Tomorrow my boy turns 14. I can't believe he's that old (or that I'm this old LOL).

Last week, MC wanted to talk to us (DH and me) in private. It was so cute. He likes a girl, but he wanted our permission before he asked her to go steady. Is that just too sweet? He has paid attention all those times we've said x years old is too young, etc.

DH and I discussed it with each other, and with him. And we gave our approval. DH was a little weirded out by it -- in the culture in which he was raised, teens do not 'go steady', there is no dating, hand holding, etc. But I told DH that we were lucky MC wanted our permission. I know I never asked my parents if I could go steady and they only ever got to know boyfriends when I was old enough to actually go out on dates.

We'll see what happens. I know he's liked this girl for some time and has spent time with her when large groups of friends get together. This just makes it official that they are a couple and takes her off the market :)

Of course, MC doesn't want us telling his sisters... doesn't want them to tease him. Yeah, right, that's what siblings do. Oh, the fun to be had... :D

I am Rain

I like this -- especially the part about bringing out the beauty around me. And a dominant state of 'changing'. Yep, that's me, if nothing else I am very mutable.

You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming. Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you. You are best known for: your touch Your dominant state: changing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Missy Higgins -- Where I Stood

This song just gets to me -- not that I'm breaking up with DH or anything, but if I were to imagine it, or when I think about people I know who's relationships are ending, not in anger, but just because they've run their course, this song seems to speak to that.

Lyrics | Missy Higgins lyrics - Where I Stood lyrics


Here's another video -- I like this version better

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

YC and I were watching the Muppets Christmas special, when Macy's holiday commercial came on , the one where they paraphrase the editorial 'Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.' YC asked a question and I pulled up the letter onlline and shared it with her.

It's so beautifully written -- it's no wonder why it still resonates so strongly today as it did over 100 years ago.


Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

***************************************************************************

I was getting teary eyed reading it to YC. I think she liked it.

Wednesday Weirdness #34

1. What is the one sexual act you would never do? Anything having to do with pooh. Ick. Other than that, not so sure -- haven't been asked to do anything that I've said no to... but I also haven't been asked to do a lot :P

2. Is there anyone you know, that if they turned out to be a serial killer you would not be surprised? No, can't think of anyone.

3. What is the most annoying thing about the holiday season for you? The madness of shopping and the incessant playing of the same holiday songs/music over and over and over and...

4. If you saw a video of your celebrity crush picking their nose, would that change your opinion of their hotness? Maybe. Depends on how seriously they were doing it. More likely I'd just add it to my proof that they're human list.

5. What is the one non-sexual thing you would be embarrassed to be caught doing? Unavoidably passing noxious gas in public.

6. A favorite blogger friend wrote a column about the one word that really turns her on. Do you have a word or phrase that does the same for you? What is it? There a few, dependent upon the circumstances: 'get into position', 'I'm the boss', 'I love this ass'

7. As someone who ran a virtual cookie exchange, I have to ask what your favorite cookie is? Oatmeal raisin chocolate chip

I think I'm losing it

Or, to be more exact, 'things'.

I'm thinking we have pixies, or imps, or gremlins. Some sort of invisible being, of the mischievous faerie, that likes to torment me by taking my things.

It's driving me nuts.

Started back in late March/early April when my cell phone charger disappeared. One day it was plugged into the wall in my bedroom and the very next it was gone. And it has never shown up -- and believe me I've been through drawers, cupboards, boxes... And since my phone is different than DH's or the kids, they'd have no reason to 'borrow' it. So it's a mystery.

Then a few months ago I realized a book and card set was missing. Again, I've looked everywhere, even cleaning out my bedroom closet and some storage cupboards, organizing in the process. I can't think of anywhere else to look. There are very few places where I would put a book -- anywhere in my bedroom, including my closet and the attached office, or in one of my tote bags. I've checked them all, multiple times.

Then tonight, I wanted to take a picture of the moon, but I don't have much luck when taking night time pictures. So I wanted to pull out my how to book for my camera and see what it had to say about low light/no light photos. But I can't find the book anywhere. Nor can I find any of the photography magazines I have either. Again, I'm the only one with this specific type of camera, the only one with access to the camera, so there is no reason anyone else would take the book and magazines. I've looked under the bed, through my closet, in the cupboards, in the office and I can't find it.

