Yes, I'm home. I actually got home a week ago, but have been just too darn tired to write anything, partly because my shingles flared up again and partly because it was an exhausting trip.
Here's the trip in a nutshell (I'll go into more detail about some things later): Left home at 4 a.m. that Wednesday and drove to Indianapolis. Spent the night with Lori's brother and family. Got to Dayton Thursday afternoon, hung out with Joy, had dinner with her and some other friends from high school. Friday Joy and I hung out, visited some thrift shops, . Went out to dinner with my favorite teacher from high school and then went back to Joy's and hung out some more. Saturday Joy and I ate a late breakfast at Bob Evans (we don't have those around here) and then went garage-sale shopping and hit some more thrift shops. Also found a really nice yarn shop. That night we went to a bar where a guy we went to school with was playing in the band. Stayed out late. Sunday I left for Youngstown a little after noon, got to Lori's Dad's house about 5. Got Italian take-out and ate dinner with Lori, her Dad, her Aunt Pat, her best friend Terri, and Terri's sister. They got to telling stories and we laughed so hard we could hardly eat. Left Youngstown about 8:30 the next morning and drove to Chicago for lunch. (I know it wasn't on the way home, but that's what road trips are all about - going places!) Walked around the Navy Pier on Lake Michigan, had Chicago-style hot dogs for lunch (the best hot dog ever!!!), got lost in downtown Chicago trying to find our way back to the interstate due to construction, followed detour signs until they disappeared. We were in the 'hood by then so maybe the signs got stolen. Went back and forth in Chicago for awhile and I did see the (former) Sears Tower from every possible angle. (I know it has a new name, I just can't remember what it is.) Finally got some decent directions from a nice guy walking down the street, but we were so confused by then we got on the wrong ramp and were almost to O'Hare airport before we realized we needed to be going the other direction. Got off the interstate to turn around and Lori saw a mall, so we stopped so she could shop for some Cubs/Bears stuff. Finished shopping, got on the highway going the right way and drove just over the Iowa border before stopping for the night. Got up the next morning, drove through Iowa in the rain, drove through Nebraska, dropped down into Colorado at the very northeast corner of the state and got home about 1 a.m. Next year, we're not going to try and do everything in a week. It was a great road trip, though, and Lori and laughed our way through eight states. No problems, other than the incident with the traffic cone. I'll talk about that some other time.
And, since I titled this posting "Home" - guess who else is home?? Austin, that's who! My veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom arrived at Buckley AFB Saturday evening. We were there waiting at the same hanger we saw him leave from. We watched the plane from the time we could see the landing lights until it pulled up in front of the hanger. I was so thrilled to see him at the top of the exit stairs I thought my heart would burst. By that time we were all crying. There were a lot of us there to meet him: me and Hubby, Ian and Jordan, Shea and boyfriend Nathan, Chance, his Dad and stepmother, aunt and uncle, two cousins, and one second cousin (Katie's little boy JJ - he's a doll). We all went out to dinner and everybody was talking at once and there were at least four conversational threads going at any given time. Typical family dinner. Austin stayed in Denver with friends overnight and then came down here Sunday. He's been spending his time golfing and catching up with friends. It's really great to have him back home.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
On the Road Again...
almost!
My little bag is packed, my backpack has gifts for my friend and a few other things and I'll stick my makeup and stuff in there just before we leave, my road trip knitting bag is ready to go, my car is clean and full of gas - so I'm about ready.
Last night Lori and I shopped for snacks - goodies like pretzels and Cheezits and a big package of Twizzlers. You have to have junk food for a road trip - I think it's some kind of law. We're going to try and do about 2/3 of the trip tomorrow and have an easier drive on Thursday.
Today is Jordan's 17th birthday and I can't believe my baby is 17 already!!!! Like I said yesterday when Austin turned 21 - Time flies! Jordan did have one good gift so far today - he got his braces taken off. He's happy about that. He's going out to dinner with his Dad and stepmother, but I made a cake for later. Dark chocolate with cream cheese frosting. His choice and I can't wait to taste it.
