.com

Crap, crap, crap!

Now THERE'S an Aaron-like heading for you. Speaking of whom... he seems to have disappeared. Hope he's okay.

This novel thing is harder than I thought it was gonna be. But I'm not throwing in the towel yet... I just wish I had picked something else to write about. Nevertheless... I made my bed, so now I'd better get cozy lying in it...

Meanwhile, my dear 3 year old daughter seems to have gone bonkers on me. Just now she was biting the skin off an apple and spitting it into the garbage. Either she doesn't like the peel... or she's even more bored than those of you who are reading this are!

Writing a Novel in 30 days or less...

It is National Novel Writing month, so I've decided to do like Mikel and attempt to write a novel by the end of the month. If you want to know the details of this little competiton, they're here. It is supposed to be a minimum of 50,000 words, so that means I need to put down 2000 words a day, because I started late (yesterday).

I got the theme for my novel from my daughter's overnight guest, Chelsea... and the title from my son Joe. I also consulted Chelsea on a few technical points... which annoyed the hell out of Sarah (my daughter) who claimed at one point that Chelsea was writing the whole story (NOT!)

For example, I asked Chelsea if she thought I should write it in past or present tense, and whether certain characters should be male or female. Aside from that, the rest is all from my screwy head.

If you'd like to check it out, there's a link in my sidebar... as well as a link to Mikel's. You can also comment as much as you want to, and I may utilize your suggestions as I write and re-write the story.

Earth to Allie... where are you?

I finally had to give in and remove one of the links on my blogroll, as it has become apparent that she's deleted that particular blog. I do hope Allison will drop in and provide me with a link to her new one... or at least email and let me know what's going on in her life. Hope all is well!

I love reading the blogs on my blogroll...

I found this interesting tidbit today on Robert's blog...

If anyone can offer conclusive evidence of authenticity for the first part... please let me know! I believe it, though. Sounds like something Senator Glenn would say.

Short Post

I had a long, somewhat uneventful day... good workout, park day with homeschool group, very little housework, ate a buncha crap... (okay, not REALLY but I didn't eat "clean" today, nor have I done very well at doing that much at all lately)

Anyway, I've got to re-assess my fitness goals, so I'm taking my Body-for-LIFE book to bed with me tonight to re-read the section called "Crossing the Abyss" as was recommended to me by one of the dear members of my BFL support group. I'll let y'all know if I figure anything out. In the meantime... nitey nite!

Mission Accomplished

When I went back, I was easily able to find parking, and the line for MY precinct was short. There's another precinct that also votes there, and their line was much longer. I was glad to get in and out quickly, since I took Selena and Joey with me. If they had gotten tired and frustrated, it could have been a major ordeal.

Apparently Bob is working over again today... so I'm not going to wait to eat. I'll just do my cardio later... (usually I prefer to do it on an empty stomach, but I'm not going to quibble.)

Voting saga

I will update this post as the day wears on.

At 7am I went to my previous polling place, which has been moved. I went to the new one, and they don't allow parking outside the fence (no parking signs everywhere) and there was no available parking inside the fence.

In addition to this, the line was so long I was afraid that even if I did find parking I would not get in to vote until it was too late to drive Timmy to school, so I left. I will go back by to re-assess the situation once I drop Timmy off.

I can't drop Timmy off before 8am or I have to pay for "before care" and if I do not pick him up from school by 3:30pm they charge $10 for every 5 minutes you're late unless the child is registered for "after care". I'm beginning to be really sorry I put him in this charter school. More about that another time...

All's well that ends well...

Whew! What a whirlwind day!

Woke up, got outta bed, dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, looking up, I noticed I was late...

Wait. I don't have a downstairs. Pooh. Must be the Beatles...

Anywho...

Here's a recap of my day:

6am up, dishes, laundry, cook breakfast, get us all to church...
after church lunch, more dishes and laundry, clean two pet cages...
7pm get to "Harvest Festival" at church. Was supposed to be there at 6:30, but "Aunt Flo" came to visit and the kids were pissing me off. Plus I didn't know they were going to end it early due to it's being a school night. Have to remember that next year...
Got to car and realized I'd dropped my cell phone somewhere... sprinted back to church from where I'd parked, found guy who found my phone, followed him 'round 'til we found where they guy he'd given it to had taken it... miraculously it was not broken or anything. Sprinted BACK to car and came home...
Got online to do all my prep for tomorrow. Almost done now. Just have to upload my planned workout and nutrition for tomorrow (I post accountablility in one of my groups) then when I post my accountability I can go on to bed. Up again at 5 to make sure dd doesn't oversleep...

Nite y'all!

Are you a FREAK?

I am. Wanna make somethin' of it?

I'm 69% freak!!

If you want to take the test, it's here:

Glory Hallelujah!

Well, Frank finally replaced the broken taillight on the Saturn today... (now that he's gotten a SECOND traffic ticket...)

He also got a new dome light, since the one that was there hung by the wires... now I guess it's worthwhile to get a new headliner. Although there are still plenty of minor things wrong with the car...

One thing is NOT minor: it's getting harder and harder to put it into gear. I think it's the slave cylinder, but don't know if that car takes one. If it's not the slave cylinder, I don't know what it is... but sooner or later it's going to be impossible to put into gear and have to be towed to the repair shop.

Anyone got a job for me? We could really use some money...

MOM - JOB DESCRIPTION

Author unknown. From the internet:

This is hysterical. If it had been presented this way, none of us would have done it!!!!

POSITION:
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages
and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually
exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Send this post on to all the Moms you know, in appreciation for everything
they! do on a daily basis, and let them know they are appreciated!

Progress, not perfection

I must have had a fever last night, cuz I slept for about 12 hours. Didn't work out, and said to hell with my nutrition plan today.

No more 4 or 5am shit. I'm setting my alarm for 6 tomorrow, and plan to work out at 9 when the gym's nursery opens from now on. The baby wants to go with me, and hell... why should I pass up "free" babysitting?

My son was supposed to go with me at 5am, but he punked out on me... and my dh never seems to feel like going since he's been riding his bicycle to and from work until ds gets hooked up with another car...