I'm irritated and frustrated. I can't afford to replace the books right now (damn mandatory unpaid furlough that has reduced my take home pay by 15%).

Friday when I'm home alone, I think I'll do some snooping in the kids rooms -- although, why they would take any of these things is beyond me...

Now, to push this issue out of my mind so I can get to sleep.

I stopped at Costco on the way home and couldn't help but notice all the little boys -- I'd guess 4 to 6 years old. They couldn't stay still or quiet, whether they were riding in carts or walking with their parents.
I remember when my "little" boy was like that -- and in so many ways still is.
But...
My little boy is now taller than I am. His voice has deepened, his shoulders broadened. The dressy clothes we bought at the end of April, for our family vacation, no longer fit -- pant legs and shirt sleeves are at least 4 inches too short now. Even with slightly long hair, I cannot mistake him for a girl in the swimming pool.
He will be 14 in December.
He's no longer a little boy, but a young man.

I miss my little mama's boy. The one who insisted on crawling into bed with me every night; at least until I was too pregnant with his younger sister. The one who wouldn't go to Sunday School unless I stayed with him -- at first right next to him, then the row behind, then the back of the room. He always checked to make sure I was still there.

He's a smart aleck, with a quirky sense of humor (like his mom). We like a lot of the same things (peanut butter m&ms, fantasy and scifi, silly jokes). He can be such a nut :D

He can also be seriously cruel to his little sister. And I don't get it. All his friends parents tell us what a wonderful young man he is, so polite and considerate and helpful. Except where his little sister is concerned. I keep hoping that he'll outgrow this...

No matter how much bigger than me he gets, no matter how deep his voice becomes, he will allows be my little boy.

iGoogle

Don't know if anyone out there also uses iGoogle, but they just made same layout changes that really suck. Tabs used to be on the top -- now they're on the left side, totally screwing up my gadgets. And it's not an option, they're just there.

If you use iGoogle and are also unhappy with the changes, a petition has been started and can be accessed here http://www.petitiononline.com/igoogle/petition.html
Can't be certain Google will pay attention, but I would think that the more people who complain, the more likely they are to pay heed and hopefully make the requested changes.

Just for the record...

I hate squats. Really hate them.

With the new gym membership there was a free evaluation. During said evaluation, I was asked to do 2 sets of 15 squats, no weights. Had to work at it, but got them done, none the worse for wear -- or so I thought.

Tuesday I felt fine until late morning, when I started to feel some stiffness and soreness in my thighs. It got worse as the day went on, 'til it was painful to stand, walk, or lower myself to sitting (stairs and bathroom the worst).

And now it's Thursday, and while slightly better, I am still sore and walking with an odd gait.

So, I repeat, I HATE SQUATS!!!!

On the bright side, I have been getting to the gym, doing cardio only right now (gotta wait for the thighs to heal). An hour on the treadmill Thursday and Friday last week. Then Monday a half hour. Tuesday was end of month so I didn't leave work until almost 7 -- too late to hit the gym. And last night, pain and all, another hour on the treadmill. Walking actually helps with the stiffness and pain, and I don't feel like I overdid it. I started using a pedometer and my Polar fitness monitor yesterday. Almost hit 10,000 steps (9562) and kept my heart in the target range during the exercising.

Plan to go again today. I'm really trying hard to get my work schedule back under control. There is no way I can work the gym and family in together if I keep working long ridiculous hours at work.

I keep repeating to myself -- I can do this, I can do this...
:)

Back to the Gym

Well, it has happened...

DH took me to a gym and had me sign up for a membership. It's been a couple of years I think since I've actually been to a gym. I've worked out at home, sporadically, so I haven't been a complete slug.

But, it's been a crazy year, what with the emotional upheaval in February/March, the vacation in May and then all the extra long and stressful work days starting in June, that my exercise routine up and died.

And while I haven't packed on the pounds, I have lost what little toning and definition I did have -- and DH keeps commenting on it...

So, back to the gym I go, starting tonight. I'll get some baseline measurements taken and do a little working out.

Added incentive -- I'm meeting my sibs in 6 weeks for a long weekend and I'd like to be a little slimmer when I see them (it's been 2 years). Plus DH has promised some special rewards for weight lost and kept off :D

Wish me luck ;)

Testing...

