May 01, 2007
Ten political figures & what you think of them
1. President Bush: I appreciate his sense of humor, commitment to family and his sense of morals but I think he's also horribly misguided, picks terrible advisors, and doesn't realize that sometimes you have to be flexible and change the direction you are going in!
2. Al Gore: I wish that he was a candidate for president because I like him best. I especially appreciate his dedication to saving the environment. He seems to be a good family man with a sense of morals too.
3. Barack Obama: He just seemed to come out of nowhere, didn't he? I read his first book and was impressed by his honesty about himself as he came to grips with who he is. If Al Gore doesn't run, he would be my choice for the next president.
4. Hillary Clinton: She would probably make the most successful president because she is tough as nails and knows how to get things done. Maybe she would be like Lyndon Johnson, knowing how to use the connections she has to get the bills passed. I just don't care for her personality. She seems very cold and calculating.
5. Rudy Guliani: I admire his behavior during 9/11. I didn't ever live in the city so I don't know how he was as an administrator but he displayed all the qualities I would look for in a leader to feel confident and reassured during such a horrible time--God forbid we should ever have anything like that again!
6. Edward Kennedy: Okay, it's time to retire!
7. Tony Blair: calm and steadfast in the face of an unpopular war his country's become embroiled in. However, he is much more flexible than our president!
8. Kim Jong Il: I think this guy's more dangerous than Saddam Hussein was, why aren't we worried about him?
9. Umar al-Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir : This is a dangerous man too! Yes, there are sanctions against The Republic of Sudan but this man is horrible, on the same level as Adolf Hitler as far as I'm concerned!
10. Mahatma Ghandi: Okay, I know he is no longer alive but he was truly a person to admire and emulate. Why aren't there more people like him in the world?
April 24, 2007
Ten on Tuesday
Top 10 Things You Like to Do Alone
1. Go to the bathroom. Does that seem strange? I know that some don't mind company in the bathroom be it a spouse in a house but not me! The door is closed and we can talk later. Same thing for the infamous ladies' room. I prefer to travel alone there and not in a gaggle because all I want to do is do my business and get out.
2. Read
3. Drive
4. Shop
5. Listen to music
6. Go sit on the beach and think
7. Go to a movie
8. Daydream
9. Pay bills
10. Eat
Bear in mind that I can do all of the above (except #1 for reasons previously stated 
) with other people--I just enjoy doing these things alone too!
April 18, 2007
Play
We're impatiently waiting for more spring like weather too! Our play has been indoors lately. This picture was taken at the Children's Museum.
April 17, 2007
Childhood Idols
10 Idols/Heroes When You Were a Kid
These would be from about 1960 to 1967, when I was about 6-13.
1. Roy Rogers
2. John Wayne
3. Vic Morrow (Sgt. Saunders from Combat)
4. Lorne Greene (Ben Cartwright from Bonanza)
5. Peter Breck (Nick Barkley from The Big Valley
6. Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows)
7. My grandmother! I was just thinking...gee all older men and no women so far, what's up with that? And then I remember my grandmother who really should be #1 on this list
8. My geography teacher, Mr. Serio, my male idol under the age of 35
9. William Shatner (Captain Kirk, Star Trek)
10. DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy, Star Trek)
Yes, crusty Dr. McCoy made it to my list and not one of the pop teen idols at the time. like Dack Rambo, Jay North, Sajid Khan or the Monkees. I liked all the teen idols but they were not idols or heroes to me, they were more like contemporaries. Looking at the list, it seems like I was looking for a strong father figure mostly.
April 11, 2007
Spring
This picture was taken last Easter Sunday, a day that was so lovely and mild TB and Kristin just had to start up the garden!
April 10, 2007
10 High School Memories
10 Highschool Memories
1. Our graduating class was so big we had to have our own building in our sophomore year, called the "Annex". It was in this old decrepit building in downtown Baltimore, several miles from the main high school which housed the juniors and seniors. We really developed an attachment to that old building, it was weird moving on to the main school.
2. I remember Mr. Hiller, our oddball guitar teacher. He sang off key but he knew his stuff about playing the guitar!
3. The Ethnomusicologial Society--Mr. Hiller said joining would look great on our resumes and he was right! And basically we were just a roving folk guitar group. We had so much fun with our before-school "coffee houses"
4. I will never forget December 13, 1972: that day, one of our custodians went berserk, stabbed two security guards with a machete, took a girl hostage and barricaded himself in the room next door to our psychology class. When the SWAT team arrived, we had to lie on the cold floor for hours. I could hear the hostage crying and pleading to God to help her and for the man to "get that knife away from her neck". The man sounded crazy and he kept yelling, "There's no God and I'm going to kill you!" He finally let the girl go and the SWAT team blew him away.
5. The seniors had a "lounge" in the cafeteria...made up of smaller cafeteria tables for 4 and only us 12th graders could use it. We felt so cool! It didn't matter that last year it belonged to the seniors and we were so jealous!
6. My psychology teacher would take some of the students to "The Pink Hippo" in downtown Baltimore. I never went but I sure was tempted!
7. When I would play hooky from school, my favorite place to go was the Enoch Pratt Free Library. What a nerd!
8. Our principal was having an affair with our drama teacher!
9. I had to have surgery toward the end of my senior year and missed out on a lot of fun stuff!
10. We wore white formal gowns to our graduation in June, 1973 and it was held at the Baltimore Civic Center.
April 07, 2007
Spring Reading Thing
I'm getting started on this a little late but as the saying goes: better late than never!
I am so glad that I found this site. I love to read and so this just fits in with one of my favorite activities.
Here are the rules:
Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this spring. Your list can be as long or as short as you'd like.Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky below.
Get reading! The challenge goes from today, March 21st, through June 21st.
Check out other participants' lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!
If you're so inclined, write reviews of the books you read along the way.
Write a post about your challenge experience in June, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how the Spring Reading Thing went for you.
I'm not as fast a reader as I used to be and so my list is going to be modest to start. I figure I can read a book in a week to 10 days.
My list:
Pervasive Developmental Disorder: A Different Perspective by Barbara Quinn & Anthony Malone
I am reading this one to get a better understanding of what is going on with Tomas.
Cell by Stephen King, my favorite horror author. This one is better than many of his books recently written!
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling--I figure I better get this one read before the last one comes out, eh?
Living Well With Depression & Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need To Know by John McManamy
I'm reading this one because the females in this house have one thing or the other
On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I'm reading this one because my goal has been to read a classic for every 3 other books I read.
Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio because it's on Oprah's list and because it looked like a good read to me. I am drawn to hardship tales told by precious girl/orphan children.
Do you want to participate too? Go to Callapidder Days and sign up!
April 04, 2007
Happiness Is ...
...precious time spent with family and loved ones!
This picture was taken last July at the Cape May Lighthouse. We sure did enjoy our vacation with three of the grandchildren from Tennessee, Brandon, Ryan & Taylor. We miss them! And Billy, our son who has been away at college, will be home next month!
April 03, 2007
The Movie Meme
Here is something fun I picked up from Red Nose
Meme At The Movies
1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
I would love to say Forrest Gump but it's not that. It might be Casablanca but more than likely it is The Great Escape or West Side Story which are 2 family favorites we saw over and over and over again during my childhood and then again when I married Rich and we had the kids.
2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in the theater.
As an adult, it was The Jazz Singer with Neil Diamond because I just absolutely love his music. When I was younger I had this inexplicable crush on Charlton Heston and saw Hijacked about 3 times in one day.
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Tom Hanks, he's versatile and can do anything! He is my favorite actor right now.
4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Adam Sandler
5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
Forrest Gump--life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get and stupid is as stupid does!
6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
West Side Story
7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Singin in the Rain
8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see.
Just one???? There are too many! Definitely Casablanca. Also: To Kill A Mockingbird
9. Name a movie that you own.
I think I've got over 100 DVDs. My most recent purchases: Blood Diamond, Shenendoah, and How the West Was Won
10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Jamie Foxx--I think he did comedy? And he sings? He sure has impressed me with the movies he's made!
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
Many times! I think the last movie I saw at the drive-in was E.T.
12. Ever made out in a movie?
Funny, I never went there on a date!
13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't yet gotten around to it.
Neverland and many others
14. Ever walked out of a movie?
Yes, I had to walk out before the end of Saving Private Ryan because I couldn't handle any more gore. Excellent movie...I just couldn't handle the grisly details.
15. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
Several, including Terms of Endearment
16. Popcorn?
Yes, please, large and with extra butter!
17. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
When Billy worked at the theater, we were going every week. But I have a feeling we haven't been in about a year. The last one we saw .... oops, just saw the next question!
18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?
King Kong.
19. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Comedy or Action
20. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Snow White
21. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Some stupid thing about garbagemen with Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen. Yeesh!
22. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Rocky Horror Picture Show
23. What is the scariest movie you've seen?
The original Night of the Living Dead
24. What is the funniest movie you've seen?
It's hard to pick just one but I'll force myself and choose Harvey
This meme was a lot of fun! If you have a weblog or a place to post, please feel free to borrow this meme and pass it along!
Spring!
10 Things You Love About Springtime
1. The weather is milder
2. You can go to the beach on a beautiful day and not have to pay to park
3. Blossoming flowers, beginning with the daffodils
4. Robins come back
5. You can go for a walk in a park and not have to worry too much about ticks yet
6. The sun stays out longer
7. Hope comes with each spring as new life grows
8. Outdoor events begin thanks to the milder weather
9. I can go on nice long walks with Tomas before the school bus comes
10. Billy will be home for the summer in May
March 29, 2007
Ten On Tuesday
Ten Movie Characters You Love
It's going to be hard to pick just 10! These are the first 10 I could think of:
1. Forrest Gump, from Forrest Gump
2. Elwood P. Dowd, from Harvey
3. Rick Blaine, from Casablanca
4. Grandma from Parenthood
5. M'Lynn Eatenton from Steel Magnolias
6. Aurora Greenway from Terms of Endearment
7. Rooster Cogburn from True Grit
8. Garth from Second Hand Lions
9. Hub from Second Hand Lions
10. Cole from The Sixth Sense
March 20, 2007
Ten Things I Hate Doing
1. Getting my blood drawn (I'm due for that now)
2. Getting a mammogram (today)
3. Getting the annual pap (soon)
4. Sitting in a doctor's office
5. Driving over bridges
6. Driving on turnpikes, throughways, and other fast highways
7. Throwing up
8. Giving up on something because it hurts too much to do it (like bowling)
9. Organizing a big mess
10. Spilling food on myself
March 13, 2007
Ten on Tuesday
10 Favorite Albums
Gosh, only 10! In no particular order:
1. The Joshua Tree by U-2
2. Storytellers by Meatloaf
3. The Rising by Bruce Springsteen
4. An Innocent Man by Billy Joel
5. Graceland by Paul Simon
6. The Stranger by Billy Joel
7. Ray Sings/Basie Swings by Ray Charles & the Count Basie Orchestra
8. Story of a Life by Harry Chapin
9. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
10. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles
March 06, 2007
Ten on Tuesday
10 Things You'd Like to Learn How to Do
1. Say NO and stick to it!
2. Knit or crochet, seems very relaxing
3. portrait photography
4. finish my stories, heh heh
5. write compelling letters of interest to publishers and agents
6. earn a living online
7. organizational skills
8. observation skills
9. html & css
10. how to fix computers when they go snap crackle pop
February 28, 2007
Forever Odd & Wednesday Mind Hump
What a nice coincidence that I finish reading a book and one of my favorite memes is about that very topic.
I know that a lot of people loved reading Forever Odd by Dean Koontz. This book is the second in a series about a strange loveable young man named Odd Thomas. Odd is cursed or blessed with the ability to see dead people but, unfortunately, they don't talk. Usually he can figure out what it is that they want. Most are victims of crimes and so Odd helps the local police catch the bad guy and the traumatized spirit move on. Odd himself was traumatized in the first book in a real twist of an ending. I guess I was expecting more from this book because unlike everyone else, I was pretty disappointed.
There's lots of fast paced action and there are twists. What I missed are characters I care about. There's Odd, of course, and maybe it should have been enough that he was the star of the book. I found myself missing his friends, though, the ones who helped him through his emotional crisis: the sheriff, sheriff's wife, the fat writer, and the kind hearted boss lady. I was introduced to a new friend, one who suffers from brittle bones (Osteogenesis imperfecta). Koontz goes into great detail about the disease and Odd talks about how much his friend Danny has suffered...and I just didn't care. It didn't hook me.
Danny's been kidnapped by 3 psychos led by a particularly sick and twisted sister named Datura. I totally detested her and her two goons. There was absolutely nothing redeemable about them and so I was totally turned off by some of the banter between Odd and Datura. Ugh. I cheered at Datura's bloody end but the end of the book didn't come soon enough for me. There was an iterminable and mind boggling chase before the end of the story finally came. I kept wondering, why doesn't this bad guy just give up? What's the point? Is he driven by some kind of implied voodooism? I don't know.
It was an okay book. Maybe it's just me. I hope I enjoy the next one more. Personally, I give this one a 5.
What is the last book you read? Wow, see above!
Who is your favorite character in the book? Odd Thomas
Did you enjoy the book? To be honest, not that much
Would you recommend the book to others? No
February 27, 2007
Tuesday Memes
10 Things You Would Do if You Were Younger
1. Learn how to parasail
2. Wind surf
3. Go scuba diving
4. Try out for Survivor
5. Try out for The Amazing Race
6. Finish my degree and get a master's
7. buy a cool looking car
8. sail around the world
9. learn to appreciate what I have at a younger age
10. get in touch with/stay in touch with old friends from high school
Do you wish you would…spend less or more time:
Watching TV and why? A little less, I guess...I have more important things to do
On your computer and why? Ah, well, to b more specific: less time on the Internet because it takes away from my writing time
With your family and why? More...hey no one ever died wishing they'd spent less time with their family!