The fifth laundry load of the day is in the dryer and I have one more load (towels) to do and then all the laundry will be done before I go. If Hubby and Jordan so desire, they won't have to do laundry before I get back. Any bets on how much will be waiting for me?? :o)
So, I'm out of here for a week. I'll be back blogging soon.
My little bag is packed, my backpack has gifts for my friend and a few other things and I'll stick my makeup and stuff in there just before we leave, my road trip knitting bag is ready to go, my car is clean and full of gas - so I'm about ready.
Last night Lori and I shopped for snacks - goodies like pretzels and Cheezits and a big package of Twizzlers. You have to have junk food for a road trip - I think it's some kind of law. We're going to try and do about 2/3 of the trip tomorrow and have an easier drive on Thursday.
Today is Jordan's 17th birthday and I can't believe my baby is 17 already!!!! Like I said yesterday when Austin turned 21 - Time flies! Jordan did have one good gift so far today - he got his braces taken off. He's happy about that. He's going out to dinner with his Dad and stepmother, but I made a cake for later. Dark chocolate with cream cheese frosting. His choice and I can't wait to taste it.
The fifth laundry load of the day is in the dryer and I have one more load (towels) to do and then all the laundry will be done before I go. If Hubby and Jordan so desire, they won't have to do laundry before I get back. Any bets on how much will be waiting for me?? :o)
So, I'm out of here for a week. I'll be back blogging soon.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Time flies...
and then you wonder where it went! Today is my oldest son's 21st birthday. Unfortunately, as we know, Austin is celebrating this milestone in Iraq. That sucks on so many levels. Anyway, as I said in the e-card I sent him this morning, I can't believe it's been 21 years since he came into my life and changed it forever. I think back and it seems impossible that 21 whole years have gone by already. I was lucky, all three of my boys were healthy and all were extremely happy babies, but in different ways since they all have their own personalities. So, Happy Birthday to Austin!
Yesterday Hubby asked me to drive to Howard (a small town up the river canyon to the west) to check out a property with him. The drive up the river was beautiful, as it always is, and on the way back we were lucky enough to see not one but two small herds of bighorn sheep. One herd even had two babies! Also saw two young deer snacking in a meadow. I took my knitting along so I also managed to get a few rows of the blanket done when I wasn't looking out the window at the scenery and the wildlife.
This morning I was up early because I had an appointment to get blood drawn. After that I decided to get the trip to the grocery store over with, then I went to the pharmacy, the bank, and the library. So I think I'm entitled to goof off the rest of the day!
My car is all nice and clean, ready for the trip to Ohio - courtesy of Ian and his friend JG (his name is actually Jordan, but we call him by his initials so he doesn't get confused with our Jordan). The cleaned out the junk that had accumulated (sadly, I'm not much on keeping my car tidy - I mean to, but then...), wiped all the surfaces, cleaned the floor mats, and vacuumed it out. I love those guys!
I can't decide what knitting to take on the road. If I take the blanket, that's a big bag. I'm leaning toward taking a bunch of cotton skeins and do dishcloths. Either way, I have to take knitting!
OK - gotta go - it's lunchtime!
Yesterday Hubby asked me to drive to Howard (a small town up the river canyon to the west) to check out a property with him. The drive up the river was beautiful, as it always is, and on the way back we were lucky enough to see not one but two small herds of bighorn sheep. One herd even had two babies! Also saw two young deer snacking in a meadow. I took my knitting along so I also managed to get a few rows of the blanket done when I wasn't looking out the window at the scenery and the wildlife.
This morning I was up early because I had an appointment to get blood drawn. After that I decided to get the trip to the grocery store over with, then I went to the pharmacy, the bank, and the library. So I think I'm entitled to goof off the rest of the day!
My car is all nice and clean, ready for the trip to Ohio - courtesy of Ian and his friend JG (his name is actually Jordan, but we call him by his initials so he doesn't get confused with our Jordan). The cleaned out the junk that had accumulated (sadly, I'm not much on keeping my car tidy - I mean to, but then...), wiped all the surfaces, cleaned the floor mats, and vacuumed it out. I love those guys!