1 2 3
Just testing to see if this Blogger publishing tool really works....

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

... and it finally did, after 3 days.

But not before leading to some flooding. Nowhere near what Ike did down south, but exciting for us nevertheless. We've lived here for 6 years now and never seen anything like this. Usually storms blow in, dump some rain, then blow right out. This was pretty darn near constant rain, from mere misting to incredible downpour, since Friday morning.

Here's a local park, just down the road from our house. Normally it's wide fields, commonly used for sports activities and picnics. As you can see, we weren't the only ones out checking the river.

Later, we went to downtown. Unfortunately it was getting dark, so most of the pictures didn't come out too well, but here are a couple of one the many bridges in downtown. The river runs right through the middle of town and usually there's a lovely walkway on either side and several feet of clearance between the river and the bottom of the bridges -- not today.

There were hundreds of people out this evening checking out the river. There were barriers and warning tape everywhere -- and most of it was ignored (we ignored some, too).

And to top it off, whoever programmed the carillon this evening had a sense of humor. The first 3 songs, in order, were:

• Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
• Old Man River
• Somewhere over the rainbow

It was too funny. Especially since I don't think I've ever actually been downtown before when the carillon is playing.

When I was growing up, we did the same thing -- checking out the flooding when the rivers flooded, as soon as it was safe checking out the fire damage from forest fires, when Mt. St. Helens blew we didn't stay home but headed out to the basin where there was more ashfall. We were always completely safe, but in awe of mother nature. I guess I've instilled that in my children now.

I am incredibly glad the rain has stopped. It wouldn't have taken too much more to cause some real damage in the area.

Crazy life

I haven't been posting here much, not because my brain has gone dead and I have nothing to talk about, just that work has been so crazy, with no end in sight, that after spending 9-10 hours working on the computer, it's hard to drag up any enthusiasm to log more time, even in personal pursuits.

I've taken hundreds of pictures since getting the new camera in April, but even that has fallen to the side -- no new pics since August 20th (that's when I took the pic of the butterfly). And I haven't managed to edit anything to make them postable.

\ (my cat just attacked my keyboard). He's going a little stir crazy -- 2 days of almost constant rain have kept him holed up inside.

Ugh. some I'm just too exhausted to do much of anything, besides work, eat, watch TV and sleep. Did cook with DH today, brunch and dinner. Tomorrow is groceries and laundry, plus I need to vacuum our bedroom. Haven't even been doing a lot of reading... Exciting.

Set myself up with Google reader. Allows me to take little breaks to keep up with who's posting what without actually going to the blogs. It's a nice tool.

It's late and I need to shower before bed... too icky to even sleep with myself LOL.

The Trouble with Charlie

This is my cat, Charlie. I am a cat person (so are the kids), my husband is a dog person... but guess who chose the cat. Yep, my husband. Guess who has to take care of the cat and spend money on the cat. Right again -- me.

He is a beautiful cat, half Siamese and half orange tabby, long haired with blue eyes. The cream coat with the orange points is gorgeous. Very loving, sometime excessively so. A wonderful pet...

Except for one thing...

Long hair snarls, knots, mats horribly. Last summer we had him shaved. This summer I should have, but money being especially tight, it didn't happen. So now every chance I get, I go at him with scissors and comb. I've gotten him knot free back to just behind his front legs. He's patient for only a very short while every few days so this is an extremely long, drawn out process.

Charlie is the first long haired cat I've had. And beautiful as he looks, I don't think I'll ever choose to have a long haired ever again -- unless I'm unemployed and can spend plenty of time every day to groom it.

OMG! I am such a retard!

I was on the computer too long, too late yesterday and stupidly decided it would be a good idea to play with my template.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Don't know if you noticed -- if you even care... My nice lists of TV shows and authors are gone... deleted.... I still can't believe I did this.... And I don't have time to fix it right now, or any time soon.

Someday, when the crisis at work is over, and I'm all caught up with the backlog, I'll be able to fix this, but in the meantime...

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy 4th, everyone.

We're planning on going to the local festival -- food, music, fun, and fireworks.