Dedicated to your career and why? Less...perhaps I wouldn't have such debilitating injuries in my hands to deal with
Concentrating on yourself and why? More ... I put myself last even when I shouldn't
February 25, 2007
a How Rare Is Your Personality & Other Sunday Memes
| Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP) |
Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm.
Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving. How Rare Is Your Personality? |
| You Will Be a Cool Parent |
 You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant! |
Name your seven favorite pieces of American architecture.
1. The White House
2. The Washington Memorial
3. The Lincoln Memorial
4. The Wall (Vietnam War Memorial)
5. The Jefferson Memorial
6. The Smithsonian -- the original, the castle
7. The Empire State Building
- Soldier :: hero
- Lipton :: tea
- Reason:: purpose
- Terms :: of engagement
- Positive :: negative
- Example :: for instance
- Legacy :: remembrance
- Solo :: alone
- Instrument :: guitar
- Later :: not now
February 24, 2007
Saturday Memes
Yeah, four posts today, I'm amazed too!
The Saturday Special Meme
Book Value
1. Favorite Book You've Read?: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2. Favorite Book Character?: Claire Fraser from the above titled book
3. Favorite Book Genre?: It's hard to pick just one
4. Hardcover or Paper Back?: Paperback because it's getting too hard to hold a hard back in my hands anymore
Saturday Six
1. Rating them on a scale of one to ten, which of the following aspects of your life would you think rates the highest: mind, body or spirit? Spirit
2. Rating them on a scale of one to ten, which of the following aspects of your life would you think rates the lowest: friends/family, love or finance? Finance
3. Considering all six categories, which do you think would rank closest to the middle, a "5"? Mind
4. Take the quiz: How does your life rate?
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  6.3 |
| Mind: | 5.6 |
| Body: |  3.3 |
| Spirit: |  8 |
| Friends/Family: |  6.6 |
| Love: | 7.3 |
| Finance: | 6.6 |
| Take the Rate My Life Quiz | |
5. Of the first three questions, how many of your responses match the responses of the quiz?
I matched exactly with the first question and just about matched on the third one. I kind of matched with the second.
6. Which of the test's responses do you disagree the most with and why? Here is what the analysis said:
Your Life Analysis:Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score leaves room for improvement. You can make changes to improve your trouble areas, and this will bring you greater satisfaction. Focus on your weakest points and set about to change them. Do not delay your happiness and success.
Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is not bad, but could be improved upon. Your mental health is not weak, but you are not achieving full mental clarity and function. Learn how to unclutter your mind. Keep learning, keep improving, continue moving forward.
Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. You have a rather low body score, which means that your physical health is not in a good condition. You must put a higher priority on your body, focusing on nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction. Proper focus will lead to great improvement, leaving you feeling energetic and happy.
Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is relatively high, which means you are rewarded by your beliefs. Spirituality is clearly important to do. Never let it slip, and continue to learn and grow.
Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is not bad but can be improved. Maintain your current social net, while you try to expand it. Try new things and form new friendships. You will be rewarded greatly.
Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is in good shape, meaning that things are going well. Do all you can to maintain it, and continue to grow and move ahead.
Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. Your finances are somewhat in the middle, neither bad or exceptional. Keep doing what works for you, and improve what doesn't. Focus on long-term financial stability as your goal.
Well, I don't see much to disagree with -- this quiz was pretty right-on!
February 21, 2007
Catch Up & Wednesday Mind Hump
Finally I am starting to feel better and finally my sugar is coming down.
What else?
Linda got fired -- took too many days off, they say. She's already got some interviews lined up.
Billy got an infection in his toe from a blister that went bad. He went to the doctor right away, thank goodness, got an antibiotic and his toe is much better already. He seems to be having a good semester this time around, no engineering classes to fight with. He is going to major in physics which is about as indecipherable to me as engineering but more power to him!
Heidi hasn't gotten to practice drive too much the last week because I've been so sick but she's doing well behind the wheel and enjoys it. Yay!
And Kristin's having some trouble with her jaw still...I'm hoping that she won't have to have surgery to correct it but I guess we'll see what the doctor has to say.
Catch-up pictures on the way...
1. What is your favorite place for delivered pizza?
Soprano's ... yes, it's in New Jersey and that's really the name
2. How often do you have pizza delivered at your house?
More than once a week, there's usually someone in the house ordering pizza
3. What toppings do you want on that pizza?
Extra cheese, maybe sausage or meatballs
4. Thick crust or thin?
Thick!
February 20, 2007
Ten on Tuesday
10 Foods You Hate
1. Liver
2. Shark
3. Swordfish
4. any other fish except salmon...this is psychological because when I was really little I saw my mom choking on a fish bone and it took so long to dislodge it. Now anytime I try to eat most fish (except salmon) I'm fighting a gag reflex
5. Brussels sprouts
6. Buttermilk straight from the carton
7. Sushi--can't get my mind around eating squid, octopus ... etc.
8. Seaweed
9. Sharkfin soup
10. raw clams or oysters
February 13, 2007
Ten on Tuesday
10 Things You Worry About
1. My health: weight, diabetes, blood pressure
2. My kids & grandkids
3. money
4. President Bush getting us blown up
5. Why is the school bus late? (i.e. lock down? accident? etc etc)
6. Icy roads
7. gang activity increasing around here
8. the vet is going to yell because my cats have all gained weight
9. my husband climbing around in dangerous places tryng to measure stuff
10. my body betraying me at the worst times -- like when I was trying to help buckle Tomas into the car seat my thumbs went all spazzy on me from the arthritis
February 10, 2007
Saturday Memes
1. A friend arrives from out of town and wants to go to dinner at a nice locally-owned restaurant: where would you take her?
Anapa's on Rt. 38 in Browns Mills
2. Your friend then says he wants to learn something about the history of your city: where would you take him first?
Hmmm...well, I guess to the Browns Mills Railroad Station. There's a museum there now.
3. Does your current hometown have any specific kind of weather threats (i.e., tornado alley, etc.) or natural disaster threats (i.e., earthquake faults, volcanic activity) that concerns you?
There's a near-terminal lack of things to do which concerns me
4. Take the quiz: What city shares your personality?
 | You scored as Killarney. You are Killarney, Ireland! You are probably somewhat quiet and thoughtful. You don't mind frequenting the city pubs with your friends, but you also enjoy peaceful time alone.
Which city shares your personality? created with QuizFarm.com |
Cool!!!!
5. Have you ever visited this city or lived there before?
No but I want to visit. I have Irish relatives in County Sligo.
6. Based on what you know about that city, either firsthand or from others, do you think it would be a good fit for you? Do you think it would be a better fit than the city in which you now live?
Yes and yes
a weighty sat-8.
1. are you over- or under-weight, or "just right"?
Way over
2. what do you consider a "healthy weight" for yourself?
A hundred pounds lighter than I am
3. in your past, have you struggled with weight issues?
Oh yes, even when I was at a healthy weight it was still a struggle to keep the pounds off
4. give us an example of a comfort food for you.
crunchy cheese doodles!
5. aside from eating when hungry, are you a 'snacker' when you are bored, stressed, or emotionally upset?
Not any more.
6. on nightline last night, the host was talking about models at fashion week being on "the nicotine diet." i've seen people GAIN weight from stopping smoking, but not smoking to lose. have you every smoked to keep thin, or known anyone who has?
Not per se but I have known people who wouldn't quit because they'd gain weight. For a long time, that was my reasoning, too.
7. i've never been a dessert person, and rarely eat desserts; all of my girlfriends are the same way. do you regularly eat dessert when you go out to a restaurant or eat at home?
Used to have dessert regularly, now only if I'm hungry
8. if someone close to you asked your advice on the best way to lose weight, what would you tell them?
Stay away from fad diets, they don't work. Make small permanent changes you can live with and exercise!
January 31, 2007
A Month of Ten on Tuesdays
Yes, I know it's Wednesday ... but this is my favorite meme and better late than never!
January 2, 2007
10 Resolutions for the Next Year
1. Check my blood sugar at least once a day (already backslid on that one!) 
2. Go swimming at least 3 times a week once Tomas starts school
3. Write for an hour every day once Tomas starts school
4. Learn how to use my new camera
5. Learn how to upload pictures to my computer
6. Read more often
7. Catch up on my email
8. Learn/read more about pervasive developmental disorder
9. Read more books than I buy!
10. Save money every week
January 9, 2007
Ten TV Guilty Pleasures
1. Lost
2. Survivor
3. The Amazing Race
4. The Wonder Pets (ACK! This is "sewwious!" 
)
5. Dr. Phil
6. Oobi
7. Animal Cops
8. Notorious
9. Biography
10. Sponge Bob Squarepants 
January 15, 2007
10 Things You Do Well
1. sign language
2. playing with grandkids
3. write
4. play Tumblebugs
5. listen
6. collect books
7. sit in the passenger seat with an inexperienced driver
8. play Trivial Pursuit
9. cook
10. shop for gifts
January 23, 2007
10 Things You Have a Weakness For
1. the grandkids
2. my kids
3. chocolate
4. buying kid clothes
5. buying toys
6. buying books
7. buying more books
8. buying still more books
9. The Sims
10. TB's lame jokes even though I don't laugh at them
January 30, 2007
10 Things You'd Like To Change About Your Country
1. OMG, we need a new president NOW!
2. decent health insurance for everyone
3. decent housing for everyone
4. no one goes hungry
5. make polluters clean up the environment
6. get rid of "No Child Left Behind" and all those stupid tests kids have to take that teachers are forced to teach to
7. Better mass transportation in suburban and rural areas
8. Stop over developing the land!
9. Stop dependence on oil
10. Increase wages for child and elder care workers so that there's not such a high turnover and so much abuse and neglect
January 08, 2007
January 07, 2007
It's Still Spring in NJ...
...and 8 more people were rescued from that landslide in Colorado. Plutoed is our new word of the year.. Speaking of words:
I say...and you think...
- Incomplete :: unfinished
- Bobby :: Kennedy
- Chopstick :: House
- Trauma :: severe injury
- Hesitate :: pause
- Leap :: jump
- Magnify :: Enlarge
- Yards :: football
- Alexander ::the Great
- Fracture :: break
December 30, 2006
Saturday 8
Whew, taking some time out from a busy day of cleaning to do a fun meme! We are having a large Christmas/New Year family party tomorrow here at the house and we wanted it in tip-top shape for the revelers. TB tacked some white plastic to cover that ugly hole in our ceiling. Roofer Giordano came and totally fixed the outside; now we just have to do the inside...when we have money. It's all gone, mostly drained away for various reasons and never to be seen again. Let's not get into all that, eh? Anyway, almost everyone in TB's family is coming except for his brother Jon & family (in Florida), our daughter Michele & family (in TN) and nephew Tim Jr. and his new wife (prior commitment as a youth pastor to an event at their church). We're not sure about Linda, she's on some weekend date or something, haven't seen her since late yesterday.
1. new year's plans?
Just this family party
2. i don't do new year's resolutions, but i think that we all look forward to doing something differently in the new year. what will you do in 2007 that you didn't do in 2006?
Check my blood sugars every day at least once.
3. in the past 24 hours, i have reconnected with 3 old friends that i've not spoken to in years. if you could reconnect with someone from your past who would it be, and why?
Daina, my friend in junior high and high school. I really enjoyed her friendship a lot and am sorry we lost touch with each other. I think that happened after I moved from the Baltimore area.
4. i live my life not regretting anything ... or at least try not to regret anything that i've done, and look at life as a learning experience. do you have anything that you would have not done/done differently in 2006 as you look back?
Well, things can't be undone so I'd rather just see everything as a learning experience too.
5. going back to my ex-friends that i reconnected with, one of them REALLY let me down as she chose a guy over our friendship. she wrote to me that she would think back over these past 14 years and kick herself, and wonder what had happened to me? do you have someone that you wronged/wronged you and wonder where they are? what happened to that friendship?
Yes, there was someone who started out as a good friend. Then I fell in love or in a crush or whatever with him but he didn't reciprocate and I was pretty bitter about it. So yes, I've wondered once in a while whatever happened to him.
6. one of the other ex-friends is an ex-boyfriend that i had when i was 16. he cheated on me when i was 17, and then i 'got over it' and we had a cordial non-friendship. i'm married and he's married, so i don't have any problem talking with him as there is NO chance at stirring up any old flames. if you had a chance to reconnect with an ex, who would it be, and why? or would you let sleeping "dogs" lie?
Let them lie.
7. i'm eating to join a weight-loss study. that's right ... i'm about 10 lbs. shy of the weight goal and am actually porking out this coming week as i get free vitamins/supplements, a free registered dietician for two years, and i also get $600/mo. to participate for two years. i'm VERY tall (over 5'9"), so this is going to be difficult! i'm gaining 10 lbs. to lose my original goal of 20 lbs., which will now be 30 lbs. (hey, i want to get back into a size 6 after being a size 10 for a few years!). to gain those 10 lbs., what do you suggest that i eat? any "fun" fattening foods that i should try?
Definitely have at least one Jim Dandy from Friendly's
8. i'm heading to disney today with the family and friends. what is your favourite theme park, and why?
It's hard to choose between them but I'd go with Sea World in a pinch. I love sea creatures, think they are totally fascinating and water has always been soothing to me.
December 28, 2006
Thursday Memes
This one is totally appropriate, considering my last entry!
Any New Year's Reading Resolutions? A certain number of books you want to read in 2007? Certain genres? Something from your TBR pile? Classics to read? Authors to try? Anything at all??
