DragonBlog

But it's all just part of the experience...

I'm tired today. I pulled some muscles in my leg at some point this weekend, and that hasn't been helping. But mostly I'm just tired.pcdj red key gen

And, by the way, happy Memorial Day...pcdj red key gen

It was a national holiday today. Not just an excuse to take a day off of work. It was a day of rememberance.pcdj red key gen

Not that we did anything special. It occurred to me tonight to wonder if there was anything we should have done today... some ritual or other.pcdj red key gen

I found this site in a quick Google search that pretty much sums it up.pcdj red key gen

It's about remembering those who've died serving their country. Not a day for a party or a picnic, but a day for somber reflection and rememberance.pcdj red key gen

Since I've not actually known anyone who's died while serving, it tends to be a holiday that doesn't affect me directly. Then again, I disagree with much of our government and how it is run, and some of the premise behind our Revolutionary War, but I frequently go out for the fireworks on July 4th. They're pretty and they make a nice boom.pcdj red key gen

And then there's Memorial Day. I didn't go see a memorial, or stop and think about those soldiers who gave their lives in the service of their country. Some of them dying in useless, unecessary wars that didn't do more than boost our national ego that we could still kick another country's proverbial butt. But they went. They made the choice to support our country through thick and thin (at least for the duration of their contract) and, in the end, they made the ultimate sacrifice for that promise. That, my fellow countrymen and women, takes balls. Even if they didn't see it coming - it took courage to go out there in the first place. And I salute them, and their courage. And I am thankful that there are those, brave enough to go where I lack the courage or conviction to go. Brave enough to fight for their country.pcdj red key gen

It's too bad that, as a country, we don't really deserve their sacrifice. How many people, who haven't lost someone near to them, actually did something to commemorate today? I'd bet we'd be pretty disappointed if we saw those numbers. I'd be tempted to put up a poll on this site, but I'm not sure I want to know the statistics.pcdj red key gen

I'm ashamed. Of myself. Of my country.pcdj red key gen

Next year - I plan to do something for Memorial Day. Go to a Memorial somewhere and thank them properly. Because they damn well deserve to be remembered.pcdj red key gen

G'night.pcdj red key gen

An' then it went FOOM !!!

So much for painting today. Nope. Not a lick of it got done...pcdj red key gen

For one thing, it rained. Really hard. This, of course, made it overcast, thus making it difficult to see in the room we were to be painting in.pcdj red key gen

"Sheesh," you might say. "Couldn't you have just brought in a light?"pcdj red key gen

Well, see... while we were laying there, procrastinating actually getting out of bed... there was this loud snapping noise.pcdj red key gen

That was the transformer for my section of the neighborhood frying after lightening hit one of the lines...pcdj red key gen

So, bringing a light into the room I could have done, but actually lighting the light would have proven tricky.pcdj red key gen

At least that's our justification for not getting squat done today, and I'm sticking by it...pcdj red key gen

So, nyah.pcdj red key gen

It was really cool watching all our neighbors getting worked up about the downed power line and the fire truck and ambulance that showed up and so on...pcdj red key gen

It was not as cool wondering exactly when we'd have power again though...pcdj red key gen

But it was cool lighting up my candles with purpose today.pcdj red key gen

heeeheee.pcdj red key gen

The only real concern was how long the crawlspace could handle having the sump pump out of service for... I'd estimate we were without power for 8-10 hours. It was around 10:30 or 11 a.m. when the power went out and it came back sometime just before 8 p.m. Despite the "hardship" we did manage to find other ways to amuse ourselves while our computers and our television were both out of service. As always, it was almost disappointing when the power did come back on. At which point I threw up posts on To Our Children's Children and Quick Shtick Writing before it could go out again. I'm just now getting around to posting on this one.pcdj red key gen

You know, it was so tempting to go out and play in the rain until I saw all the other neighbors out there gaping at the fire truck and stuff. Then it lost all it's novelty.pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

Oh, well.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Moving Mild-Mannered and Miniature Mountains...

It doesn't feel like a Saturday. Maybe it's just the fact that we know it's a holiday weekend and we're compensating in our head, but neither Brian or I felt like it was a Saturday for some reason. It felt more like a Friday. A good Friday, where he didn't have to go to work, but a Friday nonetheless.pcdj red key gen

It might also have to do with the fact that we went and helped his sister-in-law move today. It's not unusual to think of doing something productive on a Saturday - it happens all the time around here. Saturday is the day we try to get all the crap done that we need to do for the weekend. Perhaps it's the idea that we got something finished that's skewing our perception of the day. We rarely managed to get projects finished around here...pcdj red key gen

And, also, the fact that we spent most of the day away from home may have affected our thinking. Saturday is frequently getting stuff done at home. So, in that aspect - tomorrow is Saturday - since we'll be doing all that tomorrow. We'd purposely left ourselves flexible on which day was going to be the "at home" projects one in order to be available to help Brian's sister move.pcdj red key gen

We did get her moved. Well, it was us and some of her friends. By the time we were able to get out there (I hadn't looked at a map before to see where she was at, but she was further into the city than I had thought for some reason) they'd already gotten most of the stuff out and onto the little rental truck she'd rented, so we took over much of the unloading once we got to their folks' house. Brian's mom watched our son while we went out and back, and then they had to head out, so I had to bail on some of the unloading in order to give Jareth his dinner. He was all upset when I tried to put him back down with some toys when we'd arrived, so I'd set him up in the stroller my in-laws have for him, where he got a kick out of watching us going to and fro with stuff for a while. But then he realized it was dinner time and I sat and fed him instead. Later, I was able to put him down with some toys and go back to helping.pcdj red key gen

We got it all in - crammed mostly into Brian's old bedroom until she can sort it out, and the essentials in her own old bedroom. Once it was all in, we headed out and my sister-in-law treated us to dinner before they (she and one of her friends who'd been able to stay longer) went to return the truck and we headed back home. All-in-all, it was one of the smoother moves I've ever seen. Whenever we move it's such a huge ordeal with all the furniture we own and crap still following me about from my mom's house and my grandmother's house that we've pretty much lost the ability to get anyone to help us move anymore... The last move we did mostly with movers to get to this house, and I'm hoping to have stuff weaned down at least a little bit before we eventually move again. I know we don't plan to stay in this house forever, but at least I know we have some time yet before we do move again. Gone are the days where we move practically once a year, unable to settle anywhere. We've thrown down some roots - known fondly as our mortgage, usually - which means we'd like to see some small amount of increase on our investment before we move on to another one. And I want to finish some of the remodelling. I just couldn't bear to leave this poor house in the state I found it in. It's my opinion that houses (and cars) have "personality", so to speak. And this house, although very upbeat in nature, had been sorely neglected by the prior owners (and, I think, the ones before them as well). It's about time someone gave this house a little love and makeover before inflicting some other schmucks onto it...pcdj red key gen

Look, leave me alone, my mom even gave the houseplants names for goodness sake. She even went so far as to make little labels to put on the pots so we'd be able to remember who was who... So, if I tend to only name my car then I think I'm doing okay on the psychometer.pcdj red key gen

Well, I'd better stop here. Tomorrow's awaiting my productivity, which means I'll need some sleep tonight...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Three Day Weeeek-end!

I'm going to need a weekend after my weekend methinks...pcdj red key gen

Tomorrow, we help my sister-in-law move away from the scary neighborhood where she was mugged. For the moment, that means she's moving back in with the folks, which at least means we'll get to see her more often since she'll be closer than she was.pcdj red key gen

Which means Sunday is more work on Jareth's room, finishing up the primer and possibly getting some of the paint up. I'm also going to see how hard it is to get the windows out of the frames so I can fix them properly, and finish priming them. I've also got to get the old hardware off, I've gotten new pulls and locks to put in them once they're finished being painted. I also picked up proper brackets for the closet pole to go in, since it was only held in place by some old metal shelf bracket things and several layers of being painted around the ends. It's bad enough that his closet will lack doors at the moment, but at least I'll know the pole will stay up.pcdj red key gen

The usual Sunday family dinner has been moved to Monday this weekend, due to the holiday. My in-laws do some Civil War reenacting, and they've got a parade on Saturday and a memorial thing on Sunday going on. We used to do reenacting too, but our schedules really haven't allowed much time for that lately. We may start doing some again soon, since Jareth ought to enjoy it and we'll enjoy showing off our son.pcdj red key gen

*grin*pcdj red key gen

Although I'm not going to be taking Jareth in period costume for some time yet, as I've already heard some comments about how all kids wore "dresses" in those days when they were little... Eeesh. I'll just go "civilian" (as a spectator in modern-day clothes) for now, but Brian might go to an event or two this year. Lord knows I love the way he looks in that Civil War period uniform. I don't know what it is about blue wool pants, but man....pcdj red key gen

Aaaanyways...pcdj red key gen

The beginnings of yet another list - pcdj red key gen

The Things I Said Before I Had My Son, And What Really Happened...

• Before: I'm getting cloth diapers, and he'll never wear anything else! After all, it's good for the environment and soft on his bottom and everything!
• After: The first instance of having to deal with a poopy cloth diaper and a Ziploc freezer bag while changing him on the front seat of my car pretty much solidified the advice I'd been given about using disposables when going away from the home. Not to mention the fact that he had to wear disposables for the first couple of months - I got him home from the hospital and excitedly ran up to put his cloth diaper on him... They were too big for him yet... his legs stuck out on either side. Five minutes later my husband was on his way to the store for a package of disposables. Fortunately, I had saved the sample diapers that had been sent to me, so I had something to put on him right then. Although the cloth diapers are wonderful - and cost-effective too!
• Before: Oh, it will be wonderful when he starts eating our food! We'll eat healthier too, because I don't want to be constantly giving him all those jarred foods.
• After: When the child progresses to "table food", it means anything he's capable of mashing up with his gums. While I'm supposed to be giving him solids, I can't give him nuts or other super hard stuff that he can't mash up. I'm also not supposed to give him anything that could get caught in his throat where he could choke on it - nothing with skins, no popcorn. Sounds simple enough, right? The amount of food that we eat that I can't (or won't) give him has astounded me. Those little jars of diced veggies and ravioli are seriously handy on many occasions. I keep them well-stocked. I do try to plan my own meals around his ability to eat them, and we are eating better for it, but I can't always guarantee that the timing on dinner is right for him, or that he'll have anything he can eat when we go outside the home. This evening, for example, we hit pay dirt at I-Hop, where he can have the kid's cheese omlet with a couple of pancakes meal. We hacked it up into tiny pieces and he liked it just fine. He didn't even notice that we purposely neglected to drown his pancake in syrup like so many people do. I drizzled a little butter pecan syrup on my own, but only because I like the taste of their butter pecan syrup. There are some nights when we end up eating food that I'm not willing to have him eating yet - anything super greasy or fried, for example, he may get to taste, but I'm determined that the bulk of his meals be reasonably healthy. In the end, however, I do cook a whole lot more nowadays than I ever have in the past.

Those are the two I've noticed so far. I'll likely mention more as I notice them.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Still busy...