I make sure that I take time every 4th to remember why we're celebrating -- the brave men and women who stood up, at risk of death, against a tyrannical government. I have ancestors who lived in the colonies and I know at least some of them were Revolutionaries. Capt. Pendleton was in the 1st Virginia Artillery, and for his efforts in the War was granted land in Kentucky.

Ancestors came here for different reasons, starting in the 1600s through the early 1900s -- forced as punishment by the British government, for business, to escape brutal conditions in their homeland, just because it was America and they could...

My husband is a first generation American, having come here for education and opportunity, and staying to start a family and get his citizenship.

Through family history research, I have watched as they moved westward (of course, now I'm heading back the other way). One ancestor kenw Wild Bill Hickok, searched for gold, and was quite a rabble-rouser (spent a fair amount of time in jail for drinking and fighting). Most lived quietly, raising families.

So, while I enjoy travelling and seeing other countries and cultures, and admit that there are things I'd like to changed here, America is a pretty wonderful place to live -- still the land of opportunity and hope.

Stuck in my head

Ever get a song stuck in your head? Or just have the odd bit of music pop into your thoughts?

For some reason I generally have "Favorite Things" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" running through my mind, at totally random times, for no apparent reason.

Since "Favorite Things" starts with "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" rain is definitely a connection between the two songs...

But still, I'm not thinking about rain, wanting it to start or stop, and one or the other just starts up. They're not on my iTunes or iPod so I'm not hearing them there and recalling them later. They're not played on the radion stations I listen to in the car or on any CDs I own. So why? A little disconcerting...

Nature's Beauty

I have a deep abiding love, appreciation and respect for nature. All my life I've lived in places full of natural beauty. My grandparents had a ranch in California and I would either walk it or ride horseback around it, enjoying the oaks, the sage, the tumbleweeds, wildflowers, creeks, dams, redtail hawks, prairie dogs, etc. As a family it was not uncommon for us to get in the car and just drive, taking new roads, exploring new sites. We would see wildlife, find giant pinecones, fossils, ruins, etc. When we moved to Washington, there were new areas to explore and we did. It was somewhat of a tradition that after church on Sunday's we would get in the car and drive. And we lived in an area of much beauty -- mountains, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, etc. We'd often go camping in the summer, even if only for a weekend. And it was only a few hours drive to the ocean...

With all this beauty, I also gained a healthy respect for the power of nature. We lived on the river and it flooded. We got ash when Mt. St. Helen's erupted. We had to evacuate from a major forest fire. We felt small earthquakes. And while we didn't have tornados, and even winds were fairly rare in our protected mountain valley, when they did happen they were usually strong and destructive. Snow in winter, heat in summer. Electrical storms -- I can remember standing on the front porch and watching storms over the north end of the valley, then going through the house to the back door and watching a separate storm over the south end. And reporting the occasionally lightning strike to the forest service (saw the flames start). When the river flooded and when the volcano erupted, did we stay home waiting for it to end? Nope. We got in the car and drove to check things out -- we were never in danger. To this day, one of my brothers will call me when something major is happening. Just to share :)

Until 6 years ago I always lived within a few hours of ocean and/or mountains, usually both. Here, there are no mountains and there is no ocean (and I dearly miss them), but that doesn't mean there isn't incredible beauty to be found.

And the weather here would never be described as sedate. There aren't volcanoes and the rivers are pretty quiet, but wind and electrical storms abound spring, summer, fall with plenty of cold and snow and ice in the winter.

There are protected forests and rolling prairies -- I drive through/past them everyday. I've seen deer, coyotes, foxes, falcons/hawks (can't tell for sure), pheasants, skunks, beaver, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, raccoons, opossums, mice, voles, turkeys. I've heard an owl -- outside my bedroom window at 2 am (whoo whoo, whoo whoo, whoo whoo). When I wasn't employed, I spent a lot of time bird watching -- woodpeckers, robins, grackles, starlings, meadowlarks, finches, cardinals, nuthatches, jays, bluebirds, egrets, herons, geese, ducks, and others I can't identify. Oooh, and fireflies. They are so cool.

There is plenty of plant life, and even in the middle of winter, there is still some greenery to be found. I like it in late summer when entire fields are white with Queen Anne's Lace. And in the fall when the prairie grasses turn rust and gold.