I try very hard not to make New Year's resolutions because they are so easily broken...especially if I resolved not to buy any more books until I read the ones I have first. Ha ha. Still, I do resolve to set aside more reading time so that I can make some kind of dent in the roomful of unread books. I also resolve to circulate the books once I've read them, either through Book Crossing or Paper Back Swap. I have several classics so I plan to read one for every three regular books I read. So let's see how I do with those resolutions!
Right now I am reading Every Man by Philip Roth. After that I'm tentatively planning to read Forever Odd by Dean Koontz and then Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy.
::Happy New Year!::
Onesome: Happy--New Year to you and yours! ...any plans for this weekend? Dick Clark? Guy Lombardo? Early to bed?
I'm not sure how this happened but we're hosting a great big family holiday party on New Year's Eve afternoon. After that, I'll probably collapse! 
Twosome: New--year, old year. Is this the year you take up skiing? ...or knitting? ...or vacuuming every other day
Well, I don't know yet...let's see what happens!
Threesome: Year--end chores? Do the lights and decorations come down this weekend? ...or are you already "done with Christmas"?
No, the lights and decorations don't come down this weekend, maybe next! I'm never "done with Christmas" although now that it's over, I'm fed up with winter. Not that we've had winter...
November 14, 2006
Ten on Tuesday
My health
TB
My kids
My extended family
My friends
My kitty-cats
Books
The time to journal/blog
Lost
last, but not least, the almost 18 years I had Rich in my life
Life journal
November 07, 2006
Ten on Tuesday
10 Things You Have On Your "To-Do" List
1. Finish reading my book!
2. Catch up on my email
3. Answer friends' posts
4. Clean the bedroom (yeah right)
5. Caption the pix in our photo gallery
6. Grocery shopping 
7. Update our recipe blog
8. Watch season 1 & 2 of Lost
9. Watch all the other DVDs I bought that have been sitting there collecting dust
10. Get back into checking my sugar regularly!
October 31, 2006
Happy Halloween!
This is a lot late but it's been a busy day! I took pictures of Linda, Heidi & Kristin in their costumes but haven't had a chance to upload them yet...soon! Tomas wanted no part of dressing up although he might want to next year after watching a parade of toddling characters collect bags of goodies from us!
10 Great Movies for Halloween
1. Night of the Living Dead
2. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
3. Psycho
4. Poltergeist
5. Shaun of the Living Dead
6. The Exorcist
7. The Bad Seed
8. The Shining
9. House on Haunted Hill
10. Audrey Rose
1. Do you celebrate Halloween? Explain:
Not really--except for handing out candy. I don't get dressed up any more or decorate the house...I sort of lost interest as the kids got too old for mommy to go trick-or-treating with them. I might become interested in it again when T is old enough to enjoy it.
2. Do you hand out candy and/or go door-to-door trick-or-treating?
I buy it. Then I get someone else to hand it out while I answer memes and surf the web.
3. What was the scariest Halloween costume you had and why did you pick out that costume?
I dressed up as a vampire one year when my cousin and I shared an apt in New York. Why that one? I don't remember...
4. Do you prefer a “trick” or “treat”? Explain:
A treat! How can I resist a piece of chocolate?
5. Do you think Halloween is scarier now than it was when you were younger? Explain:
Well...that's hard to say. When I was a kid (mid 60s) we used to have razors-in-apple and poisoned candy scares too. I worry about my kids while they are out but I suppose it's not any scarier than it was when I was a kid.
October 30, 2006
Today In History
I always found this to be fascinating...
WELLES SCARES NATION: October 30, 1938Orson Welles causes a nationwide panic with his broadcast of "War of the
Worlds"--a realistic radio dramatization of a Martian invasion of Earth.Orson
Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater company decided to update
H.G. Wells' 19th-century science fiction novel War of the Worlds for national
radio. Despite his age, Welles had been in radio for several years, most notably
as the voice of "The Shadow" in the hit mystery program of the same name. "War
of the Worlds" was not planned as a radio hoax, and Welles had little idea of
the havoc it would cause.The show began on Sunday, October 30, at 8 p.m. A voice
announced: "The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present
Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the air in 'War of the Worlds' by H.G.
Wells."Sunday evening in 1938 was prime-time in the golden age of radio, and
millions of Americans had their radios turned on. But most of these Americans
were listening to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy "Charlie McCarthy" on
NBC and only turned to CBS at 8:12 p.m. after the comedy sketch ended and a
little-known singer went on. By then, the story of the Martian invasion was well
underway.Welles introduced his radio play with a spoken introduction, followed
by an announcer reading a weather report. Then, seemingly abandoning the
storyline, the announcer took listeners to "the Meridian Room in the Hotel Park
Plaza in downtown New York, where you will be entertained by the music of Ramon
Raquello and his orchestra." Putrid dance music played for some time, and then
the scare began.
I saw a movie made about what happened and it seems that people who hadn't been listening right from the beginning really fell for this.
An announcer broke in to report that "Professor Farrell of the Mount Jenning Observatory" had detected explosions on the planet Mars. Then the dance music came back on, followed by another interruption in which listeners were informed that a large meteor had crashed into a farmer's field in Grovers Mills, New Jersey.Soon, an announcer was at the crash site describing a Martian emerging from a large metallic cylinder. "Good heavens," he declared, "something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now here's another and another one and another one. They look like tentacles to me ... I can see the thing's body now. It's large, large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather. But that face, it ...it ... ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it, it's so awful. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is kind of V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate."The Martians mounted walking war machines and fired "heat-ray" weapons at the puny humans gathered around the crash site. They annihilated a force of 7,000 National Guardsman, and after being attacked by artillery and bombers the Martians released a poisonous gas into the air. Soon "Martian cylinders" landed in Chicago and St. Louis. The radio play was extremely realistic, with Welles employing sophisticated sound effects and his actors doing an excellent job portraying terrified announcers and other characters. An announcer reported that widespread panic had broken out in the vicinity of the landing sites, with thousands desperately trying to flee. In fact, that was not far from the truth.Perhaps as many as a million radio listeners believed that a real Martian invasion was underway. Panic broke out across the country. In New Jersey, terrified civilians jammed highways seeking to escape the alien marauders. People begged police for gas masks to save them from the toxic gas and asked electric companies to turn off the power so that the Martians wouldn't see their lights. One woman ran into an Indianapolis church where evening services were being held and yelled, "New York has been destroyed! It's the end of the world! Go home and prepare to die!"When news of the real-life panic leaked into the CBS studio, Welles went on the air as himself to remind listeners that it was just fiction. There were rumors that the show caused suicides, but none were ever confirmed.The Federal Communications Commission investigated the program but found no law was broken. Networks did agree to be more cautious in their programming in the future. Orson Welles feared that the controversy generated by "War of the Worlds" would ruin his career. In fact, the publicity helped land him a contract with a Hollywood studio, and in 1941 he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in Citizen Kane--a movie that many have called the greatest American film ever made.
Now that was a fascinating study into what happens during a mass panic!
Fright Night
1.Where does Halloween fall on your "holiday excitement scale" (ie. Does it top Christmas, New Year's, your birthday, the whole shebang? Or is it just another day?)
It's not just another day but has nowhere near the excitement level of Christmas or my birthday. It's more like New Year's ... something I enjoyed a lot once when I was younger and now it's no big deal.
2.At what age do you consider someone to be too old for trick or treating?
When the adults handing out candy tell you or they sort of draw back in fear because they're afraid if they say something you'll destroy the house. Probably 15.
3. What was your lamest Halloween costume?
Lame? I had no lame costumes!
4.Is handing out candy fun for you, or more of a nightmare?
It's a big pain in the hiney. Up down up down up down...
5.Do you see Halloween as an excuse to show some skin and get away with it? If not, what do you think of people who dress this way?
Ah, no. And for those who dress that way, doesn't bother me unless it's my own kid...and thank God it hasn't been.
September 26, 2006
Another Kitty?
When we adopted Kosmo a couple of weeks ago, there were other kitties looking for homes. In particular there was a sad Russian Blue named "Mikey" who'd been given up (in the words of the pet sanctuary) "for no good reason". Kristin and Heidi favored adopting Mikey but TB had fallen in love with Kosmo. We all felt bad about leaving all the other kitties behind. Today someone called from the sanctuary to see how Kos is doing and TB happened to ask about Mikey. The lady told him that poor Mikey is in the hospital because he's stopped eating or drinking anything! She thinks it's depression and that a good foster home would help. Well, of course we wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the poor thing and so we want to take him in--if the hospital says he can come. So we may have a *fourth* kitty. We'll see.
10 Favorite Articles of Clothing
1. Purple dolphin T-shirt the girls gave me
2. Tie dye T-shirt a friend made for me
3. striped duster/robe
4. Made in Ireland T-shirt
5. Pink kitty socks
6. Kitty Christmas sweatshirt
7. Red sweater
8. Jeans (all of them)
9. Souvenier baseball caps (i.e. from Adventure Aquarium)
10. Cartman heavy jacket
September 24, 2006
Handyman in the House
Some guys who are handy around the house start a project but don't finish. Thank heavens TB likes to finish everything he starts although sometimes he really pushes himself hard. Anyway, his latest project is our new pantry! We love our kitchen but it really didn't have a lot of storage space and we were pretty cramped in there. We decided to order a kit from JC Penney and TB put it together a couple of days ago.
What a lot of stuff, eh? Check out the wine, er, soda, rack! Cool! TB wanted a neater look and decided to add on doors, sides and a top.
Now you see everything...
Now you don't! It's not quite finished but TB is finally taking a break! The pantry just needs door handles and to be stained.
randomness...feed your mind and your blog
week of Sept24: pet peeves
what's your pet peeve?
what really annoys you,
makes you wanna rip your hair out and scream?!
till next time...
At the moment, people who don't take responsibility for themselves, their actions, or their precious possessions! I have a couple of people in mind as I write this but can't be any more specific except to say we still don't have a very much needed medical card!!!!
- Bell :: ring
- Abuse ::injure
- Relief ::get a break
- List :: groceries
- Concern :: worry
- Absolute :: without doubt
- Cling :: hang on to
- Dump ::throw away
- Terminate :: end
- Wine :: cooking
September 22, 2006
Feline Friday: *My* Perch!
Mouse says: Don't even think about it, Kosmo!
At what time of day are you most capable of producing your best work?
In the morning, up to around lunch time
When you have lots of things to get done, are you more likely to get all of one thing done before moving on, or to do a little of one thing, a little of another, and a little of still another?
I do a little bit of everything and get nothing done!
Do television and music help you or hinder you when you’ve got work to do?
Music helps, TV hinders
When you realize you’re working inefficiently, are you more likely to grit your teeth and power through it anyway, or to put it all down and come back to it when the vibe is better?
I tend to get real frustrated and put it all down until next time when usually the same thing happens again!
What are your ideal working conditions?
I'm alone in the house, got a cup of coffee and music going in the background
More Cat Friday stuff? Check out the "http://carnival.isfullofcrap.com/">Carnival of the Cats
September 19, 2006
Ten On Tuesday
10 Things You'd Do If You Had More Time
1. Write
2. Read
3. Walk
4. Spend more time with family
5. Spend more time with the kitties
6. Go to the beach (an hour's drive away) and just relax
7. Keep in better touch with friends
8. Call my parents/aunt
9. Volunteer
10. Write some more
September 18, 2006
Aches & Pains
Linda just went to the emergency room. She's had a bad tooth for quite a while now and it's been giving her so much pain she tried taking 8 ibuprofens at once--and they didn't help. She's feeling sick from all the pain medication and so the last resort is the ER. Why not the dentist? She doesn't have insurance yet! Her new coverage doesn't start until November 1.
It didn't occur to me until just now but I thought she should have been covered under her old insurance for at least a year under the COBRA plan. I also know that companies pay by the quarter or the half-year and so she might have been covered but didn't realize it. If she hadn't left already I would have told her about it and said for her to try to use the old insurance.
This is one of the biggest gripes I have about the underinsured and uninsured. When they need medical treatment, they can't afford it and so they put off going to the doctor until it becomes really serious. For instance, if Linda has an infection, it can easily spread to her heart valves. If that happens, the complications can be deadly! That happens to so many people in this country it's pitiful.
Tomas and I seem to have a stomach virus now. He's been a healthy little guy up to now but was off his feed today, very grumpy and kind of lethargic. I started having cramps and other viral symptoms just a couple of hours ago and he seems to have the same ones. :P On top of that there's more than the usual fibromyalgic and arthritic pains lately. Guess the weather's going to change soon.
1. How do you eat an oreo cookie? (from tricia)I dip them a half at a time into milk just long enough to become really soft and then I pop 'em in my mouth before they fall into the glass!
2. How long does it take you to eat lunch?20 minutes average
3. Caffeine or decaf?Got to be high test
4. Chicken or beef?Buck-awk
5. Pen or pencil?Pen
6. Autumn or spring?Autumn--love the fall colors!
7. Baseball or basketball?Basketball
8. 'Survivor' or 'The Amazing Race?'Hard choice! Eeny meey...Survivor
9. Come up with one question I can ask our Monday Madness participants in the weeks to come.dramas or comedies?
September 10, 2006
A New Addition
We have a new member of the family!
Here Mouse meets his new older brother, Kosmo. Mouse isn't quite sure what to make of all this--aren't siblings supposed to be younger?
Amber made it clear she doesn't appreciate having another brother. But...maybe Mouse will stop picking on her!
TB wrote more about Kosmo and how we got him in his entry My Conversion Is Complete. TB is no longer a dog person!
It's been a long time since I had a chance to do a meme and Unconscious Mutterings is one of my favorites!
- True love :: enduring
- Age :: mature
- Stern :: strict
- Elastic :: rubbery
- Rustic :: old
- Enhance :: increase
- Jackson :: Browne
- Inherit :: the Wind
- Devious ::scheming
- Scapegoat :: victim
April 18, 2006
Busy Day/Tuesday 10
I am so glad we are getting to enjoy a real spring this year! I was on the run most of the day: we went shopping for a nice outfit for Heidi to wear to her portfolio presentation at U-Arts and had her trying on clothes for almost 2 hours! We went to a couple of other stores and grabbed lunch out, a girls' day together for us! I had a PT appointment and then dropped Heidi off at work.