Gosh, I sure am boring, aren't I? I'm gonna have to do something about that. Not tonight though... Rome wasn't built in a day, after all. Stay tuned, you never know when things will change...

Ice Cream is Good for the Soul

I got this in my email, and it was too sweet not to share. Watch out... you might just need a tissue for the ending!

Author Unknown

Thank God for Children Saying Grace...

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never!" Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table.

He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought
that was a great prayer!

"Really?" my son as ked. "Cross my heart," the man replied. Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had
started this whole thing), " Too bad she never asks God for ice
cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman.

With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."

The End.

Sometimes we all need some ice cream.

I hope God sends you some Ice Cream today.

Neverending day

Had a hard time getting up this morning... didn't get a nap, and try as I might, I can't seem to make it to bed!

Gonna start getting up at 4am to work out at 5am with my son. We'll see how that works out. I keep tweaking my schedule trying to see what will work best for me... all I know is I prefer working out at 5am cuz the gym is largely empty and it's easy to get the freeweights I want (once I track them down since the crew from the night before never puts them back...)

It's also a real steady "die-hard" crowd that shows up at that hour. I miss them! Looking forward to getting back into that particular groove.

Of course, I'll have to make sure I get an afternoon nap once I pick Timmy up from school, but that should work out fine. Time will tell! Wish me luck y'all!

Tomorrow's another day...

Well, I've been making my "flylady" lists, but not getting much beyond laundry, dishes, and making the beds...

Haven't been getting to the gym or trying to eat clean...

Frankly, I'm not too pleased with myself.

Since no one can change this but me, I'm hoping tomorrow will be a new beginning. Wish me luck y'all!

Nonpost

Gosh! I almost forgot to post again. Not that I have much to say... but I wanted to say it anyway, LOL. Oh well... can't be "on top" all the time! At least I remembered before I logged off...

Nite y'all. Perhaps I'll have something witty and exciting to say tomorrow. (Don't hold your breath...)

20 more things about me...

Okay. Enough gloom and doom. I decided it's time for another episode of "20 things about me". When I have 100, I'll list it as such, and give it a webpage... I suppose. For now, to start, I'm going to recap the first 20. However, I've done some editing... so they're not EXACTLY the same as they were when I originally stated them last month...

1. I'm my mother's only child
2. My father had other children, but I've never met any of them. (Are you one of them?)
3. I love rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate almost more than life itself
4. The size I prefer to be is a 3-5 (American... not sure what that translates to anywhere else) But right now I'm more like a 12/14
5. My ideal "job" would be writing/producing/directing both films and animated videos to accompany all of my songs.
6. I love to be barefoot...
7. On hot days I prefer not to have BOTH my feet AND my armpits covered. One or the other needs to be bare, LOL
8. I like WB T.V. shows like Smallville, Gilmore Girls and 7th Heaven.
9. I once shaved my head... completely bald.
10. When I was a child I wanted to be a Veterinarian.
11. I am allergic to cats, which is one reason I changed my mind about #10
12. My mother was an awesome artist.
13. My father wrote television screenplays... I have some of them in my possession. Not sure if they were ever used, but they include plots for the "Twilight Zone".
14. My father was a disabled WWII veteran who had no legs from the knees down.
15. I went to a camp when I was young where we were assigned a horse and taught how to care for it. I got to go there two summers in a row (for a week or two each time)
16. My second toe is longer than the first on both of my feet.
17. I cut my nails short on my left hand to press the strings for chords on the guitar, but I keep the nails on my right hand longer for fingerpicking.
18. I haven't written a song in quite a while. The muse has been avoiding me.
: (
19. I like to have fires in my backyard... we have a "dish" to make them in, and they are similar to campfires.
20. I grew up going to Reds games at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati
21. I broke my arm when I was 6 years old, by putting my feet on the handlebars, and both arms straight out (like an airplane) then attempting to coast down a hill.
22. I started smoking at the age of 13, quit when I was 23, started again when I was 28 (like an idiot) and quit again this year on August 12.
23. The only places I have been outside the U.S. are Canada (for 5 minutes as a kid... then got in a fight with my mother and that was the end of that) and Peru.
24. I love to cook, and I'm pretty good at it... but I HATE to clean up afterward.
25. I prefer to wear my hair long.
26. My favorite color is that fluorescent pinkish-orange the sky turns at sunrise and sunset.
27. I prefer antiques to modern furniture.
28. If I were to design my dream home, it would be primarily underground... built into the side of a mountain and made to look like a series of separate cottages and pavilions from the outside that are interconnected from within.
29. I absolutely detest mindless humor.
30. My favorite comedians are Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, Jim Carrey, and Bette Midler. (Does she count as a comedian?)
31. My favorite actors are Goldie Hawn, Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, and Danny DeVito.
32. I have a very hard time getting motivated to do things for myself, but do a good job when I have been given a task to complete for someone else.
33. My favorite alcoholic drink is a Strawberry Daquiri, followed closely by wine... usually white.
34. I hope to fly a paraglider one day.
35. I've never been much of a dancer.
36. I've always wanted to have a horse.
37. I had braces (on my teeth) twice, but didn't get the job finished properly and never wore a retainer.
38. Out of six children I gave birth to, two were c-section births.
39. If I could visit anywhere in the world, I'd most likely go to England and Israel.
40. I believe people are meant to live tribally, or communally, rather than in separate little apartments or single-family homes.

Ungrateful Insensitive Twits

Kids. Ugh.

My 18 year old son really takes the cake. He's been driving his father's car ever since his became unusable, hasn't been saving to get himself into another one, doesn't pay rent, and has the nerve to tell ME to get a job when I say he should give us grocery money.

He bought his gf a membership to Bally's, buys numerous DVD's (whatever strikes his fancy) bought 2 ceiling fans, one of which he hasn't even bothered to put up, and it can't be returned because it was a closeout... sigh.

If I don't start generating some income soon, I'm going to get suicidal. Not that killing myself would help any... there's no life insurance on me. It would just be one less mouth for my overworked and underpaid husband to feed is all.