Truly a beautiful place to live and exciting place to live.

#@*#$#@^$*@#$^ TAXES!!!!!

I hate taxes!!!

I state this as I sit here, after 10pm, on the phone with DH, who is in Mexico, trying to figure this all out.

And I know you're saying, "Well, you shouldn't have left it to the last minute."

In our defense, DH had everything ready mid-February -- it was my brother who didn't get the final paperwork to us. Our taxes are not simple.

It started with my grandfather who set up FLPs and trusts; these passed down to my dad and uncle. Then when Dad died, it passed onto my sibs and me. And they are such a hassle. So we don't just do the Federal 1040, but have to do a bunch of other forms, and in multiple states.

And this year we didn't get the paperwork till today. Most of it we got Saturday, but the accountant forgot one set of documents. And DH had filed on Saturday based on those docs, so now we have to do an amendment. And to make things worse, we now owe the IRS, instead of getting the refund we were expecting.

Hard to know who to blame for the tardy docs. DH wants to blame my brother. But my brother blames our uncle and the accountant. All I know is that it is extremely stressful (makes me glad for the distance :p ).

I know that if I really wanted to I could have a better understanding of the tax forms and terms, but really, that's what DH is for :D. He's the one with the MBA....

So, tomorrow I get to mail off a check to the IRS, hoping they don't submit it till the money is in the bank (brother is sending payment to cover the taxes). They're supposed to hold it till they get the amended return and not penalize us as it will have been mailed on the 15th. Here's crossing my fingers/toes/eyes...

Pancreatic cancer

Be warned: this is not an uplifting, light hearted post

Just saw today that Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My heart goes out to him and his family. It's a horrid disease.

Last post I wrote about reading a book by Ronda Thompson. Well, I finished it and went online to find other books she'd written, and was saddened to learn that she had died last July from pancreatic cancer. While I am disappointed that there will not be sequels to Confessions of a Werewolf Supermodel, I offer my sympathies to her family.

It just amazes me how many cases of pancreatic cancer there seem to be lately -- Randy Pausch (still fighting), Pavarotti (deceased), Colin Friels (in remission), mother, father and brother of Jimmy Carter (all deceased), and many more past and current (there are lists online). The niece of one of my husband's co-workers, only 37 was diagnosed just after Thanksgiving and passed away last month, leaving behind two young children.

And most personal of all, my dad died May 2004 after fighting it for 2 years. He was actually diagnosed fairly early, not common for pancreatic cancer (usually by the time doctors figure out what's going on, it's in the worst stage and has spread). A tumor developed right at a bile duct and the jaundice got him into the doctor.

The first year of treatment went so well -- no really bad reactions to either the chemo or the radiation. The doctors were pleasantly surprised.

Then we hit the second year and things started to deteriorate. The cancer spread to his lungs (pancreatic is notorious for spreading to other areas of the body). Fluid would build up and he couldn't breathe -- he'd go in and they'd use a huge needle to remove the fluid. The chemo started to cause serious problems -- hair loss, tremors, loss of appetite, exhaustion. We saw my Dad in October 2003 when he came to visit, and he was not looking well, but at that point we were all still hopeful.

And then in early 2004 his digestive system stopped working. He'd eat and the food would just sit in his stomach, so he wouldn't be hungry, so wouldn't eat anymore. We had a family reunion in April that year for Easter and it was heart breaking. Dad didn't look like Dad anymore. My dad had always been large and robust and energetic, and now he seriously looked like someone from a concentration camp, starving to death. Turns out that the radiation treatments that he had weathered so well at the time basically destroyed his duodenum. And by the time the doctors figured out what the problem was, it was too late, his body had basically begun to shut down.

May 18th we received the call we'd been dreading. Got there on the 19th (we lived a couple of thousand miles away). Dad was already comatose, but was at home. My siblings were there and we spent lots of time gathered around him sharing memories and comforting one another. My children got a chance to say good-bye. Early the next morning he passed away.

Dad hadn't wanted a funeral or serious/sad memorial; he wanted a celebration of life. So that's what we did. We had 200 tulips (from an entry in his journal), displayed memorabilia (photo albums, his college sweater with his letter for swimming, etc), and a looped slide show of pictures of him from childhood till shortly before his death. My littlest had really only ever seen him while he was sick and didn't recognize the pictures of dad from when he was healthy -- so sad. And so many people came. It was wonderful to share stories and smiles and tears.