10 Favorite Singers/Bands
In no particular order:
Billy Joel
Elton John
The Eagles
Neil Diamond
U-2
Phil Collins
Peter Gabriel
Genesis
The Rolling Stones
The Moody Blues
April 04, 2006
Ten on Tuesday
10 Things That People Do That Annoy You
1. Drop in unannounced and stay and stay and stay--even after I say I'm busy
2. Talk on cell phones while driving
3. Talk on cell phones loudly at a restaurant or movie
4. Talk constantly during a movie
5. Leave stuff lying around the room--it looks cluttered
6. Interrupt when I'm talking
7. Complain all the time
8. Come over and start talking to me when I'm trying to read or relax -- I mean strangers, people I don't know
9. Ask "how are you doing" and then proceed to convince you how much worse/better off they are than you
10. Play obnoxious music rrrrrealllly loud
March 23, 2006
Student Debt Forever
I just finished up editing my kids' FAFSAs. I don't really know what the EFC means exactly -- is it the amount of money we're expected to contribute to each kid? The number is 13000 something and I know we just don't have that kind of money lying around, particularly now that TB's been laid off. My next mission is to write a letter to the financial aid department at Billy's school and then one to Heidi's to get them a little more aid. I'm fairly confident that Heidi will be okay because it doesn't cost terribly much to go to community college.
Billy, on the other hand, will have to take out more loans--like a lot of other young people who are not rich. I sort of think that unless a poor kid got a fully paid scholarship it would be very difficult to go to a school like Billy's. I remember when we were struggling years ago. Even going full time to a community college would have been expensive for us.
College loans follow you to the grave ... I know. I am paying one off for the years I went in the evening. I didn't finish my degree but that doesn't matter. I have to pay it back and so does any kid who takes out a loan. I saw this article online:
The Nation) This column was written by Nicholas von Hoffman. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Democratic Party did not find her. The Hollywood liberals did not find her. The reactionaries are not looking for her. But the Chicago Tribune did find Margo Albert and did understand how significant her plight is.The paper wrote, "Margo Alpert is on the 30-year plan. Every month between $500 and $600 is automatically deducted from her salary to pay off college loans. By the time the 29-year-old Chicago public-interest lawyer is in her mid-50s and thinking seriously about retirement, she will finally be free of college debt."
The newspaper also found Carrie Gevirtz, a 28-year-old social worker with a degree from the University of Chicago, a $55,000 school debt and an annual salary of $33,000. She is quoted as saying, "I can't afford my lifestyle. I'm not in a position to buy a place. I can't buy a condo and don't know when I would, unless my income changed dramatically.... I was not prepared for this.... It really freaked me out." To make ends meet after deducting her $250 monthly payment on her student loan, Gevirtz has a second job at a health club and does baby-sitting.
Starting July 1 the interest on student loans taken out by students will rise to just less than 7 percent. Loans taken out by parents for students will shoot up to 8.5 percent. The theory the Republican Congress works on is that increases in fees and interest payments from the white-collar masses are not the same as tax increases, some of which might have to be paid by our protected class of billionaire kleptocrats from whom, we are told, all blessings, especially our jobs, flow.
Whenever the subject of the high and ever-mounting cost of tuitions and the student loans needed to pay for them comes up, the focus falls on individual financial hardship. We're invited to pity or empathize with Margo Alpert, and she certainly deserves it, but our attention is not drawn to the consequences of these arrangements. Nor is the discussion ever couched in terms of the social control implicit in high tuition and high student-loan interest rates.
The most important consequence of the financial hole the Margo Alperts are in, thanks to their education, is that many of them are going to be childless. Many others will have one child at most. How can a young couple, each with $40,000 or $50,000 of debt, think of having three or four kids? They will have to wait until they are in their late 30s to have a family and by then, when they think of college costs, they will feel compelled to limit themselves to one child.
There's a policy for you! While our legislators are up nights working on new tax gimmicks to further "capital flows," as they like to call their money-grabbing, they are also burning the midnight oil to throw up financial barriers that will keep the middle class from having children. Forget the cant about family values. Make that childless couple values.
There is social control in loading young people up with financial obligations. Burdened with debt and desperate to have and keep a job, there is no way they can take a wild year off — and certainly no time for protesting, organizing or causing the kind of social and political trouble young people cause from time to time. Would there have been a civil rights movement? Would there have been an antiwar movement if those collegians had been saddled with the debts our present-day young people carry?
How many young people turn away from low-paying but vital professions because they can't earn enough to pay back their loans? How many potential social workers, pro bono lawyers, journalists, environmentalists, teachers, artists, secondary medical professionals and community workers are we losing?
The two things that make most of us cringe are the thought of "1984" and "The Stepford Wives." In fiction both of those nightmares achieved reality through drugs or chemicals and voodooish alchemy. In actuality America can become a Stepford nation merely by adjusting the price of education and a few interest rates.
Will somebody get angry and start yelling?
Well, I think there are a lot of us yelling but no one is listening, least of all the politicians. We just don't have the financial clout (lobbyists) to make them listen to us.
Today's questions were suggested by Christine.
- How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven't read before? Sometimes i'll go by someone else's recommendations. Otherwise, I look at the cover and read the synopsis to find out if the story is appealling to me. I'll read a couple of pages to see if it "clicks".
- What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision? Book reviews count a lot for me too. I read the reviews in magazines and at amazon.com. The opinions of other readers makes a difference to me.
::New Car Smell::
Onesome- New: What's new in your life? New car, new house, new job or new person, or even just a new toy you bought for yourself?
A new decision to take some courses at the community college
Twosome- Car: What kind of car do you drive? What kind of car would you like to drive if you could?
I drive a Toyota Sienna van. I guess I'd like to drive a Mercedes Benz.
Threesome- Scent: Scents are great at bringing back memories. Is there a scent that any time you smell it you flash back to something in your past?
Baking cookies, cakes or pies flashes me back to me grandma's kitchen. She made the most delicious treats!
March 22, 2006
National Goof Off Day
I'm glad that today is National Goof Off Day. This means a day where I can legitimately not do anything constructive and a day when I don't have to think about George Bush, Iraq, bird flu, Iran or any other disturbing news story.
Before I learned what day it was, I found myself very annoyed about the latest outrage in Florida, Debra Lafave travesty of justice. This is a woman who was a school teacher and took advantage of her position to have sex (more than once!) with one of her 14 year old students! If she was a man or even a woman who wasn't blonde and pretty and cute, she'd be sitting in jail now. Instead, she's not going to be doing any jail time because a prosecutor dropped the charges against her.
Long story...let me back up a bit. This woman had sex with the boy in more than one county in Florida. There was some plea bargaining and it was a ridiculous agreement--three years of house arrest. Well, the judge in one of the counties recognized it for the stupid decision it was and threw the agreement out. She was supposed to go to trial but then the prosecutor decided it would be too emotionally damaging for the boy to testify and dropped all charges. What? The whole case rested on the testimony of that poor kid when there was so much other evidence that could be presented? Like ... her confession, her conviction in the other county, another witness...grrrr!
To add insult to injury the woman claims she has bipolar disorder. I suppose if the case had gone to trial she would have used that as an excuse? She was in a manic episode and so engaged in risky behavior by having sex with the teenager? Like that would excuse it? Please. What was annoying to me was that such a defense would help to negatively portray people with bipolar disorder. There are lots of people with all sorts of emotional problems who do not commit statutory rape on a kid.
But...I remind myself it's National Goof Off Day. Participate in my trivia quiz of the day (link in the entry at the top of the page). Play computer games like Chuzzles or Tumblebugs.
Watch movies! Watch TV--there's a new episode of Lost tonight, yay!
There wasn't a new "Are You More" meme up yet, but Wednesday's Mind Hump is all about Goof Off Day!
1. What's your favorite way to goof off?
At the moment, it would be playing Chuzzles or Tumblebugs on my computer
2. How much goofing off do you do on an average day?
A couple at least
3. If you got paid to blog, how would you goof off and not do your job?
I would surf the computer, play computer games and go read other blogs!
March 15, 2006
Velocity
I was so disappointed in this book! I started complaining about it not long after I began reading it. Velocity, written by Dean Koontz, should have been a suspenseful thriller. TB thought it was a great story. We went back and forth about it for the last three or four days. I kept complaining about the things I didn't like and he kept suggesting I just enjoy it as a good yarn, that it didn't have to make sense. It definitely didn't do that ... make sense, I mean. 
So what was it I didn't like? The "hero" of the story is a bartender named Billy Wiles. He's singled out by a serial killer and forced to decide who will be the next victim. Deciding not to choose also results in someone being killed. When I read the book jacket, I thought, wow this could be a really good story! Almost from the get-go, though, there were problems with the story that irritated me and stretched the bounds of my belief. The reason poor Billy was singled out didn't make sense even when the truth came out.
And why is it that your average run-of-the-mill bartender can suddenly act like a calculating sleuth, knowing exactly how to cover up his tracks and manipulate a crime scene?
A petty annoyance: the killer is referred to over and over and over as "the freak". Freak? Considering all the evil this guy perpetrates, "freak" is a mild term!
On the other hand, there were lots of little clues planted in the beginning of the story that seemed pretty innocent ... the thing is, I thought it all started to come together really late in the story.
So why did I keep reading it? Because this was Dean Koontz and I really kept hoping it would get better. We won an autographed copy of this book and I really wanted his signature to be on one of his best books ever. Oh well...
Now Kristin is going to read the book and see what she thinks. She listened to TB and I going on about it and wants to see if it rings true to her. I'm looking forward to hearing what she thinks.
Are you more...
01) Someone who is likely to sue or someone who is likely to be sued? Not that I can picture myself doing it but I'd probably be more likely to sue
02) Apt to see David Hasselhoff in concert or apt to see John Tesh in concert? Barf! Neither!
03) Likely to wait for an opportunity to say 'no thanks' to a telemarketer or likely to just hang up on them? I say "No thanks" right away and then hang up
04) Apt to see Madonna in concert or apt to see Celine Dion in concert? Celine Dion
05) Green beer or corned beef? Corned beef
06) Apt to see Bryan Adams in concert or apt to see Billy Joel in concert? Billy Joel!
07) Loving home made pizza (for the cost savings) or loving delivery pizza (for the professional taste)? Delivery pizza
08) Apt to see Duran Duran in concert or apt to see INXS in concert? Who?
09) One who believes that the RIAA/MPAA are properly and rightfully protecting their content or one who believes they are scum-sucking, litigation-happy bastards? They are scum sucking litigation happy bastards!
10) Apt to see Bono in concert or apt to see Sting in concert? I really like them both but I think I'd be more apt to see Sting
March 14, 2006
A little of this, a little of that
Good News:
Billy is here for a visit
Heidi got promoted at work
Kristin's doing well on her federal (or state?) mandated test
Linda's back with her boyfriend
The weather's been beautiful!
I can listen to all kinds of cool music on yahoo! Yahooooooo!
Crestor seems to reverse heart disease by reducing/stopping placque from forming!
Bad News
I think Iraq already is in a civil war, not on the verge of. More of our troops are heading there!
There is another case of Mad Cow disease in this country.
We'd be six months into a flu pandemic before we can come up with an effective vaccine ... if anyone is still healthy enough to do it :P
Miss Deaf Texas was killed by a train.. She didn't hear the warning ... but what was she doing there?
If I still drank, I'd want to be this woman!
10 Things You'd Tell Other People to Try
1. Paper Back Swap
2. Book Crossing
3. Lost, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. But if you've never seen it, watch Season 1 on DVD first, then download the eps from itunes.
4. a vacation to the Poconos
5. a vacation to Ocean City, MD
6. sign language classes
7. Irish soda bread
8. Cat blogging
9. "Pay it forward"--do something nice for someone and ask them to pass it on
10. Boardwalk Fries with vinegar!
March 12, 2006
Daddy
Originally published in 1986, I didn't come across Daddy by Loup Durand until I saw it at a library sale last year. I was attracted by the cover: a blue eye with the relfection of a swastika. I enjoy historical fiction a lot so I picked it up. It's a suspense thriller and I usually don't enjoy that genre but this is one of the best I've ever read. I think what appealled to me most was the cat-and-mouse game going on between the young hero, an 11 year old boy named Thomas and the perverted man hunting him down for the Nazis, Gregor Laemmle. There's another hero, too, an American playboy type, David Quartermain, who's almost like a third wheel.
In fact the one thing I didn't like about the book was a sudden sidetrack into what was going on with Quartermain after he was caught by Laemmle (okay, I gave something away). The story moved along very quickly and I was on the end of my seat, biting my nails, and then it came almost to a screeching halt at just about that point. I didn't like it. It was a terrible interruption of the flow. What was it for? I have no clue.
There are lots of pursuit stories out there and many with Nazi villains and heroes with secrets trying to get away. A couple of things were different about this one. The boy is a genius, entrusted with a secret by his mother. She used his genius in such a way that turned him into a cold little thinking machine. The villain seems to be something of a genius too. They are always outwitting each other. I don't want to give away any more of the book. I'd rate it a 9 out of 10 and definitely would recommend it!
I say...and you think...
- Displacement:: water
- Grease monkey:: mechanic
- Vacancy:: for rent
- Conquer:: take overt
- Payroll:: paycheck
- Personal:: private
- Housewife:: me
- Lateral:: side
- Tissue::achoo
- Multiplication:: times tables
March 10, 2006
Feline Friday: Tumble Bugs
Look at those tasty looking little critters rolling along, just wanting to be snatched up in my claws!