By my reckoning, the 18 year old should be paying $100/week for room and board and another $50/week for his HUGE share of our car insurance... and actually $50/week wouldn't even cover his share. THAT'S more like ANOTHER $100/week. So he should be giving his dad $3-400 every two weeks when he gets paid. But my husband won't even consider charging him rent. He says if he did he'd just put it in savings for the kid! WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE BILLS! Insane.

Before Frank started driving, our car insurance was about $200/month. Now it's over $600/month. My husband said not to bother giving him cash, just buy some groceries. But getting the kid to buy groceries is like pulling teeth!

I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm tired of feeling like jumping off a bridge, though. Any suggestions?

OOPS!

I forgot to post yesterday. First time in like two months! Hard to believe.

I've been having some kind of trouble with the email that's routed through my website. Dunno what's going on, but it's annoying!

Not much else to say, other than I've been talking to someone about doing some website work. More about that if and when.

Getting there...

Well, I'm not 100% yet, but feeling much better than I have all week. Despite being sick, I'm very pleased that I managed to stay on top of the laundry and dishes all week instead of letting everything pile up. I've also gotten good about making the bed... which may seem trivial to those who have never NOT been in the habit of doing so, but it's a big deal to me... in fact, my daughter has been astonished. She keeps asking me "mom, what's wrong with you? Why are you cleaning?" LOL

Now if I can only establish a routine. I want to go beyond what I'm doing now and reach that "Better Homes and Gardens" look some day... and get back to the gym on a regular basis. I really do want to be "fabulous forty" and not "fat forty" next year!

I'm thinking that focusing on the BFL way might not work for me... I may need to tweak it for my own situation. Like I think I'd like to do cardio every morning... and weight training every evening... but I don't know. I hate not being able to get the dumbbells I want/need at the gym when it's crowded... and I don't know when the best time to go would be so that I can always have all my dumbbells. Sigh. Oh to be rich and establish a complete home gym with everything I want/need right there on my own property. Never to have a trainer say "my client will be using these for the next half hour. You may use them after that." Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

The meals are the same. I really need some income to be consistent about eating clean... the EFL meals are awesome, but it's a bit pricey to buy the ingredients IN ADDITION TO what the family will eat...

Okay. Enough ranting about this nonsense. Good night folks, I'm calling it a day.
; )

Never ends...

Okay, now all of a sudden my computer is giving me a headache. I don't know what's going on, but I keep losing my internet connection for no apparent reason. I'm going to go ahead and send this before it happens again, since I've been trying to post for the last half hour or so at least.
: (

Under the Weather

I'm still feeling pretty icky, but I made myself clean the poor hamster's cage today. Since none of the kids asked for these pets, I'm taking responsibility for them. Timmy claimed the guinea pig... but the cage is too large and awkward for him to handle by himself. He already broke a piece of it, and I had to duct-tape it back together, LOL

Anyway, I googled "under the weather" and found this great site, Idiomsite which lists the explanations for common statments/phrases. I thought it was pretty neat... hope y'all like it too. I'm afraid I don't have much else to offer right now... just trying not to lie down like I want to because then my head will clog back up again!

Guess I'll go (woo hoo!) unload the dishwasher and set up dh's coffee for tonight.
; )

Anybody wanna...

Take this yucky cold from me? Or do my housework?

Didn't think so. Ah, well... a girl has to try though, eh?

On a positive note, I've gotten the laundry done... just need to get kids to put theirs away... and have only one small load of dishes to do at the moment. The rest can wait 'til I feel better.

Ugh!

Blogger ate it

I did post today, but it's gone. Better luck tomorrow?

I can feel the fat growing...

Man, I've got to get a routine going. So far I'm getting there, but I've laid off on the gym & nutrition for a bit. I've GOT to get over perfectionism or I'm never going to get anywhere. Wish me luck!

Progress... not perfection! (Bill Phillips)

Bunny Lovin'

I just acquired (the the great dismay of my dh and oldest ds) two new bunnies. They're spayed females, and my males are so pleased to have companions! I don't see how anyone can complain, it's not like they'll BREED...

I also got another hamster from the same people who gave us their bunnies. She's sleek and black, doesn't look a thing like her predecessor, and that's a good thing. Change is good. So here's the current rundown:

Male Rabbits: Rocky and Fred
Female Rabbits: Callie and Floppy
Guinea Pig: Lucky (Timmy Claims him and Rocky the Rabbit)
Hamster: Stormy
Cockatiel: Looney

I think as long as I improve with the housework and take care of these blasted animals myself, no one has any excuse to get angry with me. Anyone who wants to donate to their care can click on my paypal or amazon button to the right, in the sidebar.

I'm doing the flylady thing. (Sorry Renee) Hope it works. I'm tired of starting things I don't finish...

Long, productive Day

Unfortunately, I'm too tired to talk much about it. Sorry y'all... guess you'll have to use your imaginations...

Confessions of a waster

Or is that wastrel?

Whatever.

I went out today, and had some business to tend to in the western part of Broward County. It was a beautiful day out.

When it came time to head home, I decided I wasn't going to go straight home... the easy way.

I decided I'd enjoy the lovely weather and take a drive... a cruise, if you will.

Those who are rabid about conserving fossil fuels will find this astonishing, but I just drove 'round for the hell of it. Enjoyed it quite a bit, too.

I think I'll do it again tomorrow. Maybe I can even use up a whole tank of gas... just wandering around looking at wildlife and daisies.

Getting to know you (me)

Welcome to the next edition of getting to know your friends.
What you are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire e-mail onto a new e-mail that you will send. Change all of the answers so they apply to you, then send this to a whole bunch of people you know *INCLUDING* the person that sent it to you. The idea is to learn a lot of little facts about your friends.