So, now I wonder if it's genetic, or environmental. Do I have an increased risk because Dad got it? Is it caused by something eaten or breathed or introduced into the body some other way? Can anything be done to reduce the risk?

And hearing about it more often -- is it really happening more, or is it just recognized/diagnosed more readily now than it used to be? Maybe it's always been around with the same incidence rate, only misdiagnosed as some other cancer or disease.

I know this wasn't a pleasant topic, but I needed to get all this out.

What's going on

I'm not going to go into the details here (if you want them, go to my other blog Robin's Red Bottom), but my husband and I are struggling right now. We're looking for a counsellor to see if we can work things out -- we're definitely not continuing on as a couple/family without it.

So, in other "news"--
We all went and saw Jumper this weekend. It was ok. A good idea but the movie bogged down in the middle and never really recovered.

Finished reading P.S. I Love You. Definitely liked the book better than the movie; the characters were more fleshed out, more believable in the book, without the contrived family issues created for the movie. It was a nice book, not a great book, but I would recommend it.

Currently reading Confessions of a Werewolf Supermodel by Ronda Thompson. I haven't read anything else by her, but probably will after reading this. It's a fun read. Sometimes the writing seems a little stilted, but the story is amusing and engaging. I'm about halfway thru and will have it finished this weekend.

Hmmm, not sure what I'll read next -- so many, many to choose from :)

Exercised Monday and killed my quads. Finally, today, the pain has subsided enough that I am not in total pain with every moment, just a few twinges.

Semi watched the Oscars. The only movies I had seen were Enchanted and Ratatouille so I have no points of reference on the winners performances. Oh well.

Gotta go.

Today, Today, Today

Saw this news article today, and had to fight the laughter. I'm sure the thief is in pain, if he survived the shock, but then, he was a thief...
I've marked the bits I found especially amusing.

Shock horror for would-be power cable thief
Tue Feb 12, 1:01 PM ET
Police in central England are hunting for a badly scorched would-be copper power cable thief after finding a hacksaw embedded in an 11,000 volt power cable Saturday night.
The thief, who also left a lit blow torch at the scene, is expected to be badly charred, spiky haired and not exactly the brightest bulb in the socket.
"The sheer stupidity of cutting through power cables should be glaringly obvious to everyone," said Phil Wilson, customer operations manager with local power company Central Networks.
"At the very least putting the hacksaw through the cable would have created an almighty bang and the line would have burned for quite a few seconds, showering them with molten copper... We can only assume they left in a great hurry or they were injured and were dragged away by an accomplice." But searches of local hospitals have so far not found the culprit, a spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police said Tuesday.
"Maybe they had a lucky escape," she said. "We don't have any leads yet."
Nearly 800 customers in the village of Creswell were cut off when the wannabe copper thief sawed into their power supply on Saturday night, but Central Networks got the lights back on within a few hours.
Copper prices have more than doubled in the last four years as China has gobbled up huge quantities of it, sparking a wave of copper thefts across the globe from South Africa and the United States to Italy and Britain.
Thieves targeting power lines and electricity substations have already led to two fatalities in Britain and many serious injuries, while leaving thousands without power.
(Reporting by Daniel Fineren, editing by Paul Casciato)

Beyond this, my day was pretty blah. Had a breakfast meeting and then a lunch meeting, so didn't get much done today. Didn't help that what I thought was allergies is turning into a cold -- based on the headache, coughing, sore throat, and pressure in my ears. I so can not be sick right now, too much stuff to do. And DH comes home on Friday and I don't want to be sick over the weekend.

Glad to have the writer's strike over. Way too many reality shows popping up -- stupid, nasty shows.
Jericho is back on tonight. So glad the network reconsidered the cancellation. Looking forward for the return of lots of shows.

Enjoying PS I Love You. It's a good book. Don't really approve of all the changes made to the story for the movie. Of course, I still approve of Gerard Butler being in the movie :D

Gotta try to get to sleep early tonight. Took too long to fall asleep last night and then the stupid snow plow woke me up at 2:30 A.M. Ugh. So I overslept, was late out the door, and then a train crossed my path, so I was 20 minutes late this morning. Gotta do better tomorrow.