More work to finish up tonight, and we just did a long stint catching up on some of the television we tape each week. Now that we have our son, we rarely bother trying to watch anything live, and we had four weeks to catch up on with 1.5 hours taped each week. We just finished a little bit ago. And now I've got some work to finish up on before bed.pcdj red key gen

There was stuff I've been coming up with all day to blog about, but it will have to wait for another night.pcdj red key gen

Note to self: the list of "things I wanted to do before having Jareth vs. how they really happen now that I have him"...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Working today. Paid work even. This is a good thing, pocketbook-wise, despite it leaving me less time to blog tonight. Paid work is always a good thing.pcdj red key gen

Bits of notes I've meant to mention recently...pcdj red key gen

The Mommy Blog is back, after a short hiatus. Yay Mindy! Welcome back!pcdj red key gen

Also, yesterday I got a large envelope that one of the machines at the post office had managed to munch a corner off of, but didn't, happily, eat the book inside... Ellie's book, Loose Ends has arrived! Thus, when I've not been playing with my little guy or working I've been perusing through it's covers.pcdj red key gen

In the process of looking through it, to see which letters I might or might not like to write, I had something occur to me. The real reason why I have five blogs I write or participate in, currently. Also, the real reason why the one I keep private only has two entries so far after months and months of existing...pcdj red key gen

If it's not public, I don't have to mean it. If I don't show it to anyone, or at least leave it where others could see, then it's as if I never wrote it at all. The risk of putting it up where the whole world could see it, makes it have to be the truth. I have to mean it.pcdj red key gen

I still run the risk of someone misinterpreting my meaning, but then that's what the comments box is there, in part, for. If someone doesn't get it, or disagrees, they can say something and I, in turn, can respond.pcdj red key gen

I'm currently seeing a therapist, trying to make sure I've got all my "issues" at least nailed down, if not worked out, before I inadvertantly pass them along to my own son, or overcompensate trying not to. I don't want to smother him, for example, just because I lacked parental approval in my own life. So I signed myself up for therapy. I think I'm ready to get all this crap off my back.pcdj red key gen

Which means that sometimes I'll put stuff up here relating to those sessions. She gives me "homework" sometimes - stuff to write out for discussion at the next session. My current assignment is to narrow down some pretty broad categories I'm wanting to work on - assertiveness and self-confidence. I may drop the list up here once I'm done. Announce my flaws to the world, so to speak. Or to my five or so readers at least...pcdj red key gen

Anyway, thought I'd warn you. Things might get a little more introspective around here from time to time.pcdj red key gen

But, for the moment, back to work. Going to get some more done before bed tonight.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

And now,

Would you rather:
1. your best friend overhear you telling somebody else a deep secret about them OR your child overhear you venting your frustrations about your significant other?
The best friend. I'm rarely the type of person who says anything about someone that I wouldn't say to their face. I'd like to think that they could trust my judgement on who I'd be willing to share such a secret with.
2. learn an obscure language only spoken by 15 other people on the planet OR be able to guess somebody's exact birthdate, just by looking at them?
Oooh. The birthday date thing - think of the power you'd have with that one! Actresses of the world beware! Mwahahaha!!
3. have eyebrows that grow in VERY bushy, daily, no matter how you try to prune them OR make a sound like a tuba whenever you blow your nose?
Eeesh. The tuba, I think. Seeing as how I'm not the type to get my eyebrows waxed to begin with, much less try to keep up with it every day!
4. have a job that makes $200,000 a year, but you only get to see your family once a week for 3 hours OR make just enough to survive from check-to-check, but be able to see your family whenever you want?
Pah. We're practically doing the second one to begin with. Almost anyway. Still enough in the budget for internet. I'll take family over money any day - no contest!

Feeling Shmuckish...

Well, admittedly, Brian didn't say anything on his blog either, but yesterday was our 7th wedding anniversary. Thus, I present the following:

Our Wedding Vows:
(as written by Brian Howard and Amy Goodwillie)pcdj red key gen

Reverend Lee:pcdj red key gen

Good Afternoon Ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated.pcdj red key gen

On behalf of Brian and Amy, I would like to welcome and thank you for joining them on this joyous occasion.pcdj red key gen

Although I have not known these two people long
I can tell that their love is strong
Theirs is a love that has grown through the years
there has been laughter, there have been tears
They originally met in 1988
though the teachers there meant to educate
The Business Week conference was only one week
but they found something there, something fresh and unique
they lived in different places, which seemed so far away
but they thought of each other each and every day
they wrote long, bulky letters and called on the phone
but it didn't work out, and again, they were alone
years spent at college sped away fast
then they discovered their future, while reminiscing their past
fate brought them together, gave them one final chance
and this time they met it without resistance
They both had matured while they were apart
then each found the other had snuck into their heart
Then, after a while, they got their own place
and crammed all their things into one little space
they became pre-engaged on Amy's Birthday
they knew in their hearts that they'd marry someday
the proposal itself was a Christmas surprise
he asked for her hand, as he looked in her eyes
Moving then, to a house, his and hers became theirs
They dealt with the stress and the moving nightmares
and today they begin their journey through life
together, they'll face all the troubles and strife
their friendship is strong, their fighting is rare
if you look in his eyes, you'll find her mirrored therepcdj red key gen

**( gesture for bride & groom to turn & hold hands)**pcdj red key gen

we've gathered here to join them together
as friends and partners in love forever
If any man or woman can show just cause
that they should not be married, speak up when I pause...
since no one here has asked us to cease
you may now and forever hold your peace
who gives this woman in matrimony?pcdj red key gen

Amy's Uncle: pcdj red key gen

I do.pcdj red key gen

Reverend Lee:pcdj red key gen

then let them be joined in harmony
Although Amy's mother has passed away
she is remembered every day
let us now light a candle in her name
so that she may be with us through the light of the flamepcdj red key gen

**(bride lights mother's candle with help from Maid of Honor & Bride's Sister)**pcdj red key gen

Brian, You've already shared with her a part of your life
will you now take her to be your wife?pcdj red key gen

Brian:pcdj red key gen

Amy, I give you my heart, my body, my soul
with you I have everything
you've made me whole
I promise my love will always be true
as each day begins, let our love seem new
I'll care for your sickness
share joy for your health
even if I had nothing
to me, you are wealth
I promise to honor and cherish
without you, I would perish
you'll stay first in my heart
till by death do we part
there's nothing in the world
more important to me than you
I love you
I dopcdj red key gen

Reverend Lee:pcdj red key gen

Amy, you've already shared times both hard and grand
will you now take this man to be your husband?pcdj red key gen

Amy:pcdj red key gen

Brian, I give you my heart, my body, my soul
with you I have everything
you've made me whole
I promise my love will always be true
as each day begins, let our love seem new
I'll care for your sickness
share joy for your health
even if I had nothing
to me, you are wealth
I promise to honor and cherish
without you, I would perish
you'll stay first in my heart
till by death do we part
there's nothing in the world
more important to me than you
I love you
I dopcdj red key gen

Reverend Lee:pcdj red key gen

Brian, do you have a wedding band?pcdj red key gen

**(Brian gets ring from his Best Man)**pcdj red key gen

Then place it on the finger of her left handpcdj red key gen

Brian: pcdj red key gen

no matter what life brings in the years ahead
with this ring, I thee wed.pcdj red key gen

Reverend Lee:pcdj red key gen

Amy, do you have a wedding band?pcdj red key gen

**(Amy gets ring from her Maid of Honor)**pcdj red key gen

Then place it on the finger of his left handpcdj red key gen

Amy:pcdj red key gen

no matter what life brings in the years ahead
with this ring, I thee wed.pcdj red key gen

Reverend Lee:pcdj red key gen

with all the love you both proclaim
each of you take up a flame
as your lives will soon have done
let two flames become as onepcdj red key gen

**(lighting of the unity candle)**pcdj red key gen

I now take this moment to wish happiness
and use the power that I possess
according to the laws of the state
and before witnesses here on this date
you now have been bound together for life
I now pronounce you husband and wife.
with love that nothing in the world can smother
you may take this moment to kiss each other.pcdj red key gen

**(Amy and Brian kiss)**pcdj red key gen

Friends and relatives who've joined us today
now is the time for me to say
for all the blessings on them you've showered
I now present Mr. and Mrs. Howard.pcdj red key gen

**(Amy and Brian practically zoom down the aisle so they can have two seconds "alone" before pictures and partying ensues)**

Okay, so that last sentence wasn't in the original.. but that's what did happen!pcdj red key gen

It's these vows that we wrote that remind me we do our best work together. Although nowadays, that belief is also strengthened when I look at our son as well.pcdj red key gen

Kissing the hurt won't make it go away...

I'm blogging later than usual tonight. Some nights it's hard to put my thoughts together before I ought to be in bed. And other nights I get too involved in some computer game and lose track of the time. Well, alright, it was the latter of the two.pcdj red key gen

*guilty look*pcdj red key gen

It's a very hard thing "knowing" sometimes. Understanding that there are no truely "bad" experiences... That the feelings of sorrow or anger are just part of it all... That all that happens to a person was meant to happen... That they chose it to be a part of what they wanted during this journey.pcdj red key gen

It's very hard, because it makes me feel like I must be regarded as a callous bitch when bad things happen to people around me and I don't just sit down and weep for them.pcdj red key gen

I have a case in point right now. I got a phone call from my mother-in-law today. It seems that last night my sister-in-law was mugged.pcdj red key gen

From the sound of things, she's physically going to be just fine. She's a skinny, petite white girl. Aparently that would seem too tempting a target for a couple of black guys that were prowling about near where she lives. Admittedly, she'd been warned before moving in (she only recently moved there) that being out after a certain point of night, alone, was probably not a good idea. It was around 2:30 am when she was walking back, presumably from her car.pcdj red key gen

The two guys grabbed her purse and hit her with the butt end of a pistol. I'm told she made it to a hospital afterwards and has a cut on her nose and some swelling but it wasn't broken and she's otherwise fine.pcdj red key gen

In other words, she got really damned lucky. Which is a good thing. A very, very good thing.pcdj red key gen

But now it's over. It happened. And, instead of worrying about how she's coping emotionally with what just happened to her, I'm wondering what the "experience" she had was like. I have a distinct feeling I've not experienced such a thing yet in my journeys. I'm thinking I'd still like to avoid it during this one, though, thanks just the same. I already know they'd likely have to kill me to get my wedding ring. Which, of course, my husband doesn't like me saying - as the ring itself is replaceable but I'm not...pcdj red key gen

So I'll just try to avoid getting mugged altogether and then we won't have to deal with such a situation.pcdj red key gen

But the real problem here is that I don't always look at things the way other people around me are anymore. I did have the initial "Oh my god!" reaction when my mother-in-law first told me, but it's worn off now. I'm sometimes looking at life through the eyes of a spectator. Especially when the things happening aren't happening directly to me.pcdj red key gen

But I don't want to seem like I'm minimizing the experience for her - part of the experience itself is to feel the emotional response to it. It scared her, I'm sure. From her perspective - some total strangers came up, took her purse, and hit her for no good reason at all. And they really did have no reason, as I'm sure she'd be smart enough to just hand over the purse if they'd merely threatened her instead.pcdj red key gen

I just can't seem to understand violence. I know it's necessary, on some level, but I just can't yet grasp why. I think, perhaps, I've yet to live in those shoes. I've not yet lived a violent life. And it's most certainly not meant to be this one. I'm quite pacifist this time around.pcdj red key gen

My mother-in-law suggested that I might want to call my sister-in-law. I thought about that, but realized I wouldn't have had a clue what to say... Do I ask her to describe the really awful experience she just had? Um... no. Let's not make her relive it over and over... sheesh. Do I tell her that it's great that she's not seriously injured and that it's all good? Nope, not that either... Because from her perspective it's not all good. It's rarely "all good" when it's a bad thing happening to you.pcdj red key gen

So, what would I say?pcdj red key gen

Nothing. I haven't had the experience myself. I haven't anything useful to say.pcdj red key gen

But, just because I didn't call, doesn't mean I didn't spend quite a bit of time thinking about her today. Hoping she's getting through this and coming out stronger for it in the end. Wishing her well.pcdj red key gen

*sends off a virtual hug in her general direction*pcdj red key gen

And, I can't forget - we're all connected. We're all individual parts of a greater whole. So in some small way it did happen to me as well, even if I didn't feel it at the time...pcdj red key gen

Of course, if I look at it that way - then what are the stats on how many muggings there are per day? If we're all connected...pcdj red key gen

I feel so violated!!!pcdj red key gen

Hrrrm.pcdj red key gen

How oddly my mind swirls sometimes.pcdj red key gen

Anyway, if you're reading this - maybe you could send a warm fuzzy "hug" over to the corner of our being that my sister-in-law resides within. I think she could probably use a few hugs today...pcdj red key gen

*hug. hug. hug...*pcdj red key gen

G'night.pcdj red key gen

Growing...