I've sent enough of these on by email. I'm posting it in my blog this time. Then I can look back and see how my answers may differ next time... LOL

1. WHAT TIME DID YOU GO TO BED LAST NIGHT? 11pm
2. IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE? My "stick-toitiveness"
3. PAPER OR PLASTIC? Both. I re-use them for various purposes...
4. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK/MAGAZINE YOU READ? I am currently reading a book called "Siro". Prior to that I read "White Oleander". No magazines lately.
5. A TV SHOW YOU CAN'T STAND TO WATCH? Anything with mindless humor. I like a clever show.
6. WHAT DID YOU EAT FOR LUNCH TODAY? Lunch? Its freakin still breakfast time here!
7. DO YOU LIKE TO BE SURPRISED? always (as long as it is a good surprise....bad surprises are... well... bad... LOL)
8. WHERE DID YOU HAVE YOUR LAST DATE? Date? What's that?
9. WHAT BRAND OF DEODORANT DO YOU USE? Arrid Extra Strength, LOL
10. YOUR FAVORITE STORE TO SHOP? Any store you give me a gift card for, LOL (Otherwise it's all window-shopping anyway)
11. WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER, OR FALL? I can't choose one... I'll take them all!
12. FAVORITE DESSERT? Something rich, decadent, and chocolate. Mmmmmmmmmmmm
13. WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PREFER A CHEF OR A MAID? Maid... no doubt. Then she'd clean up after I cook. I love to cook, just hate to clean. (That's why I'm killing time here at the computer instead of doing my housework!)
14. FAVORITE CANDY? Seattle Chocolates Expresso or Mint Chocolate bar.
15. REGULAR OR DECAF? Regular, baby! In fact, make it hi-test! Vroom!
16. FAVORITE RESTAURANT? Frische's Big Boy (which we don't have in south Florida, but if I buy a Big Mac with nothing on it I can make the tartar sauce and make a passable Big Boy, LOL)
17. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU ADMIRE? Honesty and sincerety in everything, the ability to be firm... yet compassionate, grace and humor.
18. FAVORITE HOLIDAY? I don't have one. I find all holidays to be stressful and they make me nervous. Perhaps I'd fare better if I were not perpetually broke... I do remember enjoying holidays once upon a time, LOL
19. FAVORITE TIME OF DAY? Evening time, when I read a chapter of my book and go to sleep.
20. FRUIT OR FRUIT SMOOTHIE? Fruit smoothie, usually strawberry banana with protein powder and maybe some Creatine in it. If no Creatine, I might put in some Udo's or Flaxseed oil.
21. HOW MANY RINGS ARE YOU WEARING? None. No jewelry at all.
22. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR MEAT PREPARED? Usually medium rare, but it depends on the meat.
23. WHAT WAS THE LAST CARD YOU SENT TO SOMEONE? Real, paper card? Or e-card? The last paper card was probably the one I made for an instructor, Oscar, when he left our school. E-card was probably a thank you card to someone who had sent me one.
24. WHAT RADIO STATION IS ON WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW? None. Just the sound of the clothes dryer going 'round.
25. WHO DO YOU LEAST EXPECT TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Well, since I'm not sending it out, per se...
26. WHO IS THE PERSON YOU EXPECT TO SEND IT BACK FIRST? See question #25
27. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO FILL THIS OUT? I'm not sure. I would know if it had asked me at the beginning what time it was, but it doesn't. It asked me what time I went to bed last night.

Blogger's a bit dicey today...

The blogger comments aren't working, so please use the Haloscan system... but talk to me! Please! LOL

I also haven't been able to edit anything, much to my chagrin, so if you notice typos or things that my perfectionistic self would ordinarily catch... I've tried. Blogger sucks today.
: (

Florida is relocating...

Just got this from a local in my email. Cute! 

Sleepy Saturday

Well, we have a new water heater. Yay! If only other problems could be fixed so easily. Well, I'm gonna have a lot to catch up on: laundry, dishes (what else is new?) and EVERYONE needs a shower at this point. Draw straws to see who goes first?

Great news, good news, bad news and worse news.

The great news is that I can get a forbearance on my student loan if I'm still unemployed and underfinanced by the time my payments come due. Since I can't re-enroll and get a deferment (see the "worse" news)

The good news is that we will soon have hot water again.

The bad news is that he couldn't come replace the water heater 'til tomorrow...

and the worse news is that I can't go back to school right now. I went in to discuss it and found that I am not eligible for any grants, only loans. Partly due to my husband's income level, and partly due to the fact that I'd be the only family member in college. I can try again and see what I qualify for in assistance after Frank re-enters school, but if he doesn't do that, then I probably can't. The difference between what I could get loans to cover and what I want to study ranges from $3-5k... certainly more than I can scrape up!

Off to a good start today...

Got up early because I have a ridiculous number of things to get done, and I'm just fooling around on the computer for a bit while I reformat another one right next to me (got a nice setup going here, LOL)

Zoe responded to a comment of mine on her blog for the first time that I can recall (unless she responded to one that I never checked back on...)

Lets see. Today I need to get the hot water heater taken care of (dh gets paid today, so it's now or never!)

Then I need to make sure that this new computer desk I got from a freecycler makes it into my daughter's room. I would prefer to do this before she gets home, as she and I differ drastically in opinion over what is a suitable manner in which to arrange her (usually catastrophically messy) bedroom....

I also need to make sure I get laundry and dishes under control, since with 7 people in the house if you let them pile up for even two days you're up to your eyeballs in both.

Well, I'd better get to it all. I'm sure I'll be back here in front ot the screen later when I need to rest a bit from all the physical exertion. Probably won't go to the gym today, considering.
; )

Run, run, run!

Well, there's another "Aaron" title, LOL

Since Frank's Jeep is not reliable enough for him to drive to work, he's been taking his dad's Saturn, and his dad's been driving my car (which was just recently repaired, or we'd REALLY be stuck right now!)

Anyway, since dh has had to work over ('til noon) so far every day this week, I can't go to the gym in the morning... and it's been kinda screwing up the way I do things. But that's okay. I'll manage.

So today, as soon as he gets home, I'm taking Joe and Selena to the park to meet with the kids from a local homeschool support group we belong to, then after that I have to pick up Timmy, and THEN I can go to the gym. Finally, some time this evening, my neighbor is supposed to take me to get a computer desk that a freecycler is giving me, for my daughter, Sarah. That should be nice for her, as she's tight on space and it has more vertical storage space (above where the computer goes, it's like a hutch... I think) I'll probably just trash the desk she's been using as she has covered it with graffiti and someone would have to do a major refinishing job to it if they wanted it. It's a shame. Sometimes I just want to whack that girl upside her head.