Weather today was gorgeous --clear blue sky and lots of sunshine. Still cold but at least sunny. Supposedly more snow is on the way. Such a snowy, gloomy miserable winter. Can't wait for spring (which is probably still a couple of months away).

Here's my day

Miserable.
That pretty much sums it up.
I felt pretty nasty all day while at work, headachy, nauseous, just a smidge away from migraine land. And with sinus problems.
The door alarm was broken. This means it was beeping multiple times a minute for hours --- oh. my. god. What agony. I finally had to turn on my iPod just so I wouldn't be able to hear it. Someone finally turned up about 1pm to fix it.
Had a bunch of personal stuff to take care of -- banking (changing banks -- yuch, what a hassle), insurance, bills, errands during lunch (bright side -- DH was pleased that I got everything done that he'd asked me to).
Extra long commute home as the weather had turned nasty.
Got home to find out that the dryer has broken. Damn, damn, damn. We really don't have the $$ to deal with this right now. And no way to dry the already wet clothes as it is the middle of winter and freaking cold. I don't even know where to find a laundromat in this town. Guess it's time to suss one out.
Found out that I should have been filing a tax return in another state (because of inheritance when my dad died). And they've generously allowed me one month to get the 2006 info filed. Great. At least I know DH is really good about keeping all the papers together so when he gets home this weekend it shouldn't be too hard to get everything all together. Just one more addition to my stress.
So, now it is bedtime for the kiddies, and time for me to completely relax and try to get more sleep tonight than I did last night.

Hope your day was better than mine.

Been a month

Not much is going on.

DH and I go to work (he's travelling this week) and the kids go to school. The weather is nasty (we're well below freezing today). The dog has been trying to steal laundry -- last week I found pants, socks, hats, gloves and a pair of my underpants out in the backyard. The kids are supposed to check the yard everyday when they come home -- it's too dark when I get home to really see what's there. The cat's upset because it's too cold for him to spend time outside and he really doesn't like using a litterbox.

I'm currently reading PS I Love You. I'm not very far in, but while the movie was based on the book, the movie was a very loose telling of the book (lots of artistic license). Not sure yet but I will probably like the book more.

The book before was Light. Confusing and not all that enjoyable. And I'm too anal to just put down a book I'm not enjoying -- I keep hoping that it will get better.

Work is ------ unsettled right now. There're some major changes going through, some people are losing their jobs, and it's got me worried. Nothing has been said specifically, but I feel like I'm being kept more on the outskirts than usual. DH has suggested that I start looking around for something new, but with our big vacation planned for the beginning of May, I don't want to have to arrange it all with a new employer. Job hunting is such an energy drain, especially since I don't know what I want to look for. I've done such a variety of jobs in the past that I really don't have any specialized skills.

Starting in high school, and chronologically:
youth conservation corps at the local fish hatchery
store clerk
receptionist
Burger King
university food service
university library
temp agency
store clerk
field biologist with the federal government
entry writer with a customs broker
elementary school substitute teacher
general office in a warehouse working with distribution and transportation

So, where do I go from here? I think I'd like working in the local library, but the hours are so varied and if I change jobs I'd really like to be able to spend more time at home with the kids. I could look into the local school district, I suppose, but not as a substitute. I really do not want to do anything in retail, and sales is so not me.

Just the thought of starting over again anywhere, doing anything just exhausts me. And I have to work, we need the second income.

Well, no point in stressing over it right now.

Positive comments

Today, at work, I had two people comment that I was looking good and had obviously lost some weight. One of these was a male co-worker with whom I really don't have conversations about anything not work-related, so it was especially surprising.

Now, I do weigh a few pounds less than a week ago, according to the scale, and I 'think' I can see physical changes in my appearance but am always worried that it's just wishful thinking. This is proof that the changes I'm making are working.

Of course, if you saw the previous post, I've only just restarted my weight loss efforts. What these first pounds off show me is that my body really doesn't like all the junky food and will respond positively and quickly when I make the appropriate changes. I'm sure this first little loss is more a loss of bloat than of fat, but I'll take whatever I can get and run with it.