It's a cool night tonight down in the family room where our computers are, and I've got a lovely breeze washing over me as I sit here typing.pcdj red key gen

A little bit ago, I was upstairs washing my face, wondering what I was planning to blog about tonight... As usual, I grew distracted by other thoughts - the waviness and thinness of my hair, for one. The haircut I got earlier this month is quite short, a little boyish in style, but super easy to maintain. I wash it, brush it, fluff it with the brush some and let it air dry and it usually looks fine with just a brushing once it's dried. My hair has curl to it, creating waves with this cut. Usually, I have no clue how to manage it. For most of my life, my hair was thicker, stronger, and straight as a board. It's been theorized that the heaviness was what was keeping it from curling at all. I always wanted naturally curly hair, but figured it wasn't meant to be. And my mom never wanted me to dye or perm, and otherwise ruin my hair...(nevermind how many times she got to perm her hair during my lifetime. I know it was at least twice.)pcdj red key gen

I remember my first perm - I was terrified it would stay like it was right after the appointment, but it "relaxed" and I loved it after that. I never dyed my hair until a couple of years ago, and the first attempt was done myself and I did ruin my hair pretty badly. I mostly ruined it in the process of trying to "fix" the icky purplish color it had turned out to be.pcdj red key gen

But sometime while we were traveling in the motorhome (before hair dye ever sullied my locks), my hair thinned. I don't know precisely when, but I remember looking in the mirror and realizing it didn't look the same anymore - and it had developed some small waves here and there.pcdj red key gen

I've since been told that stress or a major life change can do that to a person, and I suppose I could call our motorhome journeys a "major life change". Maybe.pcdj red key gen

But that was also a marking of my aging. I'm noticing, a year after giving birth, that most of my bodily functions have finally settled back into previously known normal patterns. My colon and I have to watch the diet again and take our meds to be happy (at least more happy than not). My menstrual cycle is settling back into familiar patterns. My complexion is perhaps finally returning to normal from the nastiness that started during the pregnancy - thus adding some teenage-styled angst to my hormonal moodiness.pcdj red key gen

There are some things that haven't returned to normal, however. My left leg is messed up, for one. So much so I may need to get it checked out if it starts putting me out of comission like it's been trying. I had problems with it during the pregnancy - I noticed it felt like I had "twisted" my hip/thigh somehow. It landed me in a wheelchair while we were shopping for baby things a couple weeks after the shower. And it's happened a couple of times recently, where it's put me sitting or laying down for a period of time trying to massage or stretch it out.pcdj red key gen

I asked about it during the pregnancy, and she said it was because my son was keeping most of his weight on one side throughout most of the pregnancy. It affected the distribution of weight on that leg, as well as the way I was walking.pcdj red key gen

And now, it's the same side I tend to carry him on as well. I think most mothers (at least right-handed ones) do. It's natural to want to have your "dominant" hand available while your carrying your child - you need the dexterity available for catching little curious hands, wiping snot, and recovering your necklace before you are strangled. I have managed to make formula one-handed, but it's not an easy task.pcdj red key gen

Even when I have him sitting on my lap he migrates to that side of me. It's "his" spot in a way.pcdj red key gen

And, oddly enough, during that first month - that was the side that was working better for breastfeeding as well.pcdj red key gen

It kinda makes me wonder if the next child will do the same, or claim the other side of me? How does one hold both of their kids at once anyway? I'm familiar with the "extended hip and slightly swaying" pose, but that only works for one at a time. I'll have to think on that when we're ready for another one.pcdj red key gen

But my thinning hair was the first sign. Then my 30th birthday came along to haunt me. In between the two events my "maternal clock" had officially kicked in. I was ready. I "practiced" my new need to nurture by getting my cat, while waiting for my husband to say "yes - it's okay to start trying now". Then I became pregnant - another landmark moment in my life. And now I'm a mother. I've given birth and spent more than a year adoring the beautiful person that has come from my husband and myself. I worried "would I love him enough - how could I come up with enough love to give him when I loved my husband so much?" I never knew that when you gave birth you also opened up a whole new portion of your heart - previously reserved for just this person - and it's boundless! Wow!pcdj red key gen

Why is aging considered "getting older" instead of growing? The body itself may grow frailer as time goes on - the hair thins out - but you get more and more out of life with each new day that passes! My life is filled with new waves and curls and I now get to play and see what they can do. I don't feel "older" or "frailer", though I know that my body itself is aging. But my son brings out reserves of energy I never knew I had. His own boundless energy igniting it within me when I need it.pcdj red key gen

I had no idea that motherhood would be so amazing!pcdj red key gen

I am aging and growing.
But, for the moment, I refuse to grow old.pcdj red key gen

Well, I've rambled off again and no matter how anti-old I might be, I still need sleep...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Movie day and other madness...

Today was the day for Brian and I to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary, although the actual date isn't until Monday. But Monday isn't a convenient time to do much of anything, but we could book my mother-in-law to babysit for today. So we dropped Jareth off with his grandparents for most of the afternoon while we took in a double feature...pcdj red key gen

warning! Possible movie spoilage about to begin... if you haven't seen Troy or Van Helsing yet, you may want to skip below...

The first movie we saw was Troy. This movie was actually very well done - both dramatically and action-wise - despite the casting of Brad Pitt as Achilles. I didn't feel it's length was overdone or drawn out - I was engaged the entire time. I felt the battle scenes were both exciting and tense, without becoming too graphic as many movies tend to do. In some movies, such as Saving Private Ryan, the intensity of the "gore" in some scenes are necessary to viably get the tone and mood of the setting across. Although I was startled by the extensive battle scene in the beginning of Saving Private Ryan, I understood the need for such bloodshed to be depicted. Troy did not require that kind of extreme measure to get their point across and, remarkably, they pulled it off without resorting to "shock-value" graphics.pcdj red key gen

Long ago, in high school, I bailed out on my Honors English Greek Mythology class in order to get A-grades in with the regular English classes instead. I never did finish reading the books we were assigned, so I didn't know how exactly it ended, which did help a lot. That means I also don't know how true to the story it follows either, so I can't point out any flaws there. Wonderful performances from Eric Bana, Peter O'Toole, Brendan Gleeson, Saffron Burrows, and many others (I'm not going to list half the cast here). Orlando Bloom felt a little weak in some of the scenes, but then again that was part of the character so I can't honestly fault him. He did do that marvelous "eyes flashing with anger" thing that I'm quite sure is part of what all the girls are swooning over him for. He is dashing, but likely a bit young for my tastes. Were I an unmarried woman, give me Eric Bana any day...pcdj red key gen

Then there was Brad Pitt. Whom I feel was miscast in this role. I will grant that he handles the action scenes with style and most other scenes where Achilles was specifically angry or violent. The rest, however, piddled off into one of two expressions - "I'm being pensive, leave me alone", or "I'm Brad Pitt and I'm taking off my shirt to show off my naked chest again... so you love me... right?"pcdj red key gen

*rolls eyes*pcdj red key gen

Apparently Mr. Pitt was the "big name star" for this film. And therefore, someone, at some point, decided we needed gratuitous "Brad Pitt scenes". If you happen to be one of the women who swoons when you see them on the screen - I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. So they can't get through his extensive role in this film by showing me some random part of his half or barely-clothed body in every other scene and expect that to be enough. He knows how to do pissed off, reasonably well... but I didn't really feel for him as much as I should have. And I saw next to no reason why the one girl fell for him. So he beat up a few people who tried to hurt her and then got all "brooding" afterwards. She took vows to her gods this should not have been "overcome" so lightly.pcdj red key gen

I have a feeling, however, that there was also much cut from this film to keep it to a reasonable time limit. I felt as if there were some scenes that should have been left in, to help us grow closer to all the characters, and to help us understand their reactions as we continued.pcdj red key gen

Overall, I still have to give this movie high marks.pcdj red key gen

The second movie of the day was Van Helsing. Yes, I'll start off by saying that half the draw is Hugh Jackson being good-looking, in my opinion. And the movie, overall, was a fun one. I'm not disappointed that I saw it, and I was fearful that I might be, as the trailers reminded me too much of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which disappointed me on so many levels I can't begin to list here. I'm very sorry that Sean Connery has that blemish on his resume.pcdj red key gen

So I was pleased that the movie itself proved itself fun, but it did leave me with a couple of complaints...pcdj red key gen

One. What the heck was up with the beginning being in black and white? I understand doing a "stylized" piece, but with only a "year" passing between that and the rest of the movie it seemed...silly. They kept consistant with the stylized music, lightening effects, dramatic pauses, and ... well technically the plot too... It was rather predictable. Let's have the good chick fight the evil chick, and the good comic relief guy fight the evil comic relief guy, while the hero fights the villan! Wow... what a new and innovative idea guys!pcdj red key gen

Geez. Get some actual writers out there in Hollywood will ya? Let's maybe see some character development, backstory, and... oh, wait... that doesn't sell as well as sexual tension and fast action scenes? Gosh! Nevermind then!pcdj red key gen

Oh yeah... and let's keep the adventurous chick in F-ing HEELS for the entire film - yeah, that's realism for ya!pcdj red key gen

*grumble, grumble, grumble*pcdj red key gen

But the topper to it all, is that I'm starting to feel that ILM is slipping. Industrial Light and Magic is losing some of that "attention to detail" that got them where they are in the first place. Half the industry can't create special effects without them, so they've overextended themselves and it's showing lately. I'm seeing it in a lot of films where the CGI is replacing the stunt people...pcdj red key gen

I'm sorry, but I don't care how "superhuman" some characters might be - they simply cannot bend backwards like that when their flipping from one unstable object to the next! And the way they were thrown into walls and through floors and such - half the characters in Van Helsing should have been dead before we finished the first half of the movie!pcdj red key gen

They did great on the "brides of Dracula". They worked really hard on them and it shows. But it felt like they "skimped" on some of the other graphics to do so. I feel like they're starting to say "Oh, it goes so fast they won't notice we didn't work hard on this one...", and it's pissing me off. Half the movies I save up babysitting time for to see on the big screen are done in part by ILM! And they are starting to go the way of Disney lately... it's like they're taking their audience for granted. I won't shell out big screen money for that crap. I'm especially glad I didn't pay to see Hulk in the theatres... or Spider Man. The movies themselves weren't bad - but the graphics were lacking the finesse I expected.pcdj red key gen

So far, the only people in the industry who don't seem to be getting cocky yet are Pixar. They're becoming the new Disney for this era at the rate they're going. Only one of their movies hasn't thrilled me phenomenally - and that one was a sequel! The sequels rarely hold up to the originals anyway - and it still wasn't a bad movie or anything... It's on my "to own on DVD" list.pcdj red key gen

Back to Van Helsing, however... It was good fun for an afternoon where you just want to see some action and monsters getting beat up. But don't expect an epic film. It kind of reminded me of The Mummy meets Batman. The original, dark and broody batman - not the glossier, newer versions. So if you liked those, you'll probably enjoy this one - just don't expect it to rock your world.

end movie spoiler stuff... you can read from here on out if you skipped the part about the movies!pcdj red key gen

A few more "rules" that should be added to movie theatres, in my opinion:

• Please unwrap your loud candy wrappers before the movie begins - the person in front of you does not need that happening right behind her head during several points throughout the film!
• Chew with your mouth closed, damnit! What, were you raised by cows??? I do not need to hear every single kernel of popcorn being chewed into oblivion after you've stuffed it into your mouth!
• Do parents even read the movie ratings on the films anymore? People bitch about "Huckleberry Finn" being read in schools and nobody does anything to stop them, but put a PG-13 rating on a movie and you might see as many as 10 kids in the theatre younger than that - with maybe two "adults" supervising. At this point, I want to see some theatres doing "adult only" showings of some movies! Then again - those kids in front of me were far better behaved than the four a$$head adults sitting behind me!
• And, for God's sake - ANY god's, I don't care - DON'T TALK DURING THE MOVIE!!! I don't care if you've already seen it six times - I HAVEN'T, and I can't afford the time nor the money to come back just because YOU talked through a crucial point. It's bad enough you distracting me from the movie experience with your food - don't make it 10 times worse by TALKING!
• Oh yeah - and no pagers, no babies, dispose of litter in the proper receptacle, etc, etc, etc...

Yeah, I know, I'm PMSing on top of that, so leave me alone... pcdj red key gen

*RAWR*pcdj red key gen

I came so close to just turning around and smacking the four of them...pcdj red key gen

Aaaaaanyway...pcdj red key gen

/rant offpcdj red key gen

So then we picked up our son, went out for somewhat disappointing burgers (not at the usual place), and that was that. Although I did get my pictures back today and have some of the mouse that I will have to post sometime soon.pcdj red key gen

But not tonight. I need some sleep.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Missing: One Blue Rubbermaid Garbage Can Lid...