I'm hoping I can remember to get my son to tape Smallville for me tonight, since the new season just started last week, but I'm not so much of a fanatic that I can't stand to miss it, either. In fact, I rarely sit and watch tv at all. I set it to turn itself off at night when I go to bed, and after I read my book I watch a little 'til I can't keep my eyes open, but nothing memorable, to be sure.

Tomorrow should be a little better, especially if dh gets to come home at 8am and we can do something about the hot water heater.

I suppose I shouldn't worry too much about not getting to the gym if I can't... it's more important that we deal with the water heater, and if I miss one or two workouts it's not going to kill me!

Okay. 'Nuff said. Time to get dressed and charge into my busy day. (It was nice sleeping in 'til 10 after making sure the kids got up for school!)

It never rains but it pours...

Ugh. Our hot water heater is leaking... and since it's attached to a dysfunctional solar panel, it may be more trouble and expense to deal with than it would be if it were a normal hot water heater. Not only that, but it's a huge capacity heater, and it would be a real bummer if we had to replace it with a smaller one due to finances. With 7 people taking showers, doing dishes, laundry, etc. I can't imagine how much of a nuisance it would/will be to have a 40 gallon tank instead of the current 80. (I'd LOVE to have a 120!!!)

In other news, my 18 year old son is currently attempting to buy a car... more about that as it unfolds.

Well, I'd better go get dressed and eat. I have a parent/teacher conference with my son Timmy's teacher at 2, and it's 10 past 1 now.

Ta!

Long hard day, and another to come...

It is really late for me to be posting today, but I just wanted to let everyone know I'm okay, just swamped with stuff both online and off. I don't want to give a boring rundown of it all, just suffice it to say I've been thinking about all of you and will make the rounds to all on the blogroll as soon as time permits!
: )

I love you people!
~Lydia

This, that, and the other...

In addition to preparing for the hurricane, I've had to contend with a power play from another moderator attempting to take over my Freecycle group. She actually went in and changed her priviliges so that she had the power to delete my group, if she so desired... and I suspect she was trying to demote me from owner to member (which can only be done by another owner... not by a moderator)

Therefore I had no choice but to protect my group by demoting HER to the status of member... as well as another co-moderator whose priviliges she chose to change at the same time she changed hers... they are both of the same opinion regarding things that we disagreed on, so I decided better safe than sorry.

I have also backed up the membership list of my group, in case they find another way to circumvent my authority... but this is all so childish and petty, especially with this monster storm approaching... I really wish I had a B.O.B. to kick and punch on a bit! I would never attack a real person... but these martial arts training supplies are pretty nifty.

What flavor are you?

Got this from Lady C's page:

I taste like Beef. I taste like beef. I'm probably made of beef. You are what you eat, they say, and if the title didn't mean something else, I would be a beefeater. I think red meat is good for you. Puts hair on your chest. What Flavour Are You?

Well... I DO eat beef... but I hadn't thought I ate THAT much! LOL

Hurricane Shmirricane!

Not again! I can't believe we're going through this yet again. Oh, woe is me! Ugh.

Well, here's hoping that it doesn't hit us too badly...

Sad morning...

Well, we knew it had to happen eventually, after all... they don't live forever. We had just played with him and cleaned his cage... so he had plenty of fresh food, water, and bedding. I think he led a pretty good life.

Pinky the hamster has passed on... I have no idea how old he was when we got him, but we've had him for quite a while. Personally, I think he lived beyond the usual life expectancy for such a creature, but I'm still a bit sad. I just hope the baby doesn't cry when she wakes up and finds out about it.
: (

20 things about me...

I don't know how long this list will grow to... but since I've seen these on other people's blogs, I thought I'd give it a go. BTW... these are all things that are NOT on my website somewhere else... So:

1. I'm my mother's only child
2. My father had other children, but I've never met any of them. (Are you one of them?)
3. I love rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate more than life itself
4. The size I prefer to be is a 3-5 (American... not sure what that translates to anywhere else) But right now I'm more like a 12
5. My ideal "job" would be writing/producing/directing both films and animated videos to accompany all of my songs.
6. I love to be barefoot...
7. On hot days I prefer not to have BOTH my feet AND my armpits covered. One or the other needs to be bare, LOL
8. I like WB T.V. shows like Gilmore Girls and 7th Heaven.
9. I once shaved my head... completely bald.
10. When I was a child I wanted to be a Veterinarian.
11. I am allergic to cats, which is one reason I changed my mind about #10
12. My mother was an awesome artist.
13. My father wrote television screenplays... I have some of them in my possession. Not sure if they were ever used, but they include plots for the "Twilight Zone".
14. My father was a disabled WWII veteran who had no leges from the knees down.
15. I went to a camp when I was young where we were assigned a horse and taught how to care for it. I got to go there two summers in a row (for a week or two each time)
16. My second toe is longer than the first on both of my feet.
17. I cut my nails short on my left hand to press the strings for chords on the guitar, but I keep the nails on my right hand longer for fingerpicking.
18. I haven't written a song in quite a while. The muse has been avoiding me.
: (
19. I like to have fires in my backyard... we have a "dish" to make them in, and they are similar to campfires.
20. I grew up going to Reds games at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati

Okay, that's it. I'll do it again some other time when there's nothing better to write about ...

More gmail invitations

They're like love: The more you give away, the more you get. Here's the run-down for those who don't know:

Gmail is google's email. They are only allowing people to join with an invitation, probably to keep out spammers. It is unlike any other email account I've ever had... and I've had plenty. For starters, they give you 1GB (1000MB) of storage, and instead of deleting emails, you can archive those you might want to refer to in the future... then use google's search mechanism to find that great recipe or whatever later on. It's awesome!
: )

If you'd like an invitation, I'll need your current email address (to send it to), as well as your first and last name, so you may prefer to email me rather than leave that information here in the comments. I promise, I will not use any of your information for any purpose other than to issue the invitation!

Blogsurfing

One of the highlights of my day is the act of going through the blogs on my blogroll to check for updates, and in some cases, to read back through older posts I haven't yet had the pleasure of enjoying. These (you) people have become dear to me, like members of my ever-extending family.