I wish I was losing where I really want to. I've noticed that when I first start to lose weight, it's kinda from the outside in. I notice it first in my face/neck, hands, and feet. It seems to take forever before I see changes in the worst areas, and never seem to see any loss in my breasts (they get perkier but not smaller, and they are, in my opinion, way too big). I know it's a matter of perseverance and eventually my whole body while shrink, it can just be a little frustrating...

Gotta say the heart monitor helps. Nothing like an annoying beeping alarm to let you know you're heart rate is not high enough to make you work harder to make it stop.

We go on our vacation, another cruise, at the beginning of May. If I can keep with this I could conceivably weigh 30 lbs less than I do now (16 weeks x approx 2 lbs/week) and that's a huge deal; about a third of how much I ultimately need to lose. I haven't been in my ideal weight range since high school, and a 30 pound loss would put me about where I was 13 years ago.

So, here's to hard work, determination, and perseverance. And people keeping the supportive comments coming.

Survived the Holidays

Hey there. Bet you thought I'd given up on this.
Nope, it's just been a little crazy with the holidays and all.

So, let's see, since my last 'real' post (I'm not counting the Christmas one), MC has turned 13 (oooh, yeah, another teenager in the house -- I am so not old enough to be the mother of teens); we've gone to see "The Waterhorse" (cute, nice family film, but nothing exciting) and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (some fun, but not as good as the first one); we survived 5 days in a row together without any major bodily harm; my exercise program got shunted to the side; managed to get all the shopping done before Christmas Eve; OC's best friend moved far, far away; DH and I went out for New Year's Eve (too a horribly loud bar); I woke up Jan. 2 with a nasty cold (which I am still not completely over); MC and YC have each lost a tooth; DH got a tattoo (his first, and probably last); my newest niece was born (today); my in-laws didn't come to visit -- again (they always say they're coming but never do -- mixed blessing); and that's pretty much it.

Nothing much, really. And now the holidays are over, not another official one till Memorial Day. DH and I are back to work and the kids are back to school. OC is getting braces this month -- that should be fun -- not. She's already made all sorts of demands on how they should work and how long she'll have them on, etc.

Today is the official restart of my exercise 'program'. To assist in my pursuit of a healthier and hopefully thinner me, I purchased a few things -- a scale that not only shows weight but also body fat%, muscle mass%, BMR, and total body water%; a pedometer; and a heart rate monitor (DH also got one for Christmas). I'm hopeful that as I see changes beyond just my weight, I'll be additionally inspired to keep going. I'm also trying to get my eating back on track -- I have a really hard time eating healthier when I'm home and with the family. Did ok today -- organic oatmeal for breakfast, a Kashi entree for lunch, a gyro for dinner, and two cookies with some Nutella for dessert -- no soda, no chips, no candy. Obviously, I fell way short on fruits and veggies, but there's always tomorrow. Trying to change it all at the same time is a recipe for failure. Too many ways to screw it up.

Still haven't made it to "P.S. I Love You." Hoped to this weekend but the cold waylaid that plan.

Since DH got a tattoo, he now tells me I can get one if I want to. I have thought about it over the years, but a) I don't know if I could find one I really, really like, and b) I don't know where on my body I'd like to have one. So not getting one any time soon, but maybe some day. I can at least do some research...

New Year's Eve -- DH took me to a bar he likes to go to, but we don't usually go together. Now I know why. Good grief, but the music was LOUD!!!!!. It was making me physically ill, and we were across the bar from the speakers -- don't know how people could stand to be dancing right in front of them. Also the crowd is heavy on the college aged -- local college is only a couple of blocks away. On the plus side, they had good food and good drinks (love their Mayan Chocolate Martini -- has a nice spicy kick). Don't think we're going there again. They do have a sister bar in the neighboring town and the music wasn't so loud (or the crowd so young) at that one. So, we'll see.

So, are you wondering about the picure at the top of this post? Going to tell about it anyway...
That is MC, Christmas morning, after allowing YC to play "hair salon" with his hair. He has 12 little pony tails, plus a few clips in his hair. He actually invited her to play with him. Sometimes he surprises us -- so often he is nasty and mean to YC, then he does something like this where he's actually a pretty wonderful big brother. Sigh.