I can't decide what knitting to take on the road. If I take the blanket, that's a big bag. I'm leaning toward taking a bunch of cotton skeins and do dishcloths. Either way, I have to take knitting!
OK - gotta go - it's lunchtime!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Yesterday...
all my troubles seemed so far away. I know it's bordering on corny to quote a Beatles song, but that's how yesterday was.
I took Ian and Jordan to lunch and we had a good time just eating and talking. We had a view of the restaurant's outside door and saw a bird's nest above it filled with fuzzy baby birds. I had a moment of panic when I thought one was going to fall out, but it settled back in with the others. After lunch I went to the public library and checked out some books, then I ran to the grocery store for a few things. I treated myself to a bouquet of mini-carnations - assorted colors - and they look great on my kitchen table. I did some laundry and started reading one of the library books. It was just a nice day.
Today, well, I still have a stack of bills, the economy still sucks, a friend has been diagnosed with a bad disease, Ian doesn't have a job, Hubby is still a workaholic, Austin is still in Iraq, there's more laundry to do, I still have this case of the damned shingles - back to reality. But the flowers on my kitchen table still look great.
The book I started (and finished at two in the morning - I was in a reading mood, OK?) is/was "Definitely Dead" by Charlaine Harris. It's one of her Sookie Stackhouse novels, the ones the HBO series "True Blood" is based upon. And, as we all know, "True Blood" is one of my newest guilty pleasures. Anyway, it wasn't a "serious" book by any means, but it was entertaining and easy to read and I enjoyed it. I liked it enought to want to read more by this Ms. Harris.
Watched a new show on TV last night - "Warehouse 13" on the SyFy channel (which used to be the Sci-Fi channel, not sure why they changed the name since Science Fiction is not spelled Syence Fyction but...whatever) and I liked it. Just what I need, another show to keep track of! I'm such a TV addict. But (Silver Lining Alert) I am getting a lot of knitting done on the current baby blanket. Speaking of TV, I have the latest installment of "Grey's Anatomy" from Neflix to watch this afternoon - I'm at the start of the third season now.
We have nothing special planned for the weekend - Hubby and Jordan are working and I have (never-ending) Susie Homemaker stuff to do. Sigh. I need to go and look at the flowers on the kitchen table again. :o)
I took Ian and Jordan to lunch and we had a good time just eating and talking. We had a view of the restaurant's outside door and saw a bird's nest above it filled with fuzzy baby birds. I had a moment of panic when I thought one was going to fall out, but it settled back in with the others. After lunch I went to the public library and checked out some books, then I ran to the grocery store for a few things. I treated myself to a bouquet of mini-carnations - assorted colors - and they look great on my kitchen table. I did some laundry and started reading one of the library books. It was just a nice day.
Today, well, I still have a stack of bills, the economy still sucks, a friend has been diagnosed with a bad disease, Ian doesn't have a job, Hubby is still a workaholic, Austin is still in Iraq, there's more laundry to do, I still have this case of the damned shingles - back to reality. But the flowers on my kitchen table still look great.
The book I started (and finished at two in the morning - I was in a reading mood, OK?) is/was "Definitely Dead" by Charlaine Harris. It's one of her Sookie Stackhouse novels, the ones the HBO series "True Blood" is based upon. And, as we all know, "True Blood" is one of my newest guilty pleasures. Anyway, it wasn't a "serious" book by any means, but it was entertaining and easy to read and I enjoyed it. I liked it enought to want to read more by this Ms. Harris.
Watched a new show on TV last night - "Warehouse 13" on the SyFy channel (which used to be the Sci-Fi channel, not sure why they changed the name since Science Fiction is not spelled Syence Fyction but...whatever) and I liked it. Just what I need, another show to keep track of! I'm such a TV addict. But (Silver Lining Alert) I am getting a lot of knitting done on the current baby blanket. Speaking of TV, I have the latest installment of "Grey's Anatomy" from Neflix to watch this afternoon - I'm at the start of the third season now.