In addition to those whose blogs already grace my growing blogroll, I also seek out new ones to add, as well as to just leave comments of encouragement for those who might need it. Sometimes I even learn something new! It is true that in the process of doing this I must wade through a lot of rubbish, but I think it's more than worth it... in order to find the true gems.

In light of this, consider today's post a huge toast, to all of you whose existence enriches my own! Cheers!
: )

A rose, by any other name...

Lydia is the #243 most common female name.
0.086% of females in the US are named Lydia.
Around 109650 US females are named Lydia!

Glider is a very rare last name.
Very few last names in the US are Glider.
Be proud of your unique last name!

Shelley is the #2532 most common last name.
0.005% of last names in the US are Shelley.
Around 12500 US last names are Shelley!
source namestatistics.com

Unknown author, from the internet:

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back.

From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, it looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." ...She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because we cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches... We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to... not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift... thrown away... Life is not a race. Take it slower.

Hear the music before the song is over.
To those who read this... I LOVE you & cherish our friendship.

"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

If you're honest with your responses, I think this quiz is pretty accurate!

Outgoing (E) 51.35% Withdrawn (I) 48.65% Imaginative (N) 60% Realistic (S) 40% Emotional (F) 56.76% Intellectual (T) 43.24% Improvised (P) 65.63% Organized (J) 34.38% Your type is: ENFP You are an Inspirer, possible professions include: conference planner, HR development trainer, ombudsman, clergy, journalist, newscaster, career counselor, housing director, character actor, marketing consultant, musician/composer, artist, information-graphics designer, human resource manager, merchandise planner, advertising account manager, dietician/nutritionist, speech pathologist, massage therapist, editor/art director.

Take Free Career Inventory Personality Test
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Don't let these losers trample on YOUR rights!!!

I am dumbfounded by what I just read. It gives me the creeps. And I don't freak out over every little thing but this just galls me: http://chapterandverse.blogspot.com/2004/09/edwards-calls-for-blog-reform.html

Being a good mom

I've decided to put off getting a job or going back to school for now and concentrate on finding my son a new job first. He wants to return to school, and I want him to do so... but the company he's working for sends him out of town on a regular basis, which would not be conducive to school attendance. He prefers on-campus classes to online studies, because he's a very "hands-on" type learner and wants to have an instructor there to show him how to do things when he's not clear on what he's supposed to do... and I agree with him. So until I get him into a job which won't require travel, I'm not going to try to decide what to do for myself.

Hopefully if I dedicate myself to finding him a job, it won't take more than a week or two, maybe a month... because the clock is ticking and I really want him to get enrolled in school to continue his education ASAP. Wish us luck!
: )

Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Schwarzenegger’s homage to America

A truly moving speech by Arnold: Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Op-ed / Schwarzenegger’s homage to America

Homeschoolers beware...

One of the ladies in my local homeschool group was kind enough to forward this ominous piece of evidence that the spirit of Hitler is not yet dead: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40332

Back to life, back to reality...

Well, so far it looks like Ivan is going to miss us, but I'm still afraid to exhale just yet. My chest pain has diminished, though, so I'm thinking it probably was all stress...

I'm still going to wait at least another week before resuming normal activities (i.e. Body-for-LIFE) but I really want to wrap my head around it and get serious this time. I'm tired of half-assing it. If I want to have top-notch results, I'm going to have to be as good at eating clean as I am at sticking to my workout schedule. Oh yeah... when I get back to working out after taking a couple of weeks off, I'm going to be sore, sore, sore all over again.
: (

Stressed is only desserts spelled backwards

That's my mantra for the day. With all of these storm worries and everything else going on I feel like I'm going to explode. I wish I had something better to talk about, but right now my whole life seems to be living from hurricane to hurricane, hanging on every freaking weather report. Dreading the possibilities... and wishing I lived someplace else. Then again, there is no SAFE place to live. Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, volcanoes... no matter where you live there is some natural phenomenon to contend with.

Until we know what's going on weather-wise I can't get my car fixed, and until I get my car fixed I can't really get a job unless it's close to home... nor can I seriously consider re-enrolling in school, which was what I planned to do if I hadn't found a job by October. School is looking more and more likely, though, just by default since I haven't really tried very hard to obtain gainful employment. Perhaps subconciously I really DO prefer the act of seeking a higher degree over that of earning wages. Does that make me selfish and disloyal to my family? We're not starving, but we don't have all the things we need...

Okay... so what does THIS say about me?

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Angina?

I'm not sure if it's all this stress about hurricanes and car repairs, unemployment and re-enrolling in school (no I haven't, but I want to if I can't find a job soon) but when I swallow food or beverage, or if I burp, I'm getting a godawful pain in my heart. My husband's company just changed insurance providers, however, so I don't have my new card yet. I don't want to go to the hospital and wait all day, but I don't want to die, either. I hope it's just nerves.

Not again. Ugh. Anyone wanna send me enough money to rent a camper and take my kids to see the Grand Canyon? 

Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick?

Bettie Boop


Who's Your Inner Sexy Cartoon Chick?
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Annual Dilemma

AAAAAAAAAAArgh!

My dd's "open house" at school was scheduled for last Thursday, but due to the hurricane was rescheduled for tonight. No problem, you say? Oh... but there is a problem. Because ds's open house is tonight, at a different school... and I missed HIS last year due to MY school schedule (I was in college)

So, I guess this year there is no choice but to skip dd's open house and attend ds's. I hate that though... because I like to hear from all the teachers and get a feel for their personalities. All I can hope for now is that dd doesn't have a snit fit over it. She usually says she doesn't care, but acts like she does... and we all know that ACTIONS speak louder than WORDS!

In other news, my son and I reformatted all 3 computers last night. I still have to reinstall a few things such as a driver for my scanner and some of my apps, but so far so good. I'll miss my old Windows 2000 partition though... although I'm thinking that may have been the problem, that it may not have had enough security.

Reformatting

I've dropped in to use a computer at the college I recently graduated from... I had started to reformat my computer at home and my ds called to let me know he's on his way home from his business trip (yay!) and can assist me. (Thank God! I already erased my entire hard drive... didn't feel like getting rid of that searchmiracle nonsense the DIFFICULT way, i.e. registry editing, etc.)