A storm blew in today. And then it blew away. And now it's storming again.pcdj red key gen

And I had it all figured out that I was going to have a perfectly valid excuse to not go out and run errands today. Because the sky was all dark and forboding, and it was raining buckets, and there were nasty winds (aparently up to 60 mph!) that blew away our garbage cans...pcdj red key gen

I ran out in the rain, in my "outdoor slippers" (which are just old moccasin "indoor slippers" that aren't as soft and fuzzy inside anymore) and a tank top and shorts, to rescue the garbage cans. One had made it out into the street, while the other one (which the first had been stacked inside) was only halfway down the driveway. Both were headed east, carried by the driving wind and chilling rain...pcdj red key gen

I gave up on the lid. There's only one lid for the two garbage cans - we technically acquired them when we got the house, along with some other miscellaneous items the previous owners didn't feel like moving and couldn't get rid of. The garbage cans prove useful though, so we let them stay on...pcdj red key gen

The lid, however, is likely halfway to the city by now. Now I think I know what must have happened to the other lid.pcdj red key gen

Yesterday, I was doing my best not to turn on the air conditioning - it was hot and sticky, and I knew that the central air would pull the sticky out of the air for me and I'd be a whole lot happier. But I didn't cave - I sucked it in and dripped a lot...pcdj red key gen

When I came in from securing the garbage cans, I was soaked and freezing! I ran upstairs and dove in under the covers of my bed, pulling them around me as I shivered! And I'd only been out there for a couple of minutes! Brrrrr!pcdj red key gen

I know that this area is prone to indecisiveness on the weather. I've become rather accustomed to the variety of temperatures we can bounce through in a week. I've seen snow on my April daffodils, and plodded through it to go trick-or-treating. I've seen gray and dismal sludgy Christmases where all it did was some freezing rain and then thawed into an icky mess. I've shivered from being cold and wet - soaked through in four layers of clothes, and I had an umbrella - on the fourth of July, and felt like having a picnic in November. It's Chicago suburbs - I understand.pcdj red key gen

But can I have a few days of nice thrown in there now and again? Maybe even *gasp* consecutively?pcdj red key gen

Pfffffft...pcdj red key gen

I shivered in my bed and called my husband. The lights had been flickering so I'd turned off the computer already, but it was dark and icky and I was cold and wet - I needed a reassuring voice. I normally like storms, honest! But when the wind really gets going like that it worries me. Especially if it gets going like that and then suddenly .stops.pcdj red key gen

That worries me more. Way more.pcdj red key gen

But it didn't do that today. Nope. It blew through, front to back, over the course of a half an hour. Three hours later the sun was trying to peek out.pcdj red key gen

So I bundled up the diaper bag and purse and headed out to run errands.pcdj red key gen

In the hot, sticky, warm.pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

The car, however, I have no compunctions about starting up the air conditioning in...pcdj red key gen

Heat, Air, Heat, Air,....???pcdj red key gen

Right now, it's been storming outside again. No nasty wind this time, just the usual fun lightening, rain, and rumbly thundering.pcdj red key gen

And I'm chilly.pcdj red key gen

Time for bed, I guess. If I'm really lucky, I might get to wake up feeling hot and icky sticky again!pcdj red key gen

*grumble, mutter, kicks the ground*pcdj red key gen

I take it back - I'll bet the garbage can lid turned southwest the first chance it got...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Primer vs. Black Paint, round three...

Oof.pcdj red key gen

I have blisters on my blisters.pcdj red key gen

Did you know blisters sting like all hell when you get shampoo on them? Yep. OW!pcdj red key gen

So, anyway, I got back to work on my son's upcoming bedroom today. Got all the staples out of the wood that held the carpet padding down. Now the floor needs sanding next. But not yet, as I've taped the floor so I can get the trimwork primed and painted down there as well. I got the first two coats onto the baseboard today, the third coat onto the door trim and some of the window trim... Did I mention she painted the trim black? Why, oh why, did she have to have black? (nevermind that I caved on that one... it was a compromise - she wanted the whole room black at first!!!) It takes three coats... I say again... three coats of primer just to make it ready for the white paint I'm using for the trim.pcdj red key gen

RAWR...pcdj red key gen

I also got the second coat up on the darker purple walls, so they should be about ready for the blue that's going on the walls and ceiling. I still have some touch up here and there, mostly in corners and I have to finish the rest of the window trim and put the third coat down on the baseboard. But I'm getting close to the actual "paint" stage at least. Phew. I wonder if this paint will go on nicely in one coat or if I'll end up having to do two of that as well...oy!pcdj red key gen

I took such a quick shower that I still have teensy little speckles of white here and there on my arms. And I'm pooped. It was warm and humid up there, even with the fan going - it was pulling out though, not in - and I was dripping everywhere. I started carrying a separate towel just to mop my face with. At least I should have dealt with a few calories today, but with it all hot and sticky I don't feel it. Yeccchh.pcdj red key gen

I don't mind the hot. I DO mind the sticky.pcdj red key gen

Health, ice cream, computer games, and gas prices...

You'd think attention to one's personal health would be in the insurance company's best interest... However.pcdj red key gen

I had my husband come home from work early today so that I didn't have to try to keep an eye on my son while having a "womanly" doctor's visit. My birth control prescription is almost out and that usually means it's time to see the doctor, whether I want him inspecting me that closely or not. Usually, it's not. But it's part of the "joys of womanhood", so I go and grit my teeth and clutch the side of the chair until it's over. Although I did notice that the last time it wasn't quite as bad as usual, but then again I'd just given birth three months prior.pcdj red key gen

I got to the appointment, sat in the office waiting, filled out some stupid survey thing they wanted me to do, and let them photocopy my insurance card again.pcdj red key gen

And then they told me that I wasn't due for an exam until July and that I'd have to come back or the insurance wouldn't pay for it!pcdj red key gen

Sheesh! I'm all health-happy for once and the insurance won't cover it? Pah!!pcdj red key gen

So they are supposed to call in a new prescription for me and I need an appointment for July.pcdj red key gen

Nevermind it cost us two hours of my husband's paycheck... Grrrr.pcdj red key gen

Well, we were out already, so we had dinner out anyway. My son got his first taste of "rib" from the slab we split between us. He also got a dose of french fries and cornbread, followed up with some ice cream from our Kahlua brownie thing that we also split. Since we didn't want him having Kahlua, we limited him to ice cream and whipped cream. Fortunately 99% of the time we do feed him right. Honest!pcdj red key gen

And he's finally stopped making that "mommy what are you trying to do to me!!!" look whenever I give him a small bite of ice cream. He didn't seem to like "cold" for a while, but he's starting to like it now. He got very insistent tonight when we weren't quick enough in scooping up more of it for him! Now that's my boy! LOL! Then again, I shouldn't leave Brian out of the responsibility pool on that one - He's who introduced me to Ben & Jerry's ice cream... mmmmm!pcdj red key gen

In other news...pcdj red key gen

The most odd thing has happened to me recently... I've found myself having EverQuest withdrawal! Ack! I longed for the familiar sounds of dying Aviaks, or howling winds, or swishing waters... I longed to hit my Num-Lock key as I ran across the Karanas... I think I'm even missing people bitching at eachother in guild chat! But I'm unwilling to go back to paying a monthly fee for it, so we've re-installed Diablo II instead, as it's already paid for and Battlenet is free. It's not really a good substitute, but it's distracting me. I might find myself playing some Dungeon Siege from time to time too - I never did finish that one to see how it ends.pcdj red key gen

Bah! Computer game withdrawal! And I thought smoking cravings were bad! Although I did have to note today that it's currently possible to have your smoking habit be cheaper than your driving habit - gas prices here have gone to new highs! I was stunned the other day when I realized that the price meter turned TWO NUMBERS for every ONE GALLON of gas!! I think the average price around here is running between $2.03/gal to $2.10/gal. We were talking about it on the way home today and Brian estimated it would cost us about $ .50 per mile if we were still exploring the country in our motorhome! Sheesh! The actuality of it is that we wouldn't be exploring - we'd be parked near some major city where we could get work in the hopes of traveling again one day!pcdj red key gen

And, as long as we continue to pay it... they'll likely continue to charge that much for it.pcdj red key gen

Grrrrrrr...pcdj red key gen

Well, enough of this - I'm going to play some computer game or other for a little bit before going off to bed.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

And now,

Would you rather:
1. while visiting new york city, fall from the 4th floor of a building OR get hit by a bicycle messenger?
I'm thinking the bicycle messenger would hurt less - and you have someone to either beat up or sue for damages that way!
2. kiss somebody with severe chapped lips OR eat lunch next to somebody picking a scab on their arm?
Chapped lips - no contest there.
3. live next door to a registered sex offender OR a recently released murderer?
That depends... what did the sex offender do exactly? I suppose I'd go for that one over murderer. Less risk involved.
4. always talk like your nose is stuffed up OR talk with a lisp?
Stuffy nose. At least then you can justifiably complain about it all the time. "Oh darn dis stubby nodz!" And you'll have less stereotyping to deal with.

Pffft!

Found via Word Shadows...pcdj red key gen

You're Rubik's Cube!! You may think you're
popular, but you're actually extremely
annoying. Seriously.


What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizillapcdj red key gen

oh well.pcdj red key gen

The whole kit and kaboodle...

The work on the bedroom continued today - I'm learning even more about this stuff as I go.pcdj red key gen

I pulled up the carpet, to reveal some lovely wood flooring! I have to finish removing the staples that were used to tack the padding down, but I've got the carpet off and the tacking strips as well. I was amazed at how much dirt accumulates beneath the carpet. Then again, I think that my sister may have only vaccumed it four or five times in the almost three years we've lived here.pcdj red key gen

I've got a bunch of books on how to do these projects, so today I read all about floor refinishing. Looks like we'll be renting a sander at some point in the near future, as well as picking out the color stain we'll want and a nice durable varnish for the top. At least it doesn't look like I'll be needing many tools from the hardware store this time - a relief for my husband I'm sure!pcdj red key gen

I will need to put new hardware on the windows though - they were all painted over! Yuck! One of the windows looks like it needs to be replaced completely, though that one's not my sister's doing - someone blocked off the holes meant to let the window drain, and there's serious water damage to the frame structure. The house needs new windows all around though, so it will be on the project list once we've saved enough money. For now, we'll have to just keep an eye on it. I did scrape the caulk off the holes though, so hopefully it won't get worse in the meantime.pcdj red key gen

The black trimwork my sister insisted on is a real pain to cover up! I'm needing three coats of Kilz before I'm getting it white enough to paint white over it and have it actually look white. *grumble* I got the second coat up on some of it today, and taped the glass on the windows to get the frames their first coat.pcdj red key gen

Of course I feel like I neglected my kid today in the process of trying to get him a proper bedroom... *sniff*pcdj red key gen

Which meant I promptly spoiled his dinner after I was done, by curling up in front of my computer with him and some fun snacks. I find it amusing that he doesn't even bother looking at the TV much if we happen to have it on, but he'll watch the stuff on my computer with rapt attention.pcdj red key gen

This egg thing is his favorite - I say "peek-a-boo" whenever the face comes into view and he giggles up a storm! It's from the same guy that did the balloon on a string thing I mentioned in a previous post.pcdj red key gen

Tomorrow I've got some paid work to get done before I try to get back into the bedroom work, so we'll see if I'm able to get much done or not.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Quiet Day...

Today was a quiet day, compared to most.pcdj red key gen

Woke up late, lounged in bed chatting for a while with Brian, did our daily posts on the other blogs, tended to our son, and dinner at the in-laws.pcdj red key gen

The other evening, while peering through the stats for my site to see what odd things people were searching for that ended up bringing them to my site, I saw one search where someone was actually looking me up, using my maiden name of Goodwillie. It looks like it brought them over to To Our Children's Children, which is where I've mentioned the name before - Of course it occurs to me that I haven't re-established my links back to this blog from there! I fixed it on Quick Shtick Writing, but forgot all about linking back from the other two...pcdj red key gen

So that's what I'll be doing for the next 20 minutes or so - adjusting the templates...pcdj red key gen

Then, it's off to bed if I want to get up at a reasonable hour tomorrow...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

One lucky little mouse...