We have nothing special planned for the weekend - Hubby and Jordan are working and I have (never-ending) Susie Homemaker stuff to do. Sigh. I need to go and look at the flowers on the kitchen table again. :o)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Summertime...
and the livin' is easy. Actually a better word is probably "lazy". I've been busy doing a whole bunch of not much, and I don't feel a bit guilty. :o) I haven't been a total slug: I've done the laundry on a regular (daily) basis, I've cooked meals and kept my kitchen (relatively) clean, and I've been organizing my hobby room. But I don't answer to my alarm clock and I don't have a schedule.
Speaking of my hobby room: I am such a packrat!!! I have enough yarn to open my own store, I have three shelves of gifts waiting to be given, I have so many picture frames in assorted shapes and sizes that when I finally get pictures put in them they will cover every available surface in my house (and some will have to go on the walls!), I have an entire storage tub full of gift bags and gift wrap (good for the shelves of gifts, right?), there is entire cedar chest full of fabric (I thought at one time I might take up quilting, and maybe sew some wardrobe items), I have enough cards to start a card shop - you get the picture. Maybe I have that hoarding disease. I won't worry about that until I start stacking newspapers all over the house. I have to admit it's been kind of fun going through all that stuff. Anyway, I'm almost done sorting through all that stuff and then I'll start organizing my cookbooks and recipes. I've been sporadically going through my closet and getting rid of old stuff and stuff I haven't worn (or can't fit in!!!) - I donate all my stuff like that to a charitable place here in town.
Hmmm. I've been doing more than I thought. It's my vacation - I need to slow down! :o)
Next week my friend Lori and I are taking a road trip to Ohio. I'm going to see two good friends from high school and she's going to visit family. That's one of those funny life coincidences - we met and became close friends here in Colorado but we both grew up in Ohio.
I've also been watching "Grey's Anatomy" from Netflix - I'm about to start the third season. And while I watch, I knit, so the baby blanket is coming along. I have some balls of cotton yarn that are destined to become dishcloths shortly. I've decided that this year, most Christmas gifts from me are going to be either knitted or from those aforementioned shelves. It will save me money and give me something to do with all that yarn. A win-win thing.
Austin called from Iraq a couple of days ago. The connection wasn't that great, but it was wonderful to hear his voice! He's doing OK and is due to come home the end of the month. I can't wait to see him and give him a big hug. He said there's been a lot of sandstorms there, so bad that for three days no planes could take off or land. (After he called, Hubby looked on the internet and it said that the sandstorms were the worst in Iraq's recent history.) Bottom line - he's doing fine. I'll still feel so much better when he's out of that country and back home. During our 4th of July cookout, we all stopped for a moment and raised our glasses in a toast to all those who serve and who have served.
My shingles are still here. The right side of my face is still puffy and this morning I noticed a line of blisters coming up around my lip. The creepy-crawly feeling is almost constant and drives me crazy!!!! So I take my meds, which helps somewhat, but I wish it would just clear up and go the hell away. I'm not whining, I'm just sayin'. :o)
OK - I'm off to check my mailbox for my next installment of GA.
Speaking of my hobby room: I am such a packrat!!! I have enough yarn to open my own store, I have three shelves of gifts waiting to be given, I have so many picture frames in assorted shapes and sizes that when I finally get pictures put in them they will cover every available surface in my house (and some will have to go on the walls!), I have an entire storage tub full of gift bags and gift wrap (good for the shelves of gifts, right?), there is entire cedar chest full of fabric (I thought at one time I might take up quilting, and maybe sew some wardrobe items), I have enough cards to start a card shop - you get the picture. Maybe I have that hoarding disease. I won't worry about that until I start stacking newspapers all over the house. I have to admit it's been kind of fun going through all that stuff. Anyway, I'm almost done sorting through all that stuff and then I'll start organizing my cookbooks and recipes. I've been sporadically going through my closet and getting rid of old stuff and stuff I haven't worn (or can't fit in!!!) - I donate all my stuff like that to a charitable place here in town.
Hmmm. I've been doing more than I thought. It's my vacation - I need to slow down! :o)
Next week my friend Lori and I are taking a road trip to Ohio. I'm going to see two good friends from high school and she's going to visit family. That's one of those funny life coincidences - we met and became close friends here in Colorado but we both grew up in Ohio.