So the cavalry is on its way. But I was sitting in the parking lot where he works awaiting his arrival, reading my book (Siro, not bad, BTW) and he called to say the weather has delayed him and it will be another hour before he arrives.

I needed to log onto blogger away from home anyway... so I could remove the aforementioned link... and it's done now. Big sigh of relief.

Now. I have to reinstall all my programs, etc. once I've reformatted... prolly take me a few days to get everything the way I want it again. Plus all the windows updates, AV and SPYWARE PREVENTION. But what I want to know is how can I prevent that searchmiracle thing from getting back in? I don't know how it got there in the first place!!!

Link nightmare

My computer is infected by this nasty searchmiracle thingy that makes its own hyperlinks... and it turned "anal" on my sidebar into a freaking hyperlink and now I can't seem to edit it out. Blogger allows me to save my template changes, but I haven't been able to republish the damn blog. I'm trying from an uninfected computer this time, and it still won't work. Hopefully it's just a temporary blogger glitch and I'll be able to fix it later... ugh. I hear I'm going to have to either edit the registry or reformat to get rid of this thing. Sigh... either way, I'm in for a pull-my-hair-out-by-the-roots fun day.
: (

Win $100,000 just for being registered to vote!

Sorry, my overseas friends... this one's only in America... but go to Body-for-LIFE to see how YOU could win $100,000 too!
: )

No! Not MY computer!!!

Ugh. Well... now that the power is back on, I'm having trouble with my blasted machine. I'm hoping it's not what I THINK it is... because of the two possibilities, neither is satisfactory.

1. My 5 year old motherboard is finally giving out on me... (quite likely)
2. I have a virus or spyware screwing my machine up (also likely... even though I have up-to-date AV protection, I've never installed any spyware dohickeys... and when I try to go to add/remove programs now, the computer quits responding, and afterward the mouse won't work, even after rebooting.

Anyone have any ideas?
: (

Hope things are going better for all of you!

Internet cafes are awesome!

Well... no power yet at home, and a neighbor charged my cell phone, but I guess it keeps losing its signal and searching so it's gone dead again already! Forutnately, the proprietor of this 'net cafe is letting me charge it back up again while I'm here.

I may send the kids to a neighbor's for showers later if we still don't have electricity. Not gonna make 'em get a cold shower... Bob, Frank and I can go to the gym to shower... but not the younger ones. I especially want to make sure Sarah and Tim get one since they'll probably go to school tomorrow... which they WANT to do because it's air-conditioned there!

Well... that's all my news for now. Pretty boring, huh? The most exciting thing in my life right now is the book I borrowed from a neighbor to help pass the time. It's a spy novel... not normally what I would choose, but surprise surprise! I'm actually enjoying it. It's by a guy named Ignatius. He's not bad!

No Power, but not Homeless!

We have been without power since 2pm yesterday, but I came to the internet cafe in downtown Hollywood, to satisfy my addiction, LOL

Honestly though... it'll cost me a fortune to be online very much, so I'd best maximize my time here. I wish it were different, but I've got to take what I can get!

It could be several days before we get power again, and even then, I'm just hoping that the NEXT hurricane (Ivan) doesn't hit us!
Ugh.

I'm all-American. I'm APPLE PIE! LOL

find your inner PIE @ stvlive.com

Funny, since apple pie has always been my favorite, LOL

Still waiting... but here's what the ugly picture looks like right now! 

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Hey Aaron! That sounds like one of YOUR titles!

But seriously. The storm has arrived, and it's moving SOOOOOOOOO slowly. I'll be lucky if we don't lose power at some point... I fully expect that we will. Not much we can do about that... it's not like we could afford a generator or anything... and even if we COULD afford one, we'd have nowhere to keep it when we're NOT using it!

Yes. We need a larger home, but unless I start earning some money we won't be moving just yet. Might as well get used to the cramped quarters... could be like this for a LONG time!

On the other hand, cramped or not, right now I'm just hoping a tornado embedded in the hurricane doesn't demolish it and leave us homeless!

Yikes. I'll be glad when the storm has passed... but there's another one right behind it. Hopefully THAT one will go somewhere else, though... like curve up north into the Atlantic where no one will be harmed by it.

Here's what the storm looks like now... 

Reboot

Okay. Power surge. Now I have to reopen all the windows I had open and get back to what I was doing. But when the power went out I was commenting on someone's blog...

I have no idea whose. Maybe I can find it in the history, although I doubt it since I was "shut down improperly" but I'll look.

How to prepare for a hurricane

I got this in an email, and it was amusing... so I thought I'd share. Sorry it's so long...

Florida Hurricane Preparation

You all should be aware of hurricane preparations, but in case you need a refresher course:

We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any minute now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in
the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological points.

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one."

Based on our insurance industry experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1:
Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.

STEP 2:
Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3:
Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween. Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida.

We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE:

If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Wisconsin

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not
to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss.

SHUTTERS:

Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be
useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December.

Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell
your house to pay for them.

Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

Hurricane Proofing your property:

As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc...

You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the
hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE:

If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's
license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area). The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm
hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:

If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of cat food. In addition to food and water, you will need the
following supplies:

23 flashlights.
At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes off, to be the wrong size for the flashlights.

Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your
television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay
away from the ocean.

Good luck, and remember: Its great living in Paradise.

The wages of ignorance

Okay. Call me dense... but until I read another blogger's post (who was doing the same thing) I didn't realize that when your comments get emailed to me that I couldn't just hit "reply" and respond. I guess when I do that my email just gets swallowed up by cyberspace? Have any of you actually received those replies?

Anyway, the reason I'm saying this is that I'm sorry if I haven't answered everyone... I'll have to do so on the blog from now on. Duh!

*sheepish grin*

Hurricane Warning

Well... they just upgraded the watch for our coast to a warning, and the storm continues to look like it's not going to turn, but we all know how unpredictable they can be. Unfortunately, I can't even hope that it goes elsewhere, since if it does it will hit someone else I care about. The only hope is the wild card hope that it will take a hairpin turn and head out into the north Atlantic region... preferably missing the islands.
: 0

We don't want any!