Haven't gone to bed yet. "But why?" you might ask...pcdj red key gen

So my cat, Nora, was making some fuss about a small box sitting in a corner of the room with some cans of juice and bottles of tonic water stored in it. I squirted her with water - the traditional kitty-discourager around here, but she kept going back. So, I finally looked to see what was so enticing in that box...pcdj red key gen

An itty bitty mouse.pcdj red key gen

One really damned lucky mouse if you ask me.pcdj red key gen

(No girly screams this time!)pcdj red key gen

So, I removed the other items from the box, leaving just the little mouse. Since Nora hadn't gotten the chance to "play" with this one, I was able to take the box outside and tilt it over on the patio to set the little mouse free...pcdj red key gen

Awwww...pcdj red key gen

But not before I shined my desk lamp on the poor bugger and took pictures!!!pcdj red key gen

Mwahahahah!pcdj red key gen

Oooh... I hope they turn out! He was SO CUTE !!!pcdj red key gen

I even stuck a paperclip in for the last couple of pictures for a size comparison...pcdj red key gen

Heehee!pcdj red key gen

Okay, I'm off to bed now!pcdj red key gen

Moving Forward...

You'd think the smell of paint, or rather Kilz (the primer I'm using before the paint) would be considered a "noxious" odor.pcdj red key gen

Apparently you'd be wrong.pcdj red key gen

So, my sister moved out today. I managed to hide behind my computer in the family room for most of the duration of it. Yes, probably a bit cowardly of me, but I really didn't want to deal with another altercation today. When one of her friends that knows us wandered down, I was able to confirm that she'd gotten the apartment she had applied for, so she did actually have somewhere to move her stuff to today as well. I considered this a good thing, and continued to keep to myself. She, too, avoided me. She did not venture down the stairs into the family room, even to see her nephew or to say goodbye. I suspect it may have been better for both of us that she didn't, but I did find myself getting slightly misty-eyed when I heard her say she was done moving her stuff out and was leaving. Misty-eyed or not, I took on some of my mother's stubborness and stayed away. She needs to be doing this on her own anyway.pcdj red key gen

I wonder if tonight is the first night in her new apartment? Or has she been there for a day or two already, sleeping on the floor without her stuff? I remember it being one of those cool moments when I finally found myself alone in my own first apartment. It was a beginning of a new segment in my life for me.pcdj red key gen

After her keys were collected by my husband and she, with her friends, had driven off to go move her stuff into her new place - we went upstairs and surveyed the room.pcdj red key gen

The room that is now going to be turned into my son's bedroom.pcdj red key gen

After some brief discussion, we changed clothes, threw down a plastic dropcloth and started in on "Kilz-ing" the purple, black, and silver paint so that we can paint it "Avalon" blue with white trim and white clouds. There may even be a dragon flying about somewhere - we'll see. Although for that, I'd love to find some rub-on ones, as I'm not as confident in my drawing abilities for that. Perhaps a flying dragon sillouette won't be as difficult though - I'll have to try a sketch first and see.pcdj red key gen

We've primed the ceiling and mostly primed the light purple walls. The first coat of primer is also up over the darker purple walls and much of the window and door trim, although I still have to put the first coat onto the floor trim yet.pcdj red key gen

We went too long though, and even though we had both the windows open and a decent crossbreeze, we both got a little lightheaded and nauseaus (is that spelled right? Pfft. I don't feel like looking it up right now, you know what I mean), and Brian got "loopy" for a bit from the fumes. I couldn't smell them at first, so it didn't hit me until later when it smacked me full force. We'd spent almost three hours straight in there.pcdj red key gen

Needless to say, we ordered pizza and took showers. Although I had to send Brian out for more paint thinner first, as we didn't have enough to get the brush and rollers clean! Eeesh! What a mess! I scrubbed in the shower, but I still have some white left on my arm!pcdj red key gen

I'm all tuckered out now, so I'm going to hit the bed early tonight. I'm hoping to get in a little more (like maybe only a couple hours with frequent breaks this time?) tomorrow before we head off to Brian's folks for dinner.pcdj red key gen

On a side note, while my sister was moving out I spent some of my time working on re-designing my site around MT codes instead of Blogger ones. Except I keep trying to make it in CSS and it won't do everything I want it to do for some reason. If I can just figure out a couple of things, I think I can get it looking close to what I want sometime shortly thereafter. One thing that's bugging me is how to make something in a box that scrolls independent of the rest of the page without using frames. So if anyone has a clue how to do this, feel free to drop me a comment or an e-mail. I've tried setting table cells up and I'm trying to figure out layers instead now, but the code I've found just doesn't seem to do it.pcdj red key gen

Ah, well. It may just have to look like this for a little while longer is all.pcdj red key gen

It's all good.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Paper or Plastic?

Oooh... someone got arrested in front of my house today! State police and everything... Hmmm. State police? Here? Makes me curious, but not so curious as to bother leaving my house to gape with the other neighbors. I actually had a really good view from my kitchen window, technically, but I had better things to be doing than watch the guy wearing handcuffs chatting up the cops who'd just put them on him. From my vantage point it looked like he was getting along famously with them. None of this TV-show "slam him down on the trunk and yell at him" crap. I did find it interesting that a) one of the police cars was an unmarked green sedan, and b) they were nailing some of the speeders as I drove out to run errands. About damned time they got some of them - we've got a lot of people who seem to think the road I live on is a drag strip or something... any time I hear it at night when the windows are open I find myself holding my breath, fearfully waiting for the crash.pcdj red key gen

There ought to be a law....pcdj red key gen

Oh, yeah... there IS! Hmm.pcdj red key gen

So, anyway, I was at the grocery store today, waiting in line with the ten or so other people waiting in the same line as there were only two open for some reason, and I was reasonably relaxed. Despite having just rushed into their bathroom five minutes prior, where I frantically stripped off my jacket for my son to sit on before I unloaded on the potty. I figured I had a good twenty minutes or so in me before I might need the potty again (Irritable Bowel Syndrome - it's not a fun thing to have, but I usually have it under control. Four days of hamburgers leftover from the party did me in though), so I was thinking I could make it. (I did, by the way)pcdj red key gen

I've lately found grocery shopping to be a reasonably relaxing thing - odd for me, since I resist the "housewife" tasks with considerable stubbornness - the smaller grocery store by me is a whole lot friendlier than it's larger sister two towns over, where it's swamped with mean people who think they own the aisles. This is one where the guy in the produce section is starting to know me, as I always need greens or carrots or something for the iguana at the very least.pcdj red key gen

But, no matter what store I go to nowadays, it always amazes me that there is one trait in all the cashiers that seems to be universal... Right when you've finished paying them, they grab up that receipt and anything else the register spits out at them for you, then they fold it up in some impossible way that you would never do yourself, and then they hand it to you.pcdj red key gen

That's not the problem, though. Really. I can refold the receipt.pcdj red key gen

But there's no time.pcdj red key gen

Immediately upon receiving that receipt, it is apparently assumed that you must now vacate the aisle!!!pcdj red key gen

The cashier turns to the next customer, who all but hits you with their cart to get you out of what is now their space as far as they're concerned. They've received their signal - the cashier looking at them and saying hello, asking for their discount card - and it is expected for you to heed this unwritten law that says you must now get out of their way.pcdj red key gen

So, you grab up the wad of receipt and coupons and what-not, and you juggle that, your wallet, your open purse, your squirming son who's decided he wants to lean waaaaaaaaay over in the cart seat, and the handle of the cart so you can awkwardly push it off to the side so you can sort it all out!pcdj red key gen

I don't have that many hands! Perhaps I missed some hand-out (yeah, pun, I know) in the hospital when my son was born where they give you the extra pair of hands required to tend to his upbringing. I think the eyes in the back of my head are starting to grow in, but I may have had a head start on that one when my sister was still little.pcdj red key gen

So there's that. It annoys me every time. Not enough for me to actually turn and say anything, mind you. What would I say?

"Hey, hold on a minute while I get this all sorted out, okay? You know, right here where there's a little counter-like thingy for me to set my purse on? You just wait back there and - hey! No! Don't take his discount card yet! I'm not DONE here!"

Hrmph.pcdj red key gen

And don't even get me started on the baggers. Whoooo boy! My grandfather was once the V.P. of Marketing for this particular chain of stores... I remember my mom telling me how she once held a job at one of them and she had to learn how to "bag properly". Of course they were paper bags then, and you had to bag them properly or they'd break.pcdj red key gen

Instead, now the little jars break when they've all been jammed into one flimsy plastic bag which has a handle that breaks and they all go bouncing on the ground...pcdj red key gen

I actually put things on the conveyer the way my mom taught me - you group the stuff together so that it's easier for the bagger. But in her day, they put an extra bag around your frozen stuff so that it wouldn't melt on all your other groceries. And they tried to weight the bags evenly from side to side. And they gave a damn.

"Would you like help outside and loading your car today ma'am?" they ask me.

The last time I said yes, I had several things get smashed or broken the way the guy tossed them into my trunk. He had no care in the world about actually "helping" me - it was his job, he had to do it, so he did. But he had no pride in doing his job well.pcdj red key gen

I find it ironic that the best baggers are usually the ones who are "mentally handicapped" or whatever the PC term is to use today. Most of them seem to genuinely appreciate their job and try to do it well. The jewel I go to has a very nice young man who takes care of the carts. He may have conversations with himself while he's doing it, but some days I can't find a cart in the lot when I arrive and want one to put my son into... At some stores I've been known to have to move a cart to get into a spot - but not my usual store.pcdj red key gen

What does that say? Do we need to be less "smart" in order to take pride in a job well done again?pcdj red key gen

Of course, when it comes down to "work ethics", we're lacking in a whole lot more areas than just my local grocery store...pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

And on that note...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

No N00dity here, just little ol' me...

So, I was just peering in at my statistics for my site...pcdj red key gen

How on this earth is there a listing under "Links from an external page (other web sites except search engines)" from a celeb-p0rn site??? Yes, I did just spell that wacky to throw off the search engines... Curious (thank goodness I'm not a cat), I clicked it, and ended up on a page boasting the availability of some video on Paris Hilton?? Certainly no links to me on that page! I have to assume it's somehow related to a tuesday is chooseday day when the woman was mentioned in the questions. Now I've got an idea what she looks like - clothed fortunately - although there was some "actual footage" from the video playing over and over that I could have done without. I won't be linking it here - I try to be a reasonably clean site. None of that hanky-shmanky here!pcdj red key gen

Mostly I was thinking how quiet it had been in here lately, so I checked to see if I still had my (five?) readers or not. I just wish there was a way to properly filter out my own IP address so I could stop discounting it. But without getting one that stays the same all the time (which is an expense I can't justify), I'll just have to continue to filter through. I should stop having sitemeter sending me those silly e-mail reports, as they are entirely inaccurate. I am seeing stats through the webhosting service that's giving me more detail, but still can't figure out how to filter me out. Sitemeter can do that, assuming I wanted to log in and change my IP address in their ignore system every time it changes... pfft. Tried that. It got old real quick. I've got way better uses for my time.pcdj red key gen

It's been raining here lately - it will be sunny but cloudy and then five minutes later the sky opens up and dumps on us. It makes for a lot of rushing suddenly around to slam windows shut. The humidity is making everything feel all hot and sticky, even though I know that the temperature is technically just gorgeous. I refuse to turn on the air conditioning if it's technically nice outside - just a little humid! (A little humid? who am I kidding?) I woke up this morning in a damp t-shirt because it got so warm in the bedroom. We had the fan pulling out, as it had been raining last night still and if we put the fan pulling in it gets our bedroom VCR wet. Since that's the newest VCR, and the only one that tapes reliably I kinda want to keep it dry.pcdj red key gen

Anyway, with the humidity hanging on me like this, productivity is down. That and the fact that Saturday is coming. And, on Saturday, starting sometime between 8 and 9 am, my sister will arrive (with boyfriend in tow apparently) to start packing. She's got a truck rental lined up and some other friends arriving at different times - it ought to be an interesting day.pcdj red key gen

It will be good all around though - some of the stress between us will go away when we're not sharing quarters (or rather, when she's not storing her stuff in one of our bedrooms while she stays everywhere but here), and my son will finally get a proper bedroom - one that's not cluttered with the remaining stuff for the remodelling of the upstairs bathroom, including most of my tools, and some other boxes of crap that ended up in there as well. I plan to repaint the room a pale blue for him, with white trim and white clouds. I have to figure out what the right tecnique is to make clouds, along with the right paint... I'm thinking it might be a sponge project, but I'm not sure. I'm going to have to experiment first. And it depends on if I want puffy clouds or wispy clouds - hmmm.pcdj red key gen

Oh boy - another project. I need to start finishing some of these!pcdj red key gen

Ah, well... all in good time!pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

A country without honor...