Argh, I can see them in there and they don't move that fast, so why can't I catch them? What kind of kitty-proof force field is this thing anyway?
More Cat Friday stuff? Try these:
The 103 Carnival of the Cats will be hosted at Justin's Random Thoughts.
Q1 - Greeting Cards: When was the last time you mailed a card to someone, and what was the occasion?
I sent a notecard with a kitty on it to my mom, just for the heck of it. Also sent a get well card to Oma. Should have sent out a birthday card to my father-in-law by now. :P
Q2 - Courts: Now that two new judges have been nominated, confirmed, and sworn in to serve on the United States Supreme Court, do you believe the Court will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision at some point over the next five to ten years?
I hope so but I doubt it because then it would be like saying we'd (the collective) been killing babies for over 30 years and who wants to face that?
Q3 - E-mail: How many different e-mail accounts do you have, and how often do you tend to use each one?
I must have a gajillion and most I don't use at all. I get tired of the service, abandon it and move on--that's happened with my email on care2, msn, yahoo, ivillage, aol and comcast. I still use my twhgrafx and my gmail.
Q4 - March Madness: Because of all the college basketball tournaments taking place this month, some people say the month of March should be renamed "Basketball." Are you following this month's college basketball action, and if so, which men's and women's teams are you rooting for?
I hate March madness! Lost and Survivor aren't airing any new episodes for 2-3 weeks!
March 04, 2006
Peek-a-boo Baby
Our little T likes to have his picture taken and he is so photogenic!
What a smile!
Where's Tomas?
Peek-a-boo! Unfortunately, the camera wanted to focus on the clock!
A little kiss for Nana.
Tomas was tired this morning and so he and Linda stayed just past noon. We would have loved a longer visit but we want T to be comfortable with us and happy. We'll see him again soon!
sat-8 :: spring fever
1. have you gone on spring break before? if so, where, and if not, why?
The only two vacations I can remember during a spring break were during the kids' from school. One was day trips to Washington DC in the mid 1990s and the other was a trip to Orlando, Florida in 2002.
2. do you take a spring vacation?
Every day is a vacation for me now. ;)
3. if you had (or have) a spring vacation, what would be your first choice to do? skiing in vermont? a week in the keys?
I think I'd want to go back to Orlando and spend the week at the Epcot Center and Sea world.
4. in your home/apartment, do you do spring cleaning?
Not always
5. in your area, what is your weather generally like in mid-march?
It's hard to tell because the weather has been flipping back and forth. Today it's windy and chilly.
6. spring is my favourite season ... do you share my sentiment, prefer another season?
Fall is my favorite season
7. do you do anything differently in spring than you do any other time of the year? (plant flowers/garden, take off the snow tires, etc.)
Not really
8. what are your plans for this weekend?
We just had a nice visit with T. Tomorrow I'm taking Kristin shopping. Other than that, we're probably just chilling.
March 01, 2006
Happy Birthday, Michele
Apparently Michele's phone line is being checked for trouble and that's unfortunate because her Dad and I and sister Linda have been trying to reach her to wish her "Happy Birthday!" We'll keep trying but hopefully she'll see this birthday wish from all of us.
So March didn't come in quite like a lion today but we're in for another winter storm tomorrow and in honor of the occasion, my nose started running again.
Until Easter, I have given up getting any books for myself free or not. I shouldn't go into withdrawal at all because I'm sure I've got at least 2 dozen books on my "to be read" list.
Are you more...
01) Unassuming or naive? Unassuming
02) Likely to vote based on candidate's overall stance on issues or likely to vote based on political party? I'll vote based more on a candidate's overall stance--I've crossed party lines before if I agree with another candidate
03) A fan of country pop music or a fan of rock pop music? Rock pop
04) A good casserole sort or a main dish and two sides sort? I make more main dishes with 2 courses but I do love casseroles too
05) Pleased with your country's team's performance at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics or disappointed with their performance? Pleased
06) Gobsmacked or lolligagged? Lollygagged without a doubt
07) Indiana Jones or James Bond? Indiana Jones
08) A believer that there are strict rules about line-ups (e.g. no cutting in line) or one who will let little things like that slide? I let little things slide, life is too short
09) One who understands and can chart Boolean logic in speech or one who either can't precisely map it out or doesn't think it's that important? I don't get it
10) Someone who will eat when you're hungry or someone who will eat because it's time to eat? Both
February 26, 2006
Best In Show
On Friday, Heidi's art teacher called and TB answered the phone. He said she sounded really excited and wanted to make sure we knew about the Heart Art competition at the high school. It's a good thing she called because we didn't! Heidi's left the invitation at school and the teacher really really hoped Heidi would show up--she'd be pleased (meaning Heidi). The teacher was sorry she wouldn't be able to make it as she had to be somewhere else.
Heidi didn't seem too excited about going. She was supposed to be at work at 5 and the program was supposed to run from 2-4. We showed up right on time. There was a reception just outside the auditorium where all the pieces of art was displayed. I was totally awed by the talent of the young people who'd made submissions. But when I got to Heidi's, I felt my jaw hit the floor. I think it's more than mother's bias-- I just knew it was a winner.
Check it out:
Unfortunately, there was glare from the plastic over the 2D art (to protect the pieces).
Heidi won "Best In Show" for the second year in a row in the 2D category. Her friend won "Best in Show" in the 3D category. 
Check out TB's entry for a picture of Heidi with her artwork: The Man's Side.
I hope it's okay to show off some of the other pieces of art I admired.
Awesome, eh?
I say...and you think...
- Baby step:: what Invasion character Tom Underlay says to all the new hybrids
- Wasted:: drugged or drunk
- Reggie:: music
- Pitiful:: pathetic
- Acting out:: tantruming
- Tomato:: bacon lettuce and
- Bad night:: Saturday--nothing's on!
- Trip:: vacation
- Finance charges:: usury
- Sport:: bowling
randomness...feed your mind and your blog
week of feb26: the olympics
The Torino 2006 Olympics are on and if you are like myself, you are addicted to watching the figure skaters.
heres a few related questions:
1. do you watch the olypmics or are you just plain sick and tired of hearing about it?
I watch
2. which event is your fav?
I enjoy many of them but my top favorites: figure skating, speed skating, and snowboarding
3. which athelete(s) do you like best?
Again, there's so many! I liked the women's skating team from the US (of course), Shaun White, Apollo Anton Ohno, and Joey Cheek.
February 19, 2006
Visit With Tomas
After weeks of everyone being sick and miserable, we all were able to get together again yesterday. Some highlights:
Tomas has the sweetest smile and just loves having his picture taken!
This time he enjoyed playing toddler baseball.
I have to say I enjoyed it too!
What a photogenic kid!
Linda and Tomas at play
Awww...what a sweet picture!
Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of TB with the baby!
I say...and you think...
- Right time:: Now
- Funeral:: mournful
- Calculate:: figure
- Believe me:: truthful
- Chat:: talk
- Anniversary:: annual date something happened
- Let you down:: disappoint
- Shout:: yell
- Sweatsock:: wash it
- Prayer:: Lord's
February 14, 2006
Ten on Tuesday: The Olympics
It seems right that today's 10 on Tuesday would focus on favorite Olympians. I've been watching the games off and on over the last couple of days and have been totally impressed with the courage and convictions of the athletes. It's heart breaking that Nancy Kwan had to withdraw because of an abdomindal injury but boy, she did it with such dignity and grace! Last night, I was watching the figure skating pairs and I saw that awful fall Dan Zhang suffered and althought I was sure she'd have to go right to the hospital, she not only finished the program she skated beautifully--almost like nothing had happened! Speed skater Joey Cheek is donating his prize money to "Right to Play", which will go to the Sudan. Awesome! Then there were the very impressive American snowboarders--men and women.
10 Favorite Olympians Ever
In no order and it was really hard to limit it to just 10:
Dan Zhang
Joey Cheek
Mark Spitz
Eric Heiden
Olga Korbut
Mary Lou Retton
1980 U.S. Hockey Team
Sugar Ray Leonard
Shirley Babashoff
Greg Louganis
February 13, 2006
Full Moon Setting
Early this morning, TB took some pictures of the full moon going down. He'd set his camera to night so that the shutter would stay open longer. He said he wished he had a tripod because he must have moved just a little bit. I think the picture is gorgeous anyway!
10 songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)
1. Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller and the picture above relates back to that song 
2. Stewball by Peter Paul & Mary
3. Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Paul & Mary
4. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
5. Fat Bottomed Girl by Queen
6. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
7. Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
8. The Thrill is Gone by BB King & Eric Clapton
9. Rain on the Scarecrow by John Mellancamp
10. Rock This House BB King & Elton John
Why? #1 was on Lost and I happened to be thinking about it and all the others are just a few of many songs I listened to this snowy weekend.
February 12, 2006
Unconscious Mutterings
- Unorthodox:: different
- Skate:: on ice
- Hold on:: cling to
- Europe:: over there
- Reminder:: remember
- Gold:: silver
- Calcium:: NY
- Rated R:: no one under 17 without an adult
- Saturday night:: nothing on TV
- Tell:: ask
February 11, 2006
Abandon your cars now...
Snow is on the way...a lot of it. I have a friend who's been looking forward to snow, exasperated with all the warm weather we've been having. Now that I'm not a kid anymore, the only time I want to see any snow is around the holidays. Once New Year's has past, I am basically done with winter and don't want to have anything to do with it until the following year.
I don't always get my way.
i'm not sure how things go in south Jersey because it's been a loooong time since we had any significant snow, but I know that when I was living in Maryland the mere mention of the 's' word sent people into panic and despair. They'd clean out all the bread, milk and toilet paper from stores for miles around....like getting 6-10 inces of snow meant we'd be stranded for months. When the snow started, some people even would abandon their cars with just a couple of inches on the ground. Now that was fun.
Today poor Heidi was called in to work at the crack of dawn. The store needed her for a double shift...I'm wondering if other employees panicked and called out sick? Hopefully Heidi will get some brownie points for this. Meanwhile, the stupid storm hasn't even started yet.
Now, we have enough food and drinks for the next couple of days...but we need entertainment! So we are trekking out to Borders ahead of the storm to make sure we're stocked up on all the books we need. God forbid we should get 10 inches of snow and not have enough reading material!!!!! 
1. do you own, or have you ever owned, a boat?
No, but I'd sure love to have a sail boat
2. how far away do you live from the nearest body of water?
Well.....Spring Lake is just across the street. The ocean is about an hour's drive
3. what type of water is it? (ocean, lake, pond, etc.)
I think I gave it away already. It's a lake, very pretty to look at but I'm leery of swimming in it. You can't see the bottom because of the cedar water and I'm not crazy about lake bottoms anyway. They feel too squishy and icky.
4. do you enjoy swimming?
I love it!
5. do you prefer swimming/floating in a pool, pond, lake, river, or ocean?
My preference is the ocean, followed by a pool. Now I swim in a pool at the gym.
6. what is your favourite water-related activity? (this can be from sailing a yacht to sunning next to a pool to washing your dog in the backyard)
I like playing water volley ball, that's fun. I love to swim laps
7. have you ever taken a cruise? if no, why not? if yes, how was the experience?
Nope, no cruise yet.
8. switching focus to water intake ... what is your favourite liquid refreshment, and why do you love it so?
Ice cold water--it refreshes every single time, is filling, and it's good for me!
February 05, 2006
Blog-o-holic
Yep, that's what I am, and not just because I try to write everyday. I have blogs all over the place, serving different purposes. Why don't I just combine them into one blog so it's less confusing? Because then I feel like the one blog would be a disorganized mess!
What I decided to do, though, was move some of them to this website, Mrs. Spratt and I'm A Coda. Mrs. Spratt focuses on my weight loss struggles and I'm A Coda is simply what I remember of growing up with deaf parents. It would be totally confusing if I mixed all those entries into one blog! I'm pretty much happy with the way I'm A Coda looks but am still futzing with the Mrs. Spratt template. Soon, soon...
I say...and you think...
- Taking sides:: choosing one over the other
- Couples::two
- Right of refusal:: you can't make me take it
- Marla::Shriver
- Mutliple:: many
- Trinity:: three
- Sneeze:: achoo
- Sweatpants:: comfy
- Steve:: Winwood
- Fabulous:: wonderful
February 04, 2006
Baby Birds Have To Fly
I remember my dad saying (signing, really) "baby birds have to fly" many times throughout my life. His point was that eventually kids have to go out on their own. Teenagers start to pull away from their parents by withdrawing and rebelling as they get ready to become independent. Decades or centuries ago, teenagers were considered more like adults with all of those responsibilities. It's not like that nowadays. Now teenagers are in school until their late teens or early twenties and they don't have the resources to be able to support themselves totally. So they are in an inbetween sort of state, not a child and not an adult--and just generally making parents crazy.
Heidi and TB continue to butt heads. She has her own unique view of things and isn't on the same page as TB and me. She's hurt that I'm not bailing her out. She is immature but she is becoming a young adult. She chafes under authority. She hasn't learned yet that authority is something she's going to have to deal with all her life. Meantime, I think it would be really beneficial for her to go away to college and start gaining some independence -- or, she could get an apartment with friends. She doesn't know anyone who wants to move out, though.
So...the only other choice I can see if that she's just got to live with authority as it is until she can get out on her own and run her own life. That's how baby birds fly.
1. do you read magazines? if so, what kind? if not, why not?
When I get a chance to catch up, I do. I read Writer's Digest, Reader's Digest, Entertainment Weekly, Consumer Reports and Prevention.
2. do you find yourself reading or watching celeb gossip? why or why not?
Only if there's nothing else to do!
3. if you had a job that you could do from home in addition to your 'regular' job, would you take it if you could make your own hours? why or why not?
Sure, I would love to work from home. It's convenient!