I've also been watching "Grey's Anatomy" from Netflix - I'm about to start the third season. And while I watch, I knit, so the baby blanket is coming along. I have some balls of cotton yarn that are destined to become dishcloths shortly. I've decided that this year, most Christmas gifts from me are going to be either knitted or from those aforementioned shelves. It will save me money and give me something to do with all that yarn. A win-win thing.
Austin called from Iraq a couple of days ago. The connection wasn't that great, but it was wonderful to hear his voice! He's doing OK and is due to come home the end of the month. I can't wait to see him and give him a big hug. He said there's been a lot of sandstorms there, so bad that for three days no planes could take off or land. (After he called, Hubby looked on the internet and it said that the sandstorms were the worst in Iraq's recent history.) Bottom line - he's doing fine. I'll still feel so much better when he's out of that country and back home. During our 4th of July cookout, we all stopped for a moment and raised our glasses in a toast to all those who serve and who have served.
My shingles are still here. The right side of my face is still puffy and this morning I noticed a line of blisters coming up around my lip. The creepy-crawly feeling is almost constant and drives me crazy!!!! So I take my meds, which helps somewhat, but I wish it would just clear up and go the hell away. I'm not whining, I'm just sayin'. :o)
OK - I'm off to check my mailbox for my next installment of GA.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Notes from outer space..
not really, but all these drugs make me feel pretty spacy! :o)
It's a little after 11 in the morning and I've been awake since about 3:15. My face woke me up, so I popped a pill but still couldn't sleep so after about an hour of tossing and turning I gave up and got up.
Not much going on today - I've done some laundry and if I get in the right mood I may sort through my closet to get rid of stuff I don't ever wear. We're not doing anything special for the holiday tomorrow, we'll be cooking out here with the family. I need to make something for dessert, so I suppose I should rummage through my cupboards to see what those options are. To be honest, I'll be glad when the 4th is over - I have this nagging fear that Iraqi insurgents might like to make a statement by doing something to the big airbase where my oldest son, Austin, is right now. I know I probably don't have anything to worry about, but that thought keeps floating around in my head. I'll breathe easier once the weekend is over.
I'm keeping one eye on the TV - Michael Jackson's memorial service arrangements are being announced. I confess I'll be watching every minute of it on Tuesday. It still makes me sad that he's gone. Nobody has said yet where he'll actually be buried; maybe Neverland would make a good place - it's beautiful and he seemed to be happy there. He talked about a tree where he would go to write songs and Larry King said last night that it's a really beautiful one, so it would be fitting, IMHO, to bury him near it. Of course, I'm just talking - I have no idea if that's even possible or something his family would even want.
OK - I'm off to take my meds - my face is starting to hurt again. Sucks to be me, huh? :o)
It's a little after 11 in the morning and I've been awake since about 3:15. My face woke me up, so I popped a pill but still couldn't sleep so after about an hour of tossing and turning I gave up and got up.
Not much going on today - I've done some laundry and if I get in the right mood I may sort through my closet to get rid of stuff I don't ever wear. We're not doing anything special for the holiday tomorrow, we'll be cooking out here with the family. I need to make something for dessert, so I suppose I should rummage through my cupboards to see what those options are. To be honest, I'll be glad when the 4th is over - I have this nagging fear that Iraqi insurgents might like to make a statement by doing something to the big airbase where my oldest son, Austin, is right now. I know I probably don't have anything to worry about, but that thought keeps floating around in my head. I'll breathe easier once the weekend is over.
I'm keeping one eye on the TV - Michael Jackson's memorial service arrangements are being announced. I confess I'll be watching every minute of it on Tuesday. It still makes me sad that he's gone. Nobody has said yet where he'll actually be buried; maybe Neverland would make a good place - it's beautiful and he seemed to be happy there. He talked about a tree where he would go to write songs and Larry King said last night that it's a really beautiful one, so it would be fitting, IMHO, to bury him near it. Of course, I'm just talking - I have no idea if that's even possible or something his family would even want.
OK - I'm off to take my meds - my face is starting to hurt again. Sucks to be me, huh? :o)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Getting back to normal...
I think.