Well, I spent a chunk of time today re-building some of the titles on my older posts, as well as putting in categories. I'll have to re-categorize some of them later, as "web stuff" is an awfully broad one at the moment - anything from web links to my fiddling with my site. I don't have them all done yet though. It looks like I might not be able to open my archive file from December for some reason, so I may have to give all of the posts for that month new titles instead. It also looks like it didn't grab some posts from earlier (added in from my old web site before I started on Blogger), so I'll have to put those in and then fix the dates...pcdj red key gen

Yadda, yadda, yadda.pcdj red key gen

I also fixed up To Our Children's Children and Quick Shtick Writing today. Both now have categories in the form of chapters so people can follow along easier. I've also moved a couple of links off my personal blogroll to where they really belong - there are two people linking to Quick Shtick Writing, so we're linking back at them. Call it a possible "reader's list" if you will. Yay!pcdj red key gen

I also threw the "rules" page up, but it's the old one from blogger. I haven't had time to fiddle with design in Movable Type yet, and all my tags have changed, so bear with me while I regain my bearings. I'd also like to not have my site in so many frames, but I'm not understanding CSS enough yet to make a proper transition from html on that level. I'm just fiddling about here, learning as I go...pcdj red key gen

Last, but most certainly not least...pcdj red key gen

I don't normally bring up the news on my blog. I want to stay out of that area, as I can frequently see both sides. I don't support the war - I'm a pacifist myself - but at the same time, I can understand some of the possible "why's" that the war might be needed...pcdj red key gen

But there's still no justification for someone wantonly taking the life of an innocent bystander. Soldiers fighting soldiers is one thing - they signed on for it, so to speak - but this incident with Nicholas Berg is entirely unjustified, even in my most liberal moments...pcdj red key gen

My heart goes out to his family members - The shock and pain that I'm feeling over another life being snuffed out cannot even begin to compare to what they must be going through. And the justification for that death is entirely unbalanced... Those men had no right to kill one innocent man just to make a point!pcdj red key gen

I agree that our soldiers have no right tormenting their POWs in any manner. I don't care if it's still "better" treatment than Sadaam was giving. I thought we held ourselves, as Americans, to a higher standard than that. I thought we were trying to be the better men and women.pcdj red key gen

Some days I wonder if we aren't repainting our flag in stripes of blood, and if the stars aren't looking very tarnished about the edges.pcdj red key gen

What happened to our honor?

I pledge allegience,
To the flag,
Of the United States of America,
And to the Republic,
For which it stands,
One nation,
Under God,
Indivisible,
With liberty,
and justice,
for all...

I think that's how it went. And you can define "God" however it suits your needs... perhaps it would fix it if we just pluralized it.pcdj red key gen

With liberty and justice for all. I guess that only applies to other Americans. We apparently can't seem to take that with us on foreign soil. Perhaps we didn't learn the lesson well enough while we stood there each day in school and recited it, hand held over our breast. Or before each ballgame. I guess rote learning doesn't work after all. Considering we have people starving in our own streets. Is that justice? Are the homeless to be considered "liberated"?pcdj red key gen

Where is our HONOR?pcdj red key gen

Where are those men with white gloves and smart blue suits saluting the flag in the recruitment commercials? I thought honor was supposed to be a part of it. The honor of carrying our flag on foreign soil, of representing our country for us...pcdj red key gen

As an American, I am ashamed for us.pcdj red key gen

It would be one thing if we'd gone in and dealt with the situation. But we continue to piddle about trying to negotiate, now that we're already there.pcdj red key gen

What the hell?pcdj red key gen

You don't go blazing halfway through and then stop to compare notes! DO or DON'T - make up your damned minds!pcdj red key gen

I just want to know why it is that we don't just allow the highly trained agents that we "don't have" go over there and deal with the actual troublemakers - quickly, finally, and efficiently. Like the one who claims responsibility for the killing of Nicholas Berg. He's on a "most wanted" list. C'mon - we can do better than that. Some serious undercover work and a well-placed sniper. Perhaps we'd consider that "tax dollars well-used" if it got the job done right the first time. I bet it would actually cost a whole lot less too.pcdj red key gen

Then no innocents would have to be killed. No infrastructure would need rebuilding. No prisoners would have to be taken.pcdj red key gen

I wish we could just take all the world leaders and put them in a boxing ring together to duke it out any time there was a conflict. It would be a whole lot simpler.pcdj red key gen

Do we have any right to be over there? I don't know. If this is a "holy war", which I think it is for them, then no, we don't. We have no right to go over there and tell them what to believe.pcdj red key gen

If it is, as was said, concern about "weapons of mass destruction" that could be unleashed across continents, then yes we do. With the United Nations.pcdj red key gen

Since when are we the policemen for the whole damned world?pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

I'd better stop here... this was going to be a "short" blog tonight.pcdj red key gen

To Nicholas Berg - Good luck on your new journeys... may your next one be filled with joyous experiences instead.pcdj red key gen

Good Night.pcdj red key gen

And now,

Would you rather:
1. one day at a job you like, have your boss catch you masturbating OR sending out resumes to other employers?
Sending resumes (*sigh*). I'm just too "nice" a girl when I'm in an office.
2. be seen on a date with a beautiful woman that was actaully a man OR be seen on a date with a really ugly skank that smelled bad (courtesy of genuine)
Well, seeing as how I'm a woman... I'll take the cross-dresser. Hey, why not?
3. be on a totally nude beach all day long (with no chance of escape) without any kind of sunscreen or shade OR use the nastiest construction-site port-o-potty (out of severe need) that is lacking toilet paper? (courtesy of shaunacat)
Seeing as how I have actually held it until I found a different gas station bathroom - I'm thinking I'm gonna get me some serious sunburn. That'll go away, but I'm a girl and have to "sit" on that nasty potty!
4. be the first one to know the world is ending OR be the last one to know the world is ending? (courtesy of ilgondo)
First. Then you can plan what your last moment will be! Not to mention place yourself somewhere where you'll be knocked off instantly instead of dying in a slow burn or something horrible like that.

The end of my rope...

Blogging is hard today. I have so much on my mind and spilling it all out for the world to see is not something I'm entirely used to when it comes to events such as the one that occurred today. But I need to get it out of my system. I've been dwelling on it all day...pcdj red key gen

Because today I, quite literally, threw my sister out of my house.pcdj red key gen

Okay, I actually chucked her purse out the door so she'd go running after it, which had the same desired effect. Screaming for her to get out of my f&%*#@g house so loud that the neighbors could hear me didn't seem to work. Neither did banging my fist on the kitchen table for emphasis at the time.pcdj red key gen

She is one of the very few people left in this world that can reduce me to an enraged woman, acting on raw emotion. She has put me into tears on numerous occasions, which is the reason she is supposed to move out this summer anyway. It was determined by the end of last summer that she should no longer be living in my house if we wanted any chance of maintaining some sort of relationship.pcdj red key gen

Some background, for those who don't know me personally...

My sister and I are 12 years apart in age.
We have different fathers.
Our mother died in January of 1995.
My sister was 10 years old at that time.
She went to live with her father.
My mother and I had a frequently strained relationship.
I did not move out until I was 21.
I should have moved out sooner.
A few months before I moved out, I tried to commit suicide.
My mother didn't believe me.
She stood in the hospital emergency room and declared it a "stunt".
She never approved of me.
She never believed in me.
She certainly never believed I deserved any respect.
I see a lot of my mother in my sister lately.
When I'm around my sister at those times, I see my mother crawl in under my own skin.
This is not good.
I'm in charge of trust money for my sister from my grandfather's estate.
This is a huge problem between us.
Money has always been the root of all evil in my family.

So, today she comes in - presumably to start packing up her stuff for the big move into her first apartment next weekend. This was pre-arranged, so I knew she'd be in and out this week to get everything packed...pcdj red key gen

She began by coming down and, "oh, by the way", telling me about the problems with her car. This car was purchased with the trust money for her, along with a four-year warantee to get her through college with it. A week and a half ago she decided she wasn't going to go to college anymore, but would go to beauty school while working and having her own apartment instead. She thought she might also take some business classes towards a degree in that so that she could open her own salon one day.pcdj red key gen

"Good luck with that." I told her. "The trust won't pay for beauty school though."pcdj red key gen

Now she feels as if she's being punished for her choices.pcdj red key gen

She doesn't get the trust money until she's 25, and then more at 30. OR, I told her, she could get the first half upon graduation with a bachelor's degree. In my opinion, I have been more than understanding with the trust money helping to pay (her father has been putting in his money towards her schooling as well, mind you) for her first college (she didn't like the dorms, hated all her teachers, and was totally unhappy there) choice, her second college (she seemed happy enough until she came back for the summer!) choice, as well as an "allowance" based on her grades each semester so she'd no longer have to worry about the "stress" of her daily expenses.pcdj red key gen

I have a friend out in the state of New York who would likely faint upon hearing of such a handout. Hell, I would have liked it when I was trying to get my degree - I have my Associates, but the money ran out for me to continue further. Two weeks after I moved out of my mother's house, I got my acceptance letter from the college I wanted to attend. I cried. I was no less able to go there than I had been while living in my mother's home, but it was no less difficult to bear.pcdj red key gen

But, if my sister wants to do beauty school instead - that's her choice. I want her to be happy, no matter what she chooses to do. But I can no longer give her a "free ride" while she makes up her mind. I've had it. I'm pulling the plug. She needs to experience what "real life" is. She's applied for an apartment, she's got two jobs lined up for this summer - she can figure out what it's like to live on the money she earns for once. I've caved in and given her money on one too many occasions.pcdj red key gen

Alright... many too many occasions. I've let her take advantage of me.pcdj red key gen

Well no more.pcdj red key gen

It's bad enough that I'm going to have to repaint her room myself after she's moved out, just so that it can be ready for my son to move into. Nevermind how she promised she'd paint over all that (egads! purple!) paint when she was moving out. But that was said back when she first moved in, so apparently I can't expect to hold her to it. She said a lot of things when she moved in that never happened. How she'd help me out during the pregnancy, how she'd help me with my new son when he arrived, how she'd pitch in with the stuff around the house while she was living there, and how she'd let me know when she was coming and going and ask before bringing people over (and I rarely said no - I just wanted warning so I'd be dressed decently)...pcdj red key gen

I was so excited when she moved in... I thought it was going to be that chance to bond again. That chance to be family.pcdj red key gen

She was hardly ever home. She was too "busy" to help with much at first, so I let it slide. Then she was too busy to bother with anything anymore. She breezed in and out of my house like she owned the place...pcdj red key gen

Wait a minute... I own the place! My house, my rules? WTF happened?pcdj red key gen

And every time we actually did see her, it was nothing but her complaining. She hated her job, for example. Her boyfriend and my husband and I all agreed that she should find a different one. She finally relented and quit the job. We all breathed a sigh of relief - her life would be better now right?pcdj red key gen

A few weeks later, she yelled at me, saying I had "forced" her to quit, and now she was broke and it was all my fault.pcdj red key gen

Like I could "force" her to do anything.pcdj red key gen

And, gosh, what a horrible person I must be to recommend that my sister quit the job that was making her back hurt, giving her lousy hours, not paying enough, and the customers were all a pain too - and don't get me started on some of her managers!pcdj red key gen

Wow... what a bitch I am. Maybe I should join up with those families who don't give a flying F*&K about whether or not their siblings are happy. Maybe I should go back to school for some "insensitive clod" lessons after all...pcdj red key gen

I'm done with this. I've cut her off. The only thing the trust money is going to cover right now is her car insurance, and any real emergencies. And the only reason her car insurance is on there is because it's so damned expensive I know she wouldn't be able to bother owning a car if she had to pay for it herself right now. But she already knows that if she gets into another accident and it's her fault - she's S.O.L. on that one too. The trust is not there to pay for her carelessness or inattentiveness. It's supposed to be there to make sure she gets a decent college education!pcdj red key gen

She told me today that she'd go back to college (the first college - the one she hated?) in the fall instead, just so she'd still have the money...pcdj red key gen

I don't think so.pcdj red key gen

At this point, she can get a student loan or something, like everyone else does. I'm not paying for tuition on "free ride" classes that she's only taking so she doesn't have to live in the real world.pcdj red key gen

Nope. Not gonna do it.pcdj red key gen

But explaining that to her is gonna be hell more than likely.pcdj red key gen

Da bank is closed, the silver spoon has been recalled until further notice.pcdj red key gen

And today is likely going to eat away at me until I have a good cry.pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

Why can't my family be more like my husband's?pcdj red key gen

I see mine just slipping away from me.pcdj red key gen

But I'm so very tired of trying to hold it together anymore.pcdj red key gen

G'night.pcdj red key gen

(P.S. - forgive any spelling/grammar errors tonight - if I preview this it might never get posted, and it ought to be.)pcdj red key gen

Sowwy, no more in-ter-net for joo!!!