4. if this job netted you $1K to $1.5K per month, how would you spend your money given your current financial situation?
No way...a month? It couldn't be legal...but if by chance I did make lots of money a month I'd pay off all our debt, set aside money for the kids & grandkids to go to college, go on vacations with TB, buy us investment property, donate a bunch of money....
5. do you participate in any activities (marches, remembrances, historical tours, reading history) during black history month?
Reading
6. so, punxsutawney phil saw his shadow last week, and we're getting 6 more weeks of "mild winter weather." how do you feel about that, or do you care at all?
Who says it's all going to be mild? And I don't really care. There's about 6 weeks from Feb. 2 to the official first day of spring regardless of whether Phil sees his shadow
7. speaking of phil, are you a fan of the film "groundhog day"? i'm consistently amazed that i can't find a single person who doesn't like that film.
You found one. I don't like that movie.
8. and speaking of film, are you interested in seeing "the davinci code"? why or why not?
Yes, I do want to see that film--Tom Hanks is my favorite actor and Ron Howard is one of my favorite directions. It's a can't-lose combination as far as I'm concerned for what was (for me) a far-fetched story.
February 03, 2006
Music Memoirs
Top 5 "Super" songs...As always interpret this as you see fit. Go ahead be creative!
Five supers by Supertramp!
The Logical Song
Goodbye Stranger
Lady
It's Raining Again
Breakfast in America
January 31, 2006
Take Me Back, Tuesday
Grammy Awards are coming.
Name three grammy winning artists that are on your playlists.
Phil Collins
Don Henley
Tina Turner
It was hard to pick 3; I chose these randomly.
Name three grammy winning songs that are on your playlist.
What's Love Got To Do With It
Addicted to Love
Land of Confusion
Randomly chosen out of so many again...
Name three grammy winning albums that are included on your playlists.
Thriller
Joshua Tree
Graceland
I just wanted to say thanks to Scott, who left me this comment:
Hi,I love your Grammys, especially Thriller, which I haven't heard in decades. Actually, though, I was coming here to tell you that for the past 3 weeks I've been coming to your blog to see your various meme postings and have not been finding them. Because you don't create seperate posts for them, they are hidden to the average viewer, and only pops up when you go to write a comment. So I suspect others have had the same difficulty. You may want to put the meme posts in a seperate post to avoid the problem.
January 27, 2006
Feline Friday: Puppy Love
Nobody has any idea how much I looove this puppy!
Whenever no one is around, I just "knead" my puppy!
He's just so nice and soft and furry!
ACK! What is up with the camera?
No, it is not a case of puppy love! Why, the very idea that a regal feline such as I would denigrate herself over a stuffed dog!
He's nothing but a pillow as you can plainly see.
But oh well, who can resist such a cute face, stuffed puppy or not?
More Cat Friday stuff? Try these:
The next Carnival of the Cats is being hosted at Political Fred
Wow, there are lots of cool memes for Fridays!
Q1 - Moving: According to a recent report on American Public Media’s ‘Marketplace,’ in New York City, landlords and developers are paying big money (in some cases upwards of six figures and more) to convince renters to vacate their rent-controlled apartments. The practice, which makes way for property owners to then raise rents or build luxury condos, is now commonplace in many cities where rent-controlled housing still exists. Do you like your home or apartment? If so, what would it take to get you to agree to move?
I do like my home very much but if the price was right and the timing was right (i.e. my youngest graduated high school), I would take big money to move. I think TB would be okay with that too because where ever we are together, that is "home". We'd probably be able to get a nice place for less money by moving to a less expensive area too.
Having said that, I want to add that I think it's terrible that housing is so unaffordable for so many Americans. Our county in NJ is the second-to-least expensive in terms of renting 2 bedroom apts and yet, the price is still too high for many residents: over $900/mo. Where are people supposed to live, especially when they work minimum wage jobs in expensive areas? It's a deplorable situation but I don't know what can be done about it.
Q2 - You Choose: Which is more important to you... Liberty or Security?
My husband and I have been talking about this. Of course we want us to be safe from terrorists and so we'd probably choose security. Yet, at the same time, we know that once we give up some of our civil rights it won't end...it'll go on. We'll lose more of our liberties for safety's sake--how far will it go? Ultimately, we wouldn't be secure from even our own government. It's scary to contemplate.
Q3 - Drinking: If you could drink anything right now--alcoholic or otherwise--what and how much of it would you drink?
I could go for a 2 liter bottle of that new Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke!
Q4 - Counting: How many light bulbs are in your home, and when was the last time you had to change one?
Oh boy, Oma would know this one--she used to dust all her light bulbs. I have no clue how many bulbs we have in the home. The last time I had to change one? Probably around Christmas!
Top 5 "Classic Rock" Bands (and your favorite song by each if you feel so disposed)
The Who -- Baba O'Reilly
The Rolling Stones -- You Can't Always Get What You Want
The Beatles -- Across the Universe
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Fortunate Son
Eagles -- Hotel California
January 26, 2006
Love My New Look!
TB didn't have any work today so he helped me with my template and I love the way my blog looks now! I think it's a keeper!
I think Heidi and I are a lot alike in many ways. I think I was rather pessimistic when I was younger but somehow I learned to look for "the silver lining"...maybe it takes years to see that bad times are followed by good times and you have to learn to appreciate them when it happens. I got this in my email today and it's something I would share with my half-empty glass child:
Healthy Aging Tip: Coping with Negative ThoughtsAre you a "glass half empty" or a "glass half full" kind of person? Research shows that looking at the positive side of things is better for your health - optimists have been shown to do better than pessimists in almost every aspect of life, including how well their immune systems function. If you tend to be negative, there is good news: Optimism can be learned. The process begins with the identification of self-defeating thoughts. Once you become aware of habitual thoughts that lead to negative emotions, you can begin to substitute positive ones. For example, whenever you notice yourself ruminating on a negative theme like, "I am worthless and this latest setback just confirms it," you can consciously substitute, "This setback is just something that happened; I will get through it, because I am capable and resilient." A trained cognitive-behavioral therapist can help you in your process of viewing the world in a positive light.
It's true that thinking negative thoughts most of the time will make you sick, I can testify to that. Some of my health problems just might be a result of cumulative negative thoughts over the years. One thing I noticed was that when something "bad" (like financial trouble) happened, I would get into an intestinal and emotional uproar, worrying and wondering 'why me?' Things always eventually sorted out...and there I'd gone through all that upset and made myself sick. Was it worth it? NO. I wish I could convince Heidi that this is so.
::Certainly Worth the Drive::
Onesome: "Certainly-- is there anything in life you are "certain" about? Firm in your beliefs? Strong in your convictions? Tell us...
I am certain that Jesus is my Savior, that I love TB and he loves me, that I love my kids & grandkids and they love me.
Twosome: Worth-- what do you value? What people or projects are "worth your time"?
My life, my health, my husband, my kids, honesty, other people--it's a long list
Threesome: the Drive-- and from where you live, can you "get" to places easily? Is it an event to drive to the store? Do you live in a metropolis where everything is close?
Almost everything is at least a 20 minute drive away!
January 17, 2006
Bad Weather and Bad Books
This cold weather is kicking my butt and all my joints. This morning all my joints were inflamed and the ibuprofen didn't work. I've become spoiled by the mild weather and I sure will be happy to see it return! I slept for a couple of hours this morning (my one escape when the ibuprofen doesn't work) and I feel a little bit better.
It seems like a good time to talk about As The Crow Flies by Jeffery Archer. Boy, what a disappointment! I picked it up for a quarter at the library thinking that it was a book on my wishlist. It sat around with a ton of other books while I bought and traded other books over the last 6 months or so. Finally, I decided NO MORE new-used books until I started going through the pile I already had.
This book is a rag-to-riches story about a young man growing up in the East End of London, becomes a self-made "honest trader" by the time he's 16, goes off to fight in World War I, comes back, gets married to his "childhood sweetheart" and then builds a department store empire while fending off a bitter enemy. It was the male version of A Woman Of Substance which was a much better book.
The synopsis I just gave is just about the way the book was written too. This happened then that and so on and so forth. The story was told by about 5 or 6 different characters which made it even more annoying because these characters would go back to repeat their versions of the same story--which wasn't all that engaging to begin with. Worse, these characters were all flat, there was no depth to them. There was plenty of tragedy in the book but the characters just seemed to breeze through each crisis unruffled.
Eh.
It's an okay book to read if you don't want to think or become emotionally involved. Otherwise, I would not recommend it to anyone.
10 Favorite Current Shows
Fun and easy this week!
1. Lost
2. Criminal Minds
3. CSI--the original
4. Invasion
5. Surface
6. Survivor
7. The Amazing Race
8. Supernatural
9. Cold Case
10. Battle Star Galactica
January 10, 2006
Chuzzled
I've become hooked on a game I bought and downloaded from Yahoo, Chuzzles. Do you have frustrations, hostilities, anger you need to dispel? Check out this game! These chuzzles are the cutest little guys in the world. They remind me very much of the tribbles from Star Trek. Anyway, you line up three or more in a row and explode them. The more you can line up, the louder they are when they blow up. It's quite therapeutic. If you pay for the game, you get some extras--fat chuzzles, rainbow chuzzles, and chuzzles with cool dark glasses.
On the game we downloaded, TB learned a trick with the fat chuzzles. If you bang them against one of the walls long enough, fast enough, and hard enough they yell for mercy. All of the chuzzles' eyes whirl round and round in frantic circles.
Do I seem frustrated? I am. Heidi is on the warpath and no one is happy. Time to explode some more chuzzles!
10 Favorite Dishes to Eat
1. Shrimp & broccoli with cashew nuts
2. Prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes
3. Lean Cuisine Chicken with peanut sauce
4. Weight Watchers Szechuan chicken
5. Manicotti
6. Corned beef & cabbage
7. Split pea soup
8. Chili
9. Made to order omelette from Prospector's
10. TB made this delicious breakfast dish, I think it was called eggs in a basket or something.
January 05, 2006
It's Always Something...
I think I ate something that disagreed with me...or I have a lingering virus. I feel really yucky today.
TB's work is experiencing a slow down or some other kind of financial thing. He may be laid off again, off one week and on the next.
This stuff always seems to happen at the worst possible time. :P
::Hook 'em Horns!::
Onesome: Hook-- Just to get us back in the swing of things after the holidays: when you're at home, where do your keys hang out, on a hook by the door? ...or do they have a special place? ...or do you find them wherever they landed the last time you walked in
I put them on top of the entertainment center, behind the pictures.
Twosome: 'em-- Do you use contractions like " 'em " in your daily conversations? ...or do people use a contraction or phrase that particularly bugs you past the point of rationality?
I'm sure I do use those contractions. I can't think of any that bug me enough that I would get irrational about it. :P It's not that important compared to other stuff going on.
Threesome: Horns-- On the Horns of a dilemma: if you had only one movie you could nominate for the Academy Awards for 2005, which would it be? ...and why? The screenplay? ...the lead player(s)? ...the setting?
I would nominate King Kong because of the superb directing Peter Jackson did, along with the wonderful special effects. The actors were all terrific but so were the group of actors in Lord of the Rings. I think Peter Jackson and his crew really made the movie fantastic.
December 19, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
Normally this is where I'd link back to the Baker's Dozen meme but it doesn't seem to be working at the moment. 
Ever try to take pictures of teenagers who don't want to be photographed? TB did on Friday during Kristin's party and he got a lot of hands over faces and blurriness. Here's what I mean:
1. On Friday night, the halls of our house were filled with the sounds of teenagers as Kristin hosted her first ever Christmas party. The kids were only shy when the camera came out!
2. Why are teenagers so camera shy?
3. Fortunately, they began to warm up and allowed the paparazzi to do his thing...for the most part. Some kids still didn't want to be seen. See the kid with her back to the camera? I don't think TB got a picture of her face once. Even in the last shot above she managed to get her arm up in front of her face! :D
4. A good time was had by all...
we think! No, seriously, all clowning aside, everyone had fun. No Christmas music was played nor any Christmas movie was watched, though.
5. Billy came home for the holidays on Saturday!
6. We went to see King Kong--what a great movie! Make sure your seat is comfy though. It's a long time to sit on a saggy or low seat with broken springs! :P
7. The best time to take a bathroom break: when you see the giant bugs appear. Trust me. It's a good time to go!
8. I realized I'm not as done with my Christmas shopping as I thought I was. TB and I went into Target with the kids after the movie and right away I was overwhelmed with the crowds.
9. I'm not working now...why would I shop on the crazy weekend before Christmas?
10. I wanted to watch a Christmas special last night and President Bush interrupted with a speech about how we need to be in Iraq. Just what I want instead of a nice good-feeling Christmas movie--a message of war. :P And on a Sunday! What was he thinking?
11. I'm not tired of Christmas music yet...
12. But where is the snow?
December 18, 2005
Hodgepodge
I wanted to see King Kong for my birthday--which is tomorrow--and so we went today. What a great movie! Peter Jackson is a movie making genius, sort of like Stephen Spielberg and Norman Jewison (I didn't realize who he was until today) and Ron Howard. I don't want to give any of it away. The special effects and the acting was just amazing...and King Kong, well, I could believe he was real! Jack Black really reminded me very strongly of Orson Welles, it was almost eerie. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie very much! You need to see it in the theater to really appreciate it, but I have to say that sitting in those seats for 3 hours was very uncomfortable!