This herpes/shingles thing has just kicked my butt. I give up. Finally got in to my doctor here and got the great news that this can last for months and then come back at any time. WTF. Seriously. Anyway, he gave me a bunch of meds - steroids, anti-inflammatory, nerve pain, other pain killers - and I do feel better and can sleep through the night now. But there were a couple of new, but small, blisters today. This just sucks.
OK - enough whining.
Here's some good news: I found another reality show to get me through the summer - America's Got Talent. It's awesome!!! A good number of the contestants make total fools of themselves (and, sadly, don't even know it), some contestants are unbelievably good, and the rest fall somewhere between. I like the judges, but the harshest judge is the audience - they boo and yell and are totally mean to the bad acts. I love it! The fact that I love it probably says something about me, but...oh,well. Nick Cannon is the host and I just love him, too. I remember tuning in once last year but Jerry Springer was the host and I can't stand him so I never watched again. The best act this week was this guy from Tennessee (I think) who came out in jeans and a flannel shirt with his hat on backwards and a beard stubble, who talked like a total hick, and then blew everybody away when he played his guitar and sang "Tomorrow Never Comes" (a country song). I'm not even a country music fan, but it brought tears to my eyes. He was unanimously passed through to the next round.
I've watched a lot of the Michal Jackson stuff that's been on since he died. The whole situation just makes me sad - I'm sad he's dead, I'm sad for his children and his family. I also find it ironic that he's (probably) made more money in the week since he died than he did for the last few years. He's on top of Billboard and ITunes charts again and everything of his is selling like crazy. I did my part - I bought his Number Ones CD today.
On the knitting front - I finished another strip for my sock-yarn blanket and have been working on the baby blanket. I need to make some more dishcloths for gifts in the next couple of weeks.
This herpes/shingles thing has just kicked my butt. I give up. Finally got in to my doctor here and got the great news that this can last for months and then come back at any time. WTF. Seriously. Anyway, he gave me a bunch of meds - steroids, anti-inflammatory, nerve pain, other pain killers - and I do feel better and can sleep through the night now. But there were a couple of new, but small, blisters today. This just sucks.
OK - enough whining.
Here's some good news: I found another reality show to get me through the summer - America's Got Talent. It's awesome!!! A good number of the contestants make total fools of themselves (and, sadly, don't even know it), some contestants are unbelievably good, and the rest fall somewhere between. I like the judges, but the harshest judge is the audience - they boo and yell and are totally mean to the bad acts. I love it! The fact that I love it probably says something about me, but...oh,well. Nick Cannon is the host and I just love him, too. I remember tuning in once last year but Jerry Springer was the host and I can't stand him so I never watched again. The best act this week was this guy from Tennessee (I think) who came out in jeans and a flannel shirt with his hat on backwards and a beard stubble, who talked like a total hick, and then blew everybody away when he played his guitar and sang "Tomorrow Never Comes" (a country song). I'm not even a country music fan, but it brought tears to my eyes. He was unanimously passed through to the next round.
I've watched a lot of the Michal Jackson stuff that's been on since he died. The whole situation just makes me sad - I'm sad he's dead, I'm sad for his children and his family. I also find it ironic that he's (probably) made more money in the week since he died than he did for the last few years. He's on top of Billboard and ITunes charts again and everything of his is selling like crazy. I did my part - I bought his Number Ones CD today.
On the knitting front - I finished another strip for my sock-yarn blanket and have been working on the baby blanket. I need to make some more dishcloths for gifts in the next couple of weeks.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Goodbye, Michael
I am truly saddened by the death of Michael Jackson. I wasn't a rabid fan, but he and his music have been in my life for what seems like forever. My teeny-bopper friends and I danced to Jackson 5 records in my best friends basement, "Thriller" remains one of my favorite albums, I applauded his humanitarian effort with "We Are the World", and I thought Neverland would be a cool place to live. And, in my opinion, the "Thriller" video is the best ever made. Yes, he became reclusive and strange. Yes, he altered his appearance in bizarre ways. Yes, he was accused of terrible things. But in spite of all that, I always thought he seemed just....sad. Sad and alone. It seemed that the older he got, the younger he acted. He lived most of his life in the public eye and who knows what that does to a person. I myself continue to battle demons from my childhood, so I am certainly not going to sit in judgement on someone who obviously had his own childhood issues to deal with. Or maybe it was because he never actually had a childhood, just a job. Granted, it was a great job - performing, making tons of money, that whole star thing, but it surely wasn't a traditional childhood. He could sing, he could dance, he could write beautiful music and he gave all of that to us and for that I'm grateful.