That damn storm hasn't turned at all. I'm going to be spending most of today doing hurricane prep. If anything notable occurs, I'll drop in and post it... but for now, I'd better get my ass up and get to work.
: (

Should we or shoudn't we?

Okay. We're watching this hurricane, and it's looking more and more like it might hit us. So should we go hog-wild crazy and board up, or wait and see? My husband is working 12 hour shifts from now through the weekend (7:30pm-7:30am) so he's going to be zonked tomorrow, and maybe on Friday too.

On the other hand, if it really looks like it's gonna hit us, he'll probably be given time off work... (there goes that precious OT!) and my son might be given some time off as well. In which case they'll have plenty of time to deal with Hurricane prep. Too bad we can't afford all the supplies that people are recommended to lay in...

Google

I just joined the Google Ad program... and put a Google search box on my site. It doesn't search my site very well yet... but here's hoping that once the bots crawl my pages well, the search feature will improve.

A blading we will go...

Hooray! I got me a pair of rollerblades from a wonderful lady on freecycle

I picked them up on my way to the gym this morning, and I'm looking forward to using them... albeit a bit slowly at first since I don't have ANY protective gear (and I'd rather buy that new than get it used, since it's something we SWEAT LIKE CRAZY into!)

Went up to level 3 on the stepmill this morning. I wonder if I'll EVER reach a point where I can work out on that machine without wanting to quit halfway through my 20 minutes? Ugh. It's a murderous piece of equipment. But I know it's shaping me up, so I'll endure the torture.

Got a PTA meeting tonight for Timmy's school. Normally I wouldn't give a rat's ass about such things, but I'm dying to know what's going on with the building, and when we'll be able to move in and quit attending the alternate site. Plus I'm hoping I can FINALLY get the shirts I already paid for... it's getting tiresome washing the same 2 shirts over and over for him to wear.

Found out yesterday that our martial arts classes will always be on Monday and Wednesday now, weather permitting (since they're held outside in the yard)

It's nice to know when to expect to have a class because the last few times caught me off guard and I had to hurry up, get ready, and rush over there. I try not to miss lessons, except when my throat was sore and I had Oded visiting... because he's teaching me for free and I want to show that I appreciate it by being diligent. I do hope, however, that he'll let me tidy up his website for him one of these days to repay his kindness.

Up for grabs...

Okay. I'm gonna jump on the proverbial bandwagon here and offer my gmail invitations. The only requirement is that you have to leave me an interesting comment. Being as how I've hardly had any people leave comments, I figure these invitations probably aren't going anywhere... but who knows? Here goes!

Hurricane Frances?

Well, my husband wanted to go to the store and "stock up" this morning, so I agreed to wait 'til he did that to go to the gym... then he came home and checked for news on the storm and said "you can go ahead and go to the gym if you want, I don't think it's going to hit us."

I told him to go ahead and go, now that I'd already settled in to wait! We still need stuff from the store, so it's not like it'll be a wasted trip. Sigh. Men.

He's supposed to be getting my car fixed this weekend... I hope that doesn't fall through, cuz I really miss driving my cushy New Yorker! (And I'm a little hesitant to keep looking for a job when transportation is so iffy!)

Nutty bunch?

Okay. I was a little lazy about the blog earlier today, but you really should check out those links! Interesting stuff. I got it off another blog...

I've taken to blogsurfing a lot. Leaving comments wherever something catches my interest. So if you came here because I commented on your blog... hope you enjoy my eclectic mix of stuff.

Anyway...

My primary activity for the day was to join a bunch of people who participate in a local homeschooling group for a pool party... and it was pretty wild! I found out that the daughter of the hostess had a picture of MY OLDEST SON mooning the camera (with 3 other people...)

Pretty strange considering I had never met these people before. Small world. What can I say?

I won't go over the rest of what transpired there... since the partygoers may stumble across my blog and disapprove of being mentioned in such manner. Suffice it to say that they seem nutty enough to possibly admit my son and me to their group, LOL

Interesting weblogging articles

The future of Weblogging | The Register
BBC News | UK | Do babyblogs violate children's privacy?

Still waiting

Haven't heard yet about that job I wanted so much.
: (

I did make it to the gym and had a great lower body workout this morning... stopped off on the way home and used up the last of my available credit to purchase some flaxseed oil to go in my nutrition shakes, too. They blend up creamier with the oil than without it... I wanted UDO's but couldn't afford it. Sigh... it sucks to be broke.

Second interview

I went back to the place I'm most interested in working today... and it went like this:

Had a nice time visiting with Bob the cat in the "lobby" (more like a waiting room...) while I read my book. (Did I mention I'm reading "White Oleander"?)

While I sat there reading, the strangest thing happened. Well, I thought it was strange, but judge for yourself:

The mailman came in. (No, I know THAT'S not strange, LOL) He went up to the window, where he spoke to Michelle, the current office manager. She's the one who's moving away... that's why they're conducting interviews.

None of it sounds terribly strange yet, does it? Of course not. But the next part is.

He started chit-chatting about whether or not the business had any other names, and the names of adjacent businesses... as well as asking her if she smoked. ??? Very odd. But that's not all...

Here's the strange part of the conversation, at least, my paraphrase thereof:

Mailman: They give you enough breaks around here? Do you smoke?
Michelle: I try not to...
Mailman: What do you smoke? Newport? Marlboro Lights?
Michelle: I started off with Newports, but... (the rest I didn't hear)
Mailman: Here. Have a cigarette. I have some right here.

And he proceeded to take out TWO cigarettes, giving them to her. Very odd.

He left, talking to himself about the ballet and a half (the address next door was 29 1/2)

Am I overly suspicious, or does it sound like this guy was on drugs?

Moving right along...

When I went in the back and was interviewed, I found it to be a very pleasant experience. I like the people there, and their attitude. I'm very interested in the industry (advertising, commercials) and would love to learn more. Ultimately, I think I could benefit them a great deal with the skills I possess, and while I have no experience as an office manager, per se... I feel quite capable of mastering all that's necessary.

He even whetted my appetite by mentioning that there might be some writing involved! Short descriptive passages for the website, and perhaps for some commercials too. Hmmmmmmmm sounds good to me!
: )