I finished reading We Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates the other day. This was another story about a dysfunctional family but with a difference. You didn't see the dysfunction until something really bad happened to one of the family members. Again, I don't want to spoil it. The Mulvaneys seemed to be one of those close knit, well-to-do, very happy and successful families people secretly envy. Then comes this tragedy...and the family just totally falls apart. Why? If they were so happy and close knit it shouldn't have happened, should it? Well, now we see that the communication doesn't seem to be there and unconditional love doesn't seem to be quite there. The victim in the family is totally ostracized and that bugged me the most about the story. How can you treat an innocent member of the family like that? Joyce Carol Oates is not easy to read--I found myself either re-reading or just skipping stuff entirely. Supposedly the story will hurt and heal, well, I didn't feel any healing. I guess I was just too ticked off at the "parental units". I just didn't enjoy it that much after that certain breaking point. Oh well...
I say...and you think...
- Replenish:: refill
- People:: us
- Trend:: popular
- Girlfriends:: boyfriends
- Spirit:: Holy
- Banshee:: Irish spirit
- Oasis:: spot of Paradise in the desert
- Thrills:: chills
- Fountain:: fountain
- Boxes:: containers
December 17, 2005
Christmas is coming...
...and I feel like my goose is getting cooked. It's been busy and hectic and I just don't feel ready for it! Last night Kristin had a lovely (read: noisy) Christmas party with her friends and it was both fun and scary having all those kids around! Billy is coming home on the bus today; the girls have another party to go to and my head is spinning!
1. what kind of car do you currently drive?
A Toyota Sienna
2. what is your dream car?
a fully loaded Cadillac or Lincoln Continental
3. how do you feel about SUVs? yea or nea?
Nay...gas guzzlers and they roll too easily.
4. my car, due to it being 13 years old, needs a few tweaks here & there ... BUT i have no car payment. would you rather have a car that didn't need fixing from time to time, or a car payment?
I'd rather do without the car payment. My Sienna suits me just fine right now. It's paid off and I only have 50,000 miles on it. It's 4 years old.
5. are you happy with your car now, or would you rather have a different one?
Oh...see above. When I need a new car I'd probably go for a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord.
6. i have driven a truck, a convertible, and an antique automobile in my lifetime. if you could have a different type of car for your different needs (family, fun, road trip), which kinds of cars would you choose, and why?
7. my heater & a/c alternate between working & not working, but what is really dangerous is that my wipers sometimes don't work for no apparent reason. what quirk on your car do you need to fix the most?
8. when do you see getting a new(er) car? six months? a year?
December 13, 2005
Ten Things I Want For Christmas
1. Peace in the house
2. a walkman so I can tune in to the TV when I exercise
3. Celtic music--not Christmas music, but other kinds
4. Irish tie dye T shirt from the catalogue
5. Irish sweatshirt or poncho or cape
6. Any lavender or burgundy sweat shirt with cats, cardinals, butterflies or flowers on them
7. More picture frames for the kids' artwork so I can hang them up OR new pictures of the grandkids!
8. one of those hand held computer planner things that TB and Billy both have
9. Computer puzzle games...like: alchemy, Super Collapse II, Diamond Mine, Noah's Ark, Twistingo, Family Feud etc.
10. Cinderella Man
December 12, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
1. I have a huuuuge box of photographs and I've been slowly going through them, organizing them and putting them into photo albums. I spent several hours doing just that this weekend.
2. We've got a gazillion digital pictures, too (like the one above)! I guess I need to organize them and ask TB to download them on CDs?
3. The girls and I worked out at the gym on Saturday...it was great to have Jason's advice. I've been curling my toes when I pedal and that's one of the reasons I was having leg and foot cramps!
4. TB and I had another Lost marathon and are finally caught up into the second season...but it's not enough!
5. Oma celebrated her 95th birthday on Saturday, God bless her.
6. The Christmas cards have been arriving!
7. I meant to do our Christmas cards this weekend but never got around to it...:P
8. I also meant to do some more Christmas shopping this weekend but .... there's still 12 shopping days left, right?
9. We treated ourselves to dinner out on Friday after running around all over town. I love diners!
10. I resisted making Christmas cookies another weekend!
11. Richard Pryor and former Senator Eugene McCarthy died over the weekend
12. Here's another picture I put into an album this weekend, from 1993:
December 08, 2005
More Snow?
It doesn't look or feel like it'll snow anymore but we have a warning up for now. The accumulation amounts are down big time and it sounds like we're just going to have a royal mess! Snow, sleet, ice and slippery roads! I wanted to go to the gym and work out but I guess we'll see how the roads are. I'd like to have a major snow before Christmas to help boost my holiday spirit.
::Seventeen Shopping Days Left!::
Onesome: Seventeen Shopping-- Malls? ..or one Internet? Are you doing more online shopping this year? The polls say we are, but I'm curious about what the real people are doing.
I'm doing a lot more internet shopping...almost all of it. I just need to pick up a few things and I'll probably get stocking stuffers from the mall or stores. I just can't walk the malls like I used to, not with this collapsed arch. It's nice not to have the hassle of crowds and finding a parking place.
Twosome: Days-- ...or "Daze"? Are you finished with your shopping? Do you still a few things to go? What? Not even a game plan? ...or is there just one person you're having trouble finding something for?
I still need to get stocking stuffers, a few more things and shop for one person who isn't giving us a very long list!
Threesome: Left!-- What's left to do at your place (or where you are going)? Is the tree up? ...or maybe you're just happy you found the Christmas coffee mug and are calling that good?
I'd like to pick up a few more festive decorations for the living room and family room but basically we're good.
December 06, 2005
Oops--it wasn't a snow day!
We had a small snow storm last night. We were supposed to get 3-5" of snow, last I heard. When my alarm went off this morning, TB said I should turn it off. Schools would be closed. Wow, there must be a lot of snow out there, I thought. He didn't go to work either. So I went back to sleep.
Just after I woke up again around 8:30, Kristin came knocking on our door. She'd been trying to verify that schools were closed and there was no information anywhere. It turned out TB figured schools had to be closed...but he wasn't familiar with the policies of Burlington County! Many times they are open when it would be better for them to at least have a delayed opening...we don't have sidewalks and the kids have to wait in the streets for the bus. This morning, we didn't have a plow come through until 7:30 a.m., well after the high school bus is supposed to pick up kids.
What is with this school district? Sure, I think if weather conditions aren't terrible then the kids should go to school. BUT we do live in a rural area (no sidewalks) and I wonder why the administrators aren't more concerned about kids waiting for buses on unplowed streets?
Anyway, TB drove Kristin to school. She's really conscientious about going I'll say that for her!
Good for you, Kristin!
Gas prices jumped! It was nice to see them dropping to a low of $1.86 but then all of a sudden they climbed again by as much as 20 cents a gallon at the place nearest us. Why? Oh...it's because it's winter, it's cold, and the companies want to jack up the prices in time for the poor schmoes who have to order oil for their houses. :P
10 Household Chores You Hate
This list includes chores I don't handle anymore now that I have younger hands and TB to help. :)
1. Cleaning the toilet
2. Cleaning the rest of the bathroom
3. Dishes
4. Kitchen clean up
5. Mopping the floors
6. Dusting thoroughly
7. Sweeping the floors
8. Vacuuming thoroughly (moving furniture around and stuff)
9. Laundry (when I used to go to the laundromat)
10. setting & clearing the table
December 05, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
1. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."
2. Most of my shopping (90%) is done! Now I just have to wait for everything to arrive so I can wrap!
3. We bought some decorations for our windows so that the house has a much more festive look this year
4. We're supposed to get some more snow! "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"
5. A beautiful red cardinal flew over the car as we drove home. I love cardinals
6. TB had a taste for crab cakes and so we had some from Phillips, a wonderful seafood restaurant I first ate in years ago in Ocean City, Md. Now they're in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore and maybe elsewhere?
7. We also had coleslaw and potato wedges...a sort of summery supper on what was a snowy day
8. TB and I have been watching episodes of Lost from the first season while everyone has gone into re-runs. What a great show!
9. I took out boxes of Christmas cards and looked at them. :) Next I have to get the address book.
10. Tried to eat sensibly but didn't get to the gym at all over the weekend
11. I slept for 12 hours Saturday into Sunday--must have needed it!
12. Best of all--we spent several hours visiting and playing with Tomas!
December 04, 2005
First Snow
I was so excited to see snow on the ground when I woke up this morning! Many years, we don't see snow until later in the winter and it's always so much fun when it arrives early. We're expecting some more next week.
TB took some pictures with his awesome new camera.
Okay, it's less than 2 inches but it still stuck!
Gee...could this be the year we have a white Christmas?
The cars belong to our neighbors; the air conditioner is in our bedroom.
I say...and you think...
- Amazing:: Race
- Delights:: Turkish
- Inspired:: by God
- Disgusted:: yuck
- You:: Me
- Vagina:: Penis
- Palm:: Hand
- Sweetheart:: TB
- Guilt:: blame
- More to come:: future
November 28, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
I took loads of pictures this weekend but haven't uploaded them to the computer. TB's shown me like 5 times but I can't seem to retain the information longer than 5 minutes.
1. The kids and I saw HP and the Goblet of Fire on Saturday. It was the best of the series--they just keep getting better and better.
2. It was great to have Billy home for the weekend!
3. We didn't get to see Tomas as was planned. We hear that he is sick with something and we hope the little guy is feeling better. It hurt not to see him after looking forward to it for so long.
4. There was no leftover turkey to eat over the weekend--we gobbled it all up in 2 days!
5. No Black Friday shopping for us...the girls and I went to workout and burn off some calories
6. Heidi had to work 3 days over the holiday weekend so she's getting used to running around
7. Are holidays supposed to be like this? Much of the weekend seemed filled with conflict. I hate it.
8. I've been listening to lots of holiday music this weekend but it's not helping this time
9. The weather has been hot and cold all week. Now it's getting hot again
10. I'm almost totally done with Christmas shopping. Thank you, Internet!
11. I've been sorting and organizing the gajillion pictures I had stored in one dresser drawer
12. I'm actually almost done with one album!
November 21, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
1. We hosted Carnival of the Cats for the very first time and it was a lot of fun! The girls are totally worn out though! 
2. TB and I were chauffeurs, that's what it's come to, LOL, driving teenagers around! It's nice that Kristin has such nice friends!
3. B-101 started playing Christmas music 24/7 and I'm like a kid in a candy store ... it's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!
4. We went on a big shopping spree and spent a lot of money at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Costco...and no, we're not done yet!
5. The happiness I felt at seeing Tomas on Thursday carried over into the weekend
6. TB spent most of Sunday playing with the new leaf blower. Then he bagged all the leaves himself and overdid it :(
7. I've sorted through all the pictures I had in the bottom drawer of the old night table and now I need to get them into photo albums
8. We did some more Christmas shopping--we're making a dent in it...a little one, anyway!
9. Kristin is the latest family member to come down with the plague sickening everyone in the family
10. Heidi carried a 5 gallon bucket of water up or down a long flight of stairs at work and then figured out she didn't really need to do it
11. I gave in to a bag of cheese doodles :(
12. What happened to November? Wasn't it just Halloween?
November 20, 2005
87th Carnival of the Cats
When we remembered we were hosting the 87th Carnival of the Cats--a first for us, we immediately got nervous and needed to nap and escape from it all! We hope we did this right, if not, blame the pet, not the cats! Make sure to click on Continue Reading for the extended entry!
Caesar of Niobium enjoyed a midnight snack--some of it, anyway.
The peaceful kitties of Your Moosey Fate show how well they get along.
Pepper of Cascade Exposures is all boxed in but then poses for some really beautiful head shots!
Tiny of Sisu posed with dignity after also catching a mouse in "On the internet, everyone is famous for 15 people"! Her choice was 'out of the bag' for Sisu's candidacy for a card in the hearts suit in Aaron's "Deck 'O Bloggers 2005" competition.
Sasha and a still slumbering Sergei of Music & Cats can't believe it's Friday morning already!
Tommy of Striving For Average posts a profile of a bright wide eyed kitty sporting a cute little 'stache with an unfortunate resemblance to a person of infamy.
Little Annie of Lisaviolet's Dear Diary sleeps off a catnip party!
After a long day on the set Butterscotch of Mensa Barbie Welcomes You also enjoys a little cat nap!
LeeLoo of Skullsnbats has got to be Harry Potter's greatest feline fan!
Panda of TrailGrams has developed FKS--but not to worry, this is a good thing!
Kiri of Eat Stuff is happy that Clare Eats is much better and will be back to posting regularly again soon and so are we!
The kitties of The Blog Pound plot a takeover of the living room couch!
Some toys can cross "ine" lines, as playful kitty of Maggie's Meanderings & Shameless Plugs demonstrates that a feline can enjoy a canine toy!
Gabriel of Middle-Fork shows off his fluffy and very long long tail!
Peanut of Composite Drawings lovingly administers daily ablutions to her human lovey.
Spike and Boo of Watermark would like to know what's up with all the fake kitties? Real is better!
Poor Gigolokitty is devastated by the early Christmas present he gets from Santa.
There are two very contented Kitties on Josh's Weblog.
Doby and Jackie of The Blue Parrot take a moment to pose peacefully together. They sure are a pretty pair!
Pasha of Just Between Strangers also cooperates for the camera and provides an engaging close-up! Earlier in the week, Pasha and Pixel were in for feline feminine surgery!
Betsy of Baboon Pirates says empahtically: I meant to do that!
This pissed off kitty of CyberVassals is truly scary!
A stray kitty shows up in A Common Room's back yard. Could this be a kitten who's found his way back?
Check out the playful kitties of Where the Dolphins Play. Who says cats don't like water? Well...they have to turn it on first!
Bandit of i-pets.com, then and now...what a cutie!
Isn't amazing how flexible cats are? See how Pip of 7610 can stre----etch!
Sleeping Mommy was treated to a tuxedo-ed serenade
Smacky of Lunar Obverse says "Yes, I like to wash but I don't do laundry!"
Pixel of Lab Kat "bimbles off"!
Thalia of Athenamama says "You've got to be kidding--there are no bad cat pictures!"