Rest in peace, Michael. You've earned it.
Rest in peace, Michael. You've earned it.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Alive and (almost) well
I'm back!!!! The vacation was wonderful and relaxing and everything I wanted it to be right up to the last two days when I broke out with some form of the herpes virus and the entire right side of my face swelled up and blistered. When I started running a fever, Janie decided I should see a doctor and the resort was kind enough to have one come to me. The doctor was very nice, and between her English and my Spanish (both somewhat limited, I must admit) I learned that either this virus has been dormant since I had chicken pox and for some reason decided to visit me now or someone I came in contact with had an outbreak and passed it on to me. Either way, it pretty well sucked. She gave me shots, antiviral meds, antibiotics, and pain meds. During her first visit, the pain wasn't really an issue so I wondered about those pain pills but a few hours later I was glad to have them. She came back the next day and repeated the whole shots/meds thing before I had to come home. I made the trip home looking like a victim of bad plastic surgery - especially my upper lip. It looked like those movie stars you see who get too much of that stuff injected into their lips. Janie said I looked like a poster child for Botox gone bad. Friends - what would we do without them? At least I made it home before all the blisters got way bigger and started exploding. Since these icky blisters were also in my mouth, I couldn't eat solid food. I'm craving meat - an entire week of milkshakes, sherbet, and the occasional scrambled egg just sucks. I took some chicken out of the freezer this morning to cook for dinner and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll actually be able to eat it. Today is better - there's still some puffiness around my eye, but most of the blisters are gone and now I'm just scab-covered. Plus, between the virus and no food I've had zero energy so I haven't done much since I got back. Frustrating! I have summer projects to do!! Hey, if I consider watching Grey's Anatomy and X Files DVDs as one of those projects then I'm accomplishing something.
One final word today about this: apparently I had an outbreak of shingles, but I've always heard that's something old people get, so I refuse to call it that. I'm old, but I'm not that old.
I'll talk more about the vacation next time.
One final word today about this: apparently I had an outbreak of shingles, but I've always heard that's something old people get, so I refuse to call it that. I'm old, but I'm not that old.
I'll talk more about the vacation next time.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Next stop...
Mexico!
I don't know if I'll get to post while I'm on vacation, but I'll try.
This time tomorrow we'll be at the hotel near Denver International Airport, ready to leave at 6 am Thursday for Mazatlan (via Phoenix). The weather here was so cold (not quite 60 degrees in June -oh, please) and cloudy today I'm definitely ready for that tropical weather!
My pile for my suitcase has grown, but it's not excessive (so far). Tomorrow I'll sort through my sandals and flip-flops - two pairs of each should be enough. Plus my Tevas, of course, for beach walking and seashell hunting. I am taking some knitting stuff - nothing large, just some sock yarn to make strips for the sock-yarn blanket.
Today I did some more laundry and have one more load of Hubby's stuff in the morning and then I'm done with that for awhile. I had my friend Lori trim my hair - I wasn't in desperate need of a cut, but in another two weeks it would probably be a little out of control. And if it's one thing I don't need on vacation, it's out of control hair. Don't need a color treatment right now - the sun is going to take care of that!
Pick up times for my cohorts have been coordinated, reservations have been checked (and rechecked!) so I think we're good to go.
So - hasta la vista!
I don't know if I'll get to post while I'm on vacation, but I'll try.
This time tomorrow we'll be at the hotel near Denver International Airport, ready to leave at 6 am Thursday for Mazatlan (via Phoenix). The weather here was so cold (not quite 60 degrees in June -oh, please) and cloudy today I'm definitely ready for that tropical weather!