BAH !pcdj red key gen

I only just got my Quick Shtick Writing post and my To Our Children's Children post up. The internet was down most of the day...pcdj red key gen

I guess the big storm we were having this-a-ways was doing some sort of havoc on my ISP. My sister even called me to warn me that there were tornado warnings coming out our way, and that there had been a touchdown south of DeKalb or something. Of course DeKalb is about an hour away, so I wasn't too worried. When my husband got home we ran out and rented some movies. After yesterday's party, we just wanted to vegg out tonight. We came back, munched down some leftover burgers, and kicked back on the dual-recliner love seat. Ooooh yeah!pcdj red key gen

After all, it's not like we were going to be playing any online computer games...pcdj red key gen

I felt so disconnected earlier today though - I didn't know what to do! I finished up a Powerpoint slide for my boss and went to send it off to him, and that's when I realized there was no juice! I had to call and have my husband e-mail my boss so that he'd know why his slide wasn't coming back... LOL! Good thing they're both with the same company, or that would seem odd.pcdj red key gen

Hey... why don't they make Band-Aids adhesive bandages that go around the crux of your thumb? They've got them for fingertips and knuckles, but I've got a dry skin problem and a blister from the yard work last Thursday, and the bandages won't stay on. Right now I have a bandage on top of another bandage - and some medical tape holding the topmost bandage together at the ends. But it's all rolling up and trying to peel off. It doesn't help that I wash my hands a gazillion times a day either, getting it inadvertantly wet no matter how hard I try. But I've got a little one-year-old boy, and I've become obsessive on a few preventative measures.pcdj red key gen

Argh... have you ever had a moment when you remember something that needs to get put on the grocery list, and then forget five minutes later - before you've added it to the list? I had that happen to me this morning, and I still can't remember what it was for the life of me. It's been bugging me all day. I know it was important, and something that we don't often need to replenish, but I haven't a clue what it was... I'm hoping that I'll re-think of it tomorrow morning, assuming it's something I'd normally see during my morning routine...pcdj red key gen

*grumble*pcdj red key gen

Ever since the head injury it bothers me a whole lot more when I forget something. I am still bothered by the fact that I can't remember two whole days worth of my life. I don't even remember the actual falling. I find it really interesting how the brain managed to pull that bit out for me. Although I don't seem to have those strange dreams where I'm walking down the sidewalk and suddenly trip up on a crack between the cement squares. I'd always startle awake just before I hit the ground when I dreampt those. Perhaps now that I've actually made contact I don't need to experience the falling anymore? Hmmm.pcdj red key gen

Anyway.pcdj red key gen

That's all for today.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Made it through without the rain!!!

Well, we partied today...pcdj red key gen

*phew*pcdj red key gen

We are now up to our eyeballs in leftover cake, but all the leftovers are put away and the dishwasher is running. My kitchen actually looks less cluttered than it did when I got up this morning - which is an amazing feat.pcdj red key gen

It seemed like everyone who came had a good time (*huge sigh of relief*), and we did have enough burgers and hot dogs for everyone.pcdj red key gen

I found myself running about for most of the day, stealing little moments to sit and eat something, drink something, hover over my son, or snap pictures. I have one roll of pictures that I'm worried I will have nothing from - it seemed to do something odd and I have a feeling that I took and entire roll's worth of pictures on about five frames somehow. And the little lever that would have made that possible was not in that position.pcdj red key gen

I did take a bunch more pictures on a second roll that seemed to be acting properly, but that happened after certain people left - like the one little boy that is around Jareth's age who came and played with him. Of course I totally missed the one point where they were actually throwing something back and forth between each other, but I saw some other very cute moments.pcdj red key gen

Jareth was a little angel, he hardly fussed at all considering there was a chaos of noise and people around him and it was a little warmer than he's been accustomed to lately. He'd taken a good nap in the morning and did cash out for a little while inside during the afternoon. I know he's going to have a good long sleep tonight!pcdj red key gen

Of course, so is my husband, who was running around even more than I was I think, and handled all the grilling duties as well. He was really wonderful today - I don't know how he managed, as I had to sit down at one point and just drink a bunch of water to rejuvinate me from starting to overheat. I swear I ran between my kitchen and my backyard at least 50 times today!pcdj red key gen

I think I'm ready to slip into another "hibernation" period and reduce my "social interactions" to a more reasonable grouping schedule. Including us, there was 26 people - and there was about two hours where everyone was in attendance all at once even. Thank goodness the weather held! I had no idea how I might fit them all into my house without having to divide and conquer, sending different groups to different rooms. Although, even in the back yard we did develop two areas where people migrated to and from. One was in the shade on our patio (where the food was) and the other was on chairs moved out into the yard under the shade of a tree (which shed little bitty leaves on them).pcdj red key gen

Overall, I was amazed once again at how so many different people can get along when thrown together in a comfortable party atmosphere. The people I thought might clash - didn't. It was terrific. And there were even people "my own age" who came too!pcdj red key gen

Oh, and for those who might be wondering - my uncle's pants were actually intact for once! *throws arms up and cheers*pcdj red key gen

Now then, I'm totally wiped though, so I'm off to bed.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

P.S.... and a Happy Mother's day to any moms reading this!!!pcdj red key gen

Countdown...

Well, we're in the last stages of getting ready for the party. Looks like, throughout the day, we'll have a grand total of 26 people at our house - some large, some very small - enjoying the cake and ice cream and burgers and hotdogs we've got for them. Most every grouping (couple, family, etc.) is bringing a dish of some kind too, so we'll hopefully have plenty of food.pcdj red key gen

The balloons are blown up, they just need hanging. The floors are washed or vaccumed. The lawn is mowed. The tables are unburied from within the garage.pcdj red key gen

Let's just hope there isn't rain.pcdj red key gen

It's a barbeque... that's an outside thing.pcdj red key gen

Not to mention I'm not entirely sure I have room for 20-26 people in my house all at one time!pcdj red key gen

At least there's a roof over the patio, so the barbequing can still happen regardless, and some people can still sit out there.pcdj red key gen

I think the hardest decision I'll have tomorrow will be what to wear.pcdj red key gen

Lemme sleep on that one...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

That Birthday Business...

So, yesterday was my little one's very first birthday! I was planning to document his whole day in pictures (after all, gotta try out the new camera... right?), but totally forgot until after breakfast. He had his first experience with one of my husband's breakfasts - usually reserved for the weekends. This time it was pancakes, which Jareth seemed to enjoy.pcdj red key gen

After his post-breakfast bottle, we headed outside to play. This meant that Jareth played - his first chance to be let "loose" to crawl about and check out our back yard - while we did some yardwork, taking turns making sure he didn't put the sticks that seemed to fascinate him into his mouth. We did have one instance where I managed to get the three pieces of wood/bark out of his mouth before he swallowed them (or worse, choked!), but otherwise a fun time was had by... well, by him anyway. We, on the other hand, made a small dent in the back yard - getting rid of some of the nastier weeds. I did get a bunch of pictures of him outside though!pcdj red key gen

Then, there was bathing by all and Jareth's naptime while I baked his cake. The cake was delicious, if a little lopsided, but he didn't seem to notice. He was fascinated by the candle, which got blown out a moment before he managed to get his hand up to touch the flame. (hot is one thing - burnt is bad) And he checked out the cake some, but didn't do much destroying it - he was too curious instead of destructive. In the end, we fed him some with forks and "helped" eat it, as the cake was too large for one little boy to consume without causing a serious tummyache. I also made cupcakes from the remaining batter, so we're still getting to munch on cinnamon-swirl cupcakes with white frosting. Very yummy.pcdj red key gen

He later got his first presents - a leapfrog drum from me (I'm too lazy to link tonight, sorry) and a pair of swimming trunks for this summer, and a really cool "Tails" book from Brian. Naturally, the most exciting things to Jareth were the gold ribbon and silver bow from the wrappings.pcdj red key gen

Anyway, that's most of yesterday. I burned through two rolls of film, so I'll have pictures sometime next week probably, so I might post one or two. In the meantime, I need to finish all the prep work for Sunday's bash. So that's all for now...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Happy Birthday Jareth!!!

It's my little guy's very first birthday today!!!pcdj red key gen

Yay!!!pcdj red key gen

More details later...pcdj red key gen

Baaaaalllooooooon!!

Okay... this is evil, wonderful, stupid, fun:pcdj red key gen

balloon on stringpcdj red key gen

More of his stuff herepcdj red key gen

enjoy!pcdj red key gen

Another Cog In The Week...

Well, tomrrow is my son's birthday. One year ago, right now, I think we were at the hospital by this point. My husband had gotten a whole 20 minutes of sleep before I woke him up to tell him I was pretty sure it was time. Jareth hadn't spun around to give me back labor yet, so the going was still pretty good - the pain was bearable, especially when sitting in certain positions. They gave me some Nubane to take the edge off, but I was still hoping I'd get through without the epidural. Later on, the back labor (when the baby is positioned so that each contraction makes you get whacked in the back with a little head) changed all that...pcdj red key gen

Today was another hectic day - planning for Sunday's party, getting some paid work done, clearing up some more clutter, and my first visit with the new therapist. While I was off being theraputical, my husband took our son, "the chick magnet", out shopping for supplies and his birthday gift for Jareth. He said it that way to get me back for my one-minute-thirty-second "affair" while driving. Good. Now we're even again! Mwahaha... It's true though - my son is a "chick magnet". My father-in-law noticed it first, and I think he's jealous that he can't remember back that far in his own life - he keeps seeing my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and myself all fawning over Jareth. Oh, the trail of broken hearts he'll leave behind one day... LOL!pcdj red key gen

Speaking of fawning over my son - Brian is staying home tomorrow for Jareth's actual birthday. He's making breakfast (which will probably be Jareth's first pancakes) and I'll bake the birthday cake. I'm going to have to figure out my camera better tonight so I can take pictures. I haven't had time to really read the manual yet, so I won't be trying anything fancy. By Saturday I'll know how my bounce flash tests went with the other camera too, so hopefully the Sunday pics will be decent. Tomorrow I'll have to keep it simple. But he's got presents to unwrap and will have a little cake to destroy (ack!), so I've gotta get pics.pcdj red key gen

Sheesh it got dry today! I hardly ever use hand lotion as it's generally greasy, but I've used it five times today! One part of my hand is even peeling... how odd. I've also developed this strange habit of checking the back of my head for the barette that's not there now that my hair is short. For some odd reason I keep feeling like I just have it pulled back... phantom hair??? *shrug*pcdj red key gen

Anyway, I need to get the camera set up and then head off for some sleep...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Hairs, Bears and Other Affairs...