Her Ladyship of Elms in the Yard asks Mr. Neighborcat, "Haven't you read that poem by Robert Frost about fences and good neighbors?"
Alex of Texas Oasis is feeling well enough to become a suggle bunny. Glad he is feeling better!
Mister Gato of Pencil Roving has turned his hunting capabilities to catching shoe laces!
Mr. Right of The Right Page posted an internet goodie--How to Give a Cat a Pill
Jack and Brother of Diary of a Feral Cat Colony are introduced. There sure is a strong resemblance!
Meowza of the Mind of Mog wonders where is the rootkit? and then went looking for it? And Izzy makes an appearance for Feline Friday!
Now this is one blissful kitty on Daily Rosie!
The kitty on Beezer Song is missing the most important elements of a comfy bed!
Ace of A Shareware Life is in no way no how interested in playing with silly string!
One of the kitties at Manx Mnews gets into a treasure box much to the delight of little Gracie!
Jerome and Miss Maple, "Beauty and Beast" of Gus Van Horn's blog, pose together.
Ferdinand T. Cat of Conservative Cat would like his pet to get his priorities in order saying --or is it giving?--cheese always comes first before snapping the picture
Rafe and Rhett of No Deep Thoughts show off their pretty eyes!
Hakuna of Blog d'Elisson basket-naps!
Tonks of Allan Thinks also shows off his gorgeous baby blues
A mystery surrounds Willow of M鬡nge -- so what is up with that leg?
Wow, check out Little Boy at The Oubliette!
Nardo is getting quite a workout at IFOC. Well, they say no pain, no gain but he really isn't hurting! There's links to kitty movies, too, but I couldn't get either to open for me yet.
Morris, at Ego, is combating hunger and fatigue--which feeling will win out?
Mouse: That wraps this one up!
Amber: Am I tired!
Mouse: Why? You didn't do anything!
Amber: I watched you supervising our pet didn't I? That was mind-numbing, now I'm exhausted!
Thanks for stopping by! Next week's Carnival of the Cats will be hosted at IMAO. Seeya!
November 18, 2005
Feline Friday
We're hosting Carnival of the Cats for the first time on Monday! Mommy just went to check on the submissions so far...we better get a lot of rest, we're going to need it! ;)
In other news: So yesterday was a real emotional roller coaster of a day. I was very very happy to see Tomas again and so was Heidi. Kristin missed the visit and so did TB so they were both pretty down about it. Last evening was stressful and so today I just feel totally emotionally drained.
November 14, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
1. Heidi worked her first day at Acme, way to go, Heidi! The pay ain't much but it's almost all yours!
2. "All the leaves are brown..." (almost)
3. Heidi's friend Shirley stayed overnight with us yesterday...she and her boyfriend are breaking up--and she lives with his family. Awkward.
4. I wonder where Shirley will stay now?
5. I spent most of the weekend coughing my head almost off. Time to go to the doctor.
6. I love the weather we've been having lately! Maybe because we have it so rarely?
7. TB put up my new shelves and they really help!
8. I still have too much stuff
9. Nanowrimo is going to turn into Decnowrimo for me!
10. TB and I spent Saturday evening watching our recorded episodes of Criminal Minds. There was nothing else on--thank heavens for technology and DVRs!
11. "I Love Rock & Roll"--especially from the 60s-80s...eeek! My music is 20-40 years old!!!!
12. Now that we need to sort through years of pictures previously hidden away, we needed about a half dozen photo albums!
November 07, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
1. What a wonderful weekend! The weather was glorious, perfect for a road trip to Washington Rock State Park, which is where Heidi took this picture. She takes nice pictures! It was hard to choose just one!
2. For more pictures of the weekend, check out TB's entry here
3. We saw the two homes where TB grew up, in South Plainfield and Greenbrook. The house in Greenbrook was in a beautiful area, on top of a mountain and located on a one lane road with a golf course practically in the front yard. Now I have houses to match the stories TB tells me about his childhood! :)
4. TB hoped to stop at a Texas Weiners and we accidentally stumbled across one just before we got to Greenbrook. He and Kristin had chili dogs but Heidi and I opted for club sandwiches. TB said the wieners taste just like they did when he was a kid! I'm glad we ate there.
5. We also got to see the place where TB works. It sure is a looooooooong drive for him!
6. We went to see Jarhead and I liked it very much! I thought it might be a propoganda type film like The Green Berets but it wasn't. It also wasn't as graphic and frightening as Searching for Private Ryan
7. The sound was up way too high in the theater! What's wrong with the managers? Do they think they need to drown out all the chatty Cathys and Carls? TB was left with a terrible headache!
8. I am still sorting through stuff! We have way too much stuff!
9. B101 is going to start playing holiday music the weekend before Thanksgiving--they announced that on Saturday. Eeeeeeeek...now it's really time to think about shopping!
10. I wonder if we'll get to see Tomas at all?
11. Eating out too much really adds on the pounds. Am I the only person to join Weight Watchers and then gain weight the first 3 week?
12. I wrote a little on my story for Nanowrimo.
November 06, 2005
Sunday Brunch
What a lovely weekend it's been so far. The only thing that would have made it better is if we'd seen Tomas. We miss him so much.
Today we're going to the movies. TB and I are going to see Jarhead and the girls want to see Doom even though Heidi heard it was "sucky". They want to see it because it's based on a video game. :P
I say ... and you think ... ?
Deeper and deeper:: digging yourself in
Can?t help ...:: loving you
Devil?s advocate:: defending the Dark Side
Superpower:: USA
Threatening:: scary
Played:: fooled once, maybe twice or 3 times
War:: futile
Violate:: destroy
Invest:: save
Choke:: Heimlich
October 31, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
1. I started out the weekend feeling very depressed but eventually I must have realized once again life goes on and the busy-ness helped lift my spirits
2. The tree surgeon came on Saturday and totally amputated our swamp maple. I'd written earlier that it was going to happen; it kind of hurt to see the tree come down so quickly. TB wrote about it and you can see the pictures here.
3. The house sure looks different without the tree in front of it! Heidi needs drapes for her window because the shade is all gone and the sun is bright in the afternoons
4. We got a bargain on a bedroom set for our room! We've been using TB's old bedroom set from when he was a kid!
5. The leaves are finally changing colors and the scenery is looking pretty!
6. Lane Bryant stores don't necessarily carry the same clothing that are featured in the catalog :P
7. We are now ready for Halloween--TB bought 3 bags of candy we all can't stand! Any left overs will go to school, work or into the trash
8. Kristin carved a hanging tree on her pumpkin but her knife was too big and awkward and she cut the man down...bet he was relieved!
9. Mischief night was very quiet...there are definitely ups to living in a neighborhood with few kids!
10. Our own kids were out with friends, hopefully not getting into too much mischief
11. Our little granddaughter Taylor turned 5 yesterday, what a big girl! We miss her so much! Happy birthday (again), Taylor!
12. Fresh flowers definitely bring my spirits up, thanks, TB!
October 24, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
1. Time to put the summer clothes away and break out the fall/winter stuff, which means loads of laundry!
2. We had one sunny day this weekend. Now we're getting a nor'easter from Hurricane Wilma. Enough, already!
3. It sure was beautiful yesterday--and the trees are finally starting to change colors!
4. Change-of-weather colds suck
5. Coughing in the middle of the night messed up my sleep so I bought a sit-up pillow that didn't help much. So it goes.
6. I realized I have *no* jeans! I need jeans!
7. Watched The Interpreter with TB and I think I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't confusing in too many places!
8. I really miss the grandkids...I would have loved to go pumpkin picking or on a hayride. Maybe next weekend?
9. We already got our free turkey after one grocery shopping trip yesterday!
10. I am totally hooked on a yahoo game called chuzzles...the little critters are so cute!
11. I really like the yahoo IM voice feature--can talk to Billy for free!
12. I answered a poll this weekend about the candidates for governor in NJ--I don't like either one. :P
October 17, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
1. We had a very fun & busy weekend that took away the stress of anticipating today's hearing about visitation with Tomas.
2. Billy came down on the Greyhound bus to participate in a karate tournament in Bushkill, PA. We thought he'd be arriving before 10 but apparently missed two buses and didn't actually arrive until 11:30--almost the time TB and I turn into pumpkins!
3. Bushkill is a 3 hour trip for us but only a half hour away from Fred and Alberta, Billy's grandparents, and so we arranged to meet them at Fernwood Resort (that's where the tournament took place).
4. Why haven't the leaves changed colors? I was so looking forward to brilliant fall foliage on the drive and everything was still green, green and more green!
5. It was so good to see Fred & Alberta again! We had a wonderful visit!
6. The meeting hall where the tournament took place is huge and sort of like a big gymnasium without any of the sports equipment. It was very noisy and chaotic in there but we managed to find 4 seats together. Heidi and Kristin stood up.
7. We must have been considered the "back" of the audience because when there was an entertaining show, a temporary curtain was draped in front of us and so we couldn't see what was going on. I thought that was pretty rude.
8. Billy did really well considering he hasn't had much chance to practice the last two weeks...and for good reason, he was studying!
9. Thank God it stopped raining for the weekend! Both days were truly gorgeous!
10. I'll bet Buddy enjoyed playing outside for the first time in over a week. He was overjoyed to have Billy home and to be able to run around the yard without getting soaked by a steady downpour.
11. The weekend was over too soon! We took Billy back to the Greyhound and observed the line for the NYC bus is always long...get there early!
12. We capped off a lovely weekend with a delicious dinner at a Chinese buffet not far from home!
October 10, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
is here. Thanks for inviting me to post on the Baker's Dozen website, KB!
October 05, 2005
Way Back Wednesday
I found a new meme Way Back Wednesday:
Let's see your pets...no excuses, like I said, if you don't have a pet and never did rent your neighbor's dog for a photo op...it's all good.
I have lots of "way back" pictures of my four legged lovelies but I don't have them scanned. But I do have some then and some pix of the 3 living with us now:
Buddy when he was a cute little 6 month old pup.
The big galoot now
The girls (Amber & Mouse) in February, 2003
And in September, 2005 -- my look at the difference in them! ;)
October 04, 2005
Ten on Tuesday
Wow, what a difference a day makes! Yesterday I was full of pep and today I feel like a popped balloon. Maybe it's the weather. It's very cloudy and gloomy. Maybe it's fibromyalgia. Maybe I just need a steak. Oh well, I did manage to do some memes.
10 Best Movies You've Seen Lately
These are within the last year too
1) War of the Worlds
2) Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azhkaban
3) Hotel Rwanda
4) In Good Company
5) Hide & Seek
6) Ladder 49
7) Million Dollar Baby
8) Ray
9) Spiderman 2
10) Napoleon Dynamite
"This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball."
~~Bull Durham
Well, we've covered over-all favorite films. Let's break it down a little more by starting in on genres. Baseball playoffs are upon us, which inspires me to ask: What are your favorite sports films?
The Natural
Field of Dreams
Pride of the Yankees
Miracle
A League of Their Own
What sports films do you think are terrible?
Bad News Bears remake
Do you tend to watch a lot of sports movies or very few, or do you avoid them completely?
I avoid them unless it's got a story I'm interested in or actors that I like
Which sports (if any) do you watch on television?
I used to be a baseball fan but not anymore
Are those the same sports you enjoy as movies?
Pretty much
October 03, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
The idea is to come up with twelve thoughts and one pic to describe your weekend.
1. The hearing for visitation with Tomas has been postponed for 2 weeks so our lawyer can prepare
2. Billy got 2 jobs, way to go! He's very self-motivated, knows what he wants and just goes about getting it.
3. We have a new driveway! See TB's entry.
4. The weather was so gorgeous Friday and Saturday...why did it have to get hot again?
5. Teenagers! They don't want us to stand over them to make sure their chores are done but when we don't, they don't do them and then act like it's our fault when we get upset!
6. We decided to get the Internet out of the girls' rooms and into the family room. We went shopping for a new desk but I ended up with one for the corner of our bedroom. The desk I had, the handcrafted one from the Amish place, will go into the family room.
7. My new desk has all sorts of wonderful new places for the cats to play hide & seek!
8. Things sure get majorly dusty behind furniture that hasn't been moved in a while!
9. Are shows like Cold Case and the CSIs getting tired? I haven't been real impressed with the episodes this season.
10. I'm starting to feel stronger--my hemoglobin is coming back up to normal or all that beef & broccoli stir fry is helping boost my red cells!
11. The pool is going away until next summer...just when we get a new heat wave! :P
12. We just had the first weekend in October for crying out loud, can Christmas be far behind?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
September 12, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend
1. How did we get this far into September already?
2. Little grandson Nikolas turned 1 on Friday; we missed being with him but to sing him "Happy Birthday" the next day
3. I got to talk to Billy this weekend because he's bored -- the office of first year experience didn't jam pack the weekend with activities for a change! It's good to hear his voice
4. I also got to talk to my brother -- this is the weekend for catching up!
5. I wrote down everything I ate at each meal this weekend. It's helping me stay on track and on goal!
6. We got a note from Taylor! Gosh, we miss the grandkids!
7. The girls went over to Gram's to help her with a yard sale. I am so glad they have each other. My mom lives in MD and Grandma Alberta lives in PA so they were missing out on a lot of good grandparenting. Now they have Gram
8. My sleep schedule is still wacky from the medication...but I haven't taken any percocet since last night. Maybe I'll get back on a normal schedule this week!
9. I am so glad the New Orleans Saints won their football game yesterday. We needed some good news for New Orleans!
10. Thank God things are finally improving for the victims of Hurricane Katrina
11. I noticed that -- in addition to the 12 lbs the doctor took off me -- I've lost another 3 lbs!
12. I realized that although I'm still fluffy, I look and feel much better now and it'll be that much easier to attack the weight!