So today I ran all over taking care of some of the errands...pcdj red key gen

1st stop - my in-laws' house, where my father-in-law proclaimed my camera to be in good shape. *Yipee!* I gave him back the one I'd been borrowing, and left some pictures of Jareth with him for Brian's grandmother, who my father-in-law was going to see later in the day. Saved me a stamp, and hopefully brightened her day too. Grandmother's got first picks out of some of the recent pictures (which means I pick some of the best ones and set them aside - I take turns between the Grandmothers, Brian's mom, Brian's sister, my sister, and my uncle - after that I might have the four lousiest pictures left of the 2nd set of prints. The first set goes directly into the little albums I'm using to cronicle the pictures), but I haven't had a chance to mail them out yet. They accidentally moved down in my stack of stuff to do - out of sight, out of mind. I've got more pictures being developed now and I'll be taking a bunch on Thursday and Sunday, so I'll wait to mail the other grandmother her pics once I've got the more recent ones to send too. My mother-in-law gets the most of the second prints - she is so smitten with him!pcdj red key gen

2nd stop - back home to double-check which day I'd scheduled the hair appointment for - and lo and behold it was for today. Took note, hit the bathroom, grabbed another diet soda, and headed back out.pcdj red key gen

3rd stop - dropped off film. Boooooring!pcdj red key gen

4th stop - stopped at a grocer who sent us a coupon for a free birthday cake. Turns out I don't need to order it after all, just show up Saturday with the coupon and pick one out. Yay! Free cake!!pcdj red key gen

5th stop - off to find the hair salon as I haven't been there. I figured I'd scope out it's location and then find something quick for lunch. I figured wrong. I went up and down the same road about four times before I finally pulled in at a McBlahnold's and called them. By that point, there was no time for food (I certainly wasn't going to eat there!) so we scooted back up the road with landmarks this time and found the place easily...pcdj red key gen

Mind you, I didn't mention to my husband that I had made two appointments at the salon. One for my son, and one for me! Now we both have happy new haircuts. I got mine short-short this time, although not as high wedged as I used to do. It's always weird when I get my hair cut short - I turn my head and don't get hair falling in my eyes or whapping me in the face... It feels strange, but at the same time leaves me feeling invigorated.pcdj red key gen

6th stop - the party stuff store, where I had a 20% off coupon I made darn good use of. Got wrapping paper, Winnie The Pooh loot bags, loot to put in them, crepe paper (is that spelled right? *shrug*), balloons, ribbons and more. Most of the party stuff is in blues - not because he's a boy necessarily, but because we always do the green/yellow/white thing, and I don't feel like being so predictable this year. I think I've got wrapping paper covered until Christmas comes along again. I figured I might as well get it while I had the discount, and it was already cheaper than getting it at the grocery store. I've still got to get cards and food, but I'm getting closer to ready.pcdj red key gen

7th stop - errr... wait. There was no 7th stop - that's the point when we came home. *whew*pcdj red key gen

Oh, and on the way to the party stuff store, I had an affair.pcdj red key gen

No, no... not the traditional affair, that ends up in divorce and misery... the one minute affair. Cute guy, in the car behind me. He breezes up in his sports car with the windows open and tossing his hair about. Dark and brooding type, with a beard and mustache similar to what my husband has. A look of carefree self-confidence on his face - remarkable considering the shape that poor sports car was in - and he drove the speed limit.pcdj red key gen

Okay, so maybe his car wasn't capable of more than 40 miles an hour, I dunno. But he was good looking nonetheless, and I was totally checking him out in the rearview mirror while we were at the stoplight.pcdj red key gen

Then some tan-colored minivan got between us, and it was over. But, in the approximately one minute and 30 seconds that we were both at the stoplight and then moving forward, my mind filled in this lurid affair.pcdj red key gen

Okay, so it wasn't actually very lurid - we only got to the kissing, and he's probably not really that good of a kisser anyway, but in my mind he was.pcdj red key gen

Then *POP*, hello minivan, goodbye mystery guy - forever to remain so.pcdj red key gen

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is probably the closest I'd ever come to actually having an affair. We have an understanding - we're allowed to look, but if either of us started to want to touch... well that's the point we sit down and talk about stuff. The trick is, I rarely bother looking, so cute guy today caught me off guard. The thing is - I like what I've got right here at home.pcdj red key gen

And I think Brian even likes my haircut. My neck is exposed now and he was kissing the back of it earlier. Mmmmm.pcdj red key gen

Aaaaaanyway...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

And now,

today is a special celebrity edition of tuesday is chooseday!

Would you rather:
1. while camping, have to cut your arm off with a pocket knife because it got stuck under a boulder and you were trapped for three days OR suck snake venom out of a snake bite in richard simmons' ass?
I'll take Simmons' ass over losing an arm, but if it were just a finger I might change my mind.
2. have both your feet amputated at the ankles OR be in a 10 round, bare-fisted, cage match with mike tyson?
Amputate. I'm more likely to live through that.
3. perform oral sex for 2 minutes on paris hilton OR anna nicole smith?
Who? and... Who? ahh... eenie, meenie, miney... Anna Nicole Smith. Just because I've actually heard her name before. Well maybe I've heard of the other one too, but... Maybe I am getting old after all. *sigh*
4. be in a big-budget, action flick with paul reubens (pee wee herman) OR a low-budget, artsy film with jesse ventura?
Jesse Ventura any day! Keep slimey pee wee away from me!

pcdj red key gen

Books, Cameras, and Planning Parties...

First off, the following from over on This is My Body, This is My Blood. Ellie has shared her real identity in the hopes of raising some funds to visit her daughters as one of them is graduating from massage school this summer, and she hasn't gotten to meet her two newest grandchildren yet. Here's a bit from her blog on how she's raising the funds...

" Anyone who has enjoyed these blogs and wants to send a few bucks has my heartfelt gratitude, however, I'd also like to offer a special deal. I have a couple cases of Loose Ends: A Journaling Tool for tying up the Incomplete Details of Your Life and Heart leftover from a workshop. I happen to be the author of that nifty little workbook. Deposit $25 or more in the "Send Ellie Packing" fund, I'll ship two signed copies of Loose Ends; one for you and one for a friend--a package worth $31 including shipping. Send $40 or more and I'll include a signed copy of Journaling from the Heart: A Writing Workshop in Three Parts--that's a $46 deal. Wrote that one, too, but it costs more to print and I don't have as many copies on hand. You can send your payment through Paypal to pinkadellie@yahoo.com or email me for an address to to send a check, if you prefer. Be sure to include a shipping address so I know where to send your stuff. You can read lots of really good reviews (and one bad one) of these books at amazon by clicking here and here but amazon.com takes 60% off the top--plus shipping--so please order them through me if you're able."

Of course I just want one copy of the Loose Ends,... book, so I've dropped a comment asking if she'll cut a direct deal for just one.pcdj red key gen

In other news, my camera finally arrived today!! Woohoo!! Tomorrow I'm going to drop by to have my father-in-law check it out for me. He knows all the ins and outs of this camera and can tell me if it's in good shape or not. It looks okay to me, but *pfffft* on my abilities to know the difference.pcdj red key gen

Got up really late this morning. So late that it wasn't morning by the time I got up. I did so well last week, getting up at a reasonable hour if not earlier every day, but today was kaput. Got appointments set up for Jareth this week, and am making lists for the things I'll need for Sunday. It's been a long, long time since I've thrown an actual party. I've done Thanksgiving, but that involves turkey, not crepe paper and balloons. I did find some spring-form pans while I was shopping last week that ought to work great for a mini round two-layer cake for my son. The rest of the batter from the cake mix will go into cupcakes so it won't get wasted. I expect that any weight loss achieved by running around this week will likely reinvent itself through those cupcakes. Eep.pcdj red key gen

The diet starts in January... oh, wait... it's May. Damn.pcdj red key gen

Actually, the died did start in January, and is still in effect, it just keeps getting interrupted!pcdj red key gen

And the diet was defined by me,and basically meant trying to eat healthier foods and smaller portions at mealtimes, and snacking (hopefully also healthy foods) between meals. Non-healthy foods, like chocolate, are allowed - just in moderation, i.e. actually sticking to the portion size. I allow myself one serving of chocolate most night, which means five pieces of the particular chocolates I've been buying lately. But I've found that those five pieces are enough, and I don't need to continue my way further down into the bag.pcdj red key gen

Wheat Thins, on the other hand, have been the bane of my diet's existence...pcdj red key gen

One day, I will win this battle, and fit into my sexy pants again. *grin*pcdj red key gen

It will probably help when I can unbury the exercise machine from when we rearranged the room. It's buried under my files boxes at the moment. Maybe next week I can finish that project...pcdj red key gen

Ahh, wishful, wistful, thoughts...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

And Now Begins The Long, Long Week...

Next Thursday is my son's first birthday. Next Sunday, we're doing a bbq party for my son's birthday and for mother's day. We've got some family and friends coming over...pcdj red key gen

Thus, I have to clean the house.pcdj red key gen

Or at least make it look like I cleaned the house.pcdj red key gen

Either way, it's a lot of work.pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

I've already got a list going, with at least 8 things on it, all kind of general. One thing I have to find time to squeeze in is to get my son's hair cut somewhere. Another includes buying some party stuff - balloons, crepe paper, etc. Another item is to get groceries for the bbq. Plenty of errands for me to do this week, including scheduling in my son's one-year doctor's appointment as well.pcdj red key gen

I haven't even begun and I'm already tired.pcdj red key gen

On a frustrating note - my camera still isn't here. I'm really hoping it comes tomorrow. The guy gave me a shipping number, but the last thing US Postal knows about it is that it was picked up.pcdj red key gen

On a fun note, we went garage-sailing... er... sale-ing, yesterday and found ourselves a new dining room table. It's black faux marble with black trim and has four black chairs to go with it. Since I'm going for a black/white/steel/some blue accents theme in the kitchen, it will fit right in. Basically, I need to remodel my kitchen to look like it's appliances at this point. But that's a whole other project we're not quite ready to start yet. But it'll have to be soon, the floor is starting to come apart. That's one of the rooms in our house we can't allow our son to crawl about in right now.pcdj red key gen

On an odd note, my sister has decided to chuck it all in, leave her current college, and go to beauty school instead while taking some business classes on the side, working a couple of jobs and having her own apartment...pcdj red key gen

In the end, I don't care what she does for a career, so long as it's not illegal and she enjoys it. But, at this point, I'm not holding my breath on any career choice until she's got a certificate/diploma/degree/or whatever in her hands and is embarking on the actual career.pcdj red key gen

And with her moving to her own place, she's going to be starting to move her stuff out of our house soon, which will add to the coming chaos.pcdj red key gen

All this stuff going on around me, and I'm not feeling my best today. I've had splitting headaches for three days running now, and some other problems including an aching back and a slightly strained muscle in my leg. Not a good way to start a week where I need all the energy I can get...pcdj red key gen

Cross your fingers I hold up, eh?pcdj red key gen

Maybe I'll feel all better in the morning...pcdj red key gen

In the meantime, though. I ought to sleep.pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen

Snoring through your B.A....

So, I wasn't going to blog today. I was feeling totally wiped and had a splitting headache and dropped into bed super early tonight, around 7pm. Since I wasn't sure if I was taking a nap or crashing for the night, my husband checked in on me around 9pm. I decided I was just going to stay in bed.pcdj red key gen

Then my husband came to bed. My sweet, wonderful, loving, snoring husband...pcdj red key gen

*sigh*pcdj red key gen

Between the process of him coming in to the bedroom and crawling into bed, and the snoring, I woke back up.pcdj red key gen

*grumble*pcdj red key gen

The usual trick where I shake the bed and he shifts a little in his sleep to compensate didn't work tonight - he would just start snoring again in the new position. To prevent myself from giving in to the urge of reaching over and smacking him - I got up. So, here I am at 11:37 pm, now typing away.pcdj red key gen

At least I won't end up missing a day of blogging after all!pcdj red key gen

Yeah, yeah... silver lining... yadda yadda yadda grumble.pcdj red key gen

So, anyway...pcdj red key gen

Last night I get this spam in one of my business e-mail boxes, boasting it can SELL me a university degree???!!!pcdj red key gen

"No one is turned down!", and "Confidentially assured", it told me!pcdj red key gen

Well, how silly of me to be coveting the hard coursework that will one day hopefully come with finishing my Bachelor's degree! Why, I could just purchase it, like any other lazy-assed scumbag on the planet...pcdj red key gen

It says it's "verifiable", indicating they have some shmuck sitting at a phone number somewhere to answer it "such-and-such University" and "confirm" your status as one of their Alumni. I wonder if there's a sliding scale to purchase your GPA? And, I dare say, I do wonder what one has to shell out in order to screw the rest of us people who've worked for what they've gotten so far... $100? $1,000? $10,000??? I really hope that the people doing this scam get theirs one day. They ought to be ashamed. And so should anyone who buys one of their "degrees". That, in and of itself, proves you're a moron and don't deserve a degree... at least in my book.pcdj red key gen

okay, /rant off.pcdj red key gen

I have a little bowl of baby carrots to munch on, and I'm now going to play on my computer instead of working on this site or doing anything else that might be construed as productive. (like find a spellchecker for my browser so that I don't have to be constantly looking up words like "construed" to make sure I've spelt them right).pcdj red key gen

Probably no more posts tonight, so...pcdj red key gen

G'night!pcdj red key gen