My pile for my suitcase has grown, but it's not excessive (so far). Tomorrow I'll sort through my sandals and flip-flops - two pairs of each should be enough. Plus my Tevas, of course, for beach walking and seashell hunting. I am taking some knitting stuff - nothing large, just some sock yarn to make strips for the sock-yarn blanket.
Today I did some more laundry and have one more load of Hubby's stuff in the morning and then I'm done with that for awhile. I had my friend Lori trim my hair - I wasn't in desperate need of a cut, but in another two weeks it would probably be a little out of control. And if it's one thing I don't need on vacation, it's out of control hair. Don't need a color treatment right now - the sun is going to take care of that!
Pick up times for my cohorts have been coordinated, reservations have been checked (and rechecked!) so I think we're good to go.
So - hasta la vista!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Vacation Preparation
has begun!!!
96 hours from now, my plane should be touching down on the Mazatlan runway, so the countdown is on! I've done a few things to get ready: My travel-size toiletries have been bought, I visited the used book store and came out with a nice stack of reading material (mostly trashy novels and mysteries), I've been to the tanning bed enough that I won't spontaneously combust from sunburn when I get to the beach, and I've started making a pile of things to go in my suitcase.
I still have laundry to do, and will probably do some up until I leave so the guys I'm leaving at home won't have to deal with the washer and dryer for (knowing them) about a week after I leave. If they time it right, they might only have to do laundry once and then there will be a whole bunch waiting for me when I get back. Can you say Passive/Aggressive??? :o)
Two years ago I bought a nice, big suitcase that held everything I could possibly need for a two-week trip with room for stuff I didn't actually need plus plenty of room for whatever I discovered that absolutely had to come home with me. Shortly after this purchase the airlines came up with the stupid 50 pound limit and if you go over that you have to pay extra. We're already paying extra these days to even take a suitcase so the whole thing kind of makes me crazy. I've gone back to my older, not so roomy suitcase and my nice, big, newer one is now a really pretty (and pretty expensive) storage container in the guest room closet. Sigh. The Silver Lining is that it forces me to only take what I actually need, as opposed to all that stuff that I'd like to have with me just in case. And to be honest, which I try to be, I don't really need a whole lot - bathing suits and coverups, a couple of sundresses or skirt/top combos for nights out, my two favorite skorts with tops for any shopping or tours, maybe a pair of shorts and a tee shirt or two for just hanging around. The condo we'll be staying in does have its own washer and dryer which makes it even easier. I'm good at mixing and matching - this top goes with this skirt and also with this other skirt, etc., so I'm going to try really, really hard to keep the clothes to a minimum. I must confess, though, that in all the years I've been going to Mexico on vacation I always seem to take too many clothes. Maybe I can break that streak this year. I'm much better than when I started, though -the first time I went I remember taking a daytime outfit and a nighttime outfit for every day I was going to be there, and then spent most of the week in a bathing suit. You'd think I'd learn.
I have 92 days left until I go back to work. Does that sound good or what????
96 hours from now, my plane should be touching down on the Mazatlan runway, so the countdown is on! I've done a few things to get ready: My travel-size toiletries have been bought, I visited the used book store and came out with a nice stack of reading material (mostly trashy novels and mysteries), I've been to the tanning bed enough that I won't spontaneously combust from sunburn when I get to the beach, and I've started making a pile of things to go in my suitcase.
I still have laundry to do, and will probably do some up until I leave so the guys I'm leaving at home won't have to deal with the washer and dryer for (knowing them) about a week after I leave. If they time it right, they might only have to do laundry once and then there will be a whole bunch waiting for me when I get back. Can you say Passive/Aggressive??? :o)
Two years ago I bought a nice, big suitcase that held everything I could possibly need for a two-week trip with room for stuff I didn't actually need plus plenty of room for whatever I discovered that absolutely had to come home with me. Shortly after this purchase the airlines came up with the stupid 50 pound limit and if you go over that you have to pay extra. We're already paying extra these days to even take a suitcase so the whole thing kind of makes me crazy. I've gone back to my older, not so roomy suitcase and my nice, big, newer one is now a really pretty (and pretty expensive) storage container in the guest room closet. Sigh. The Silver Lining is that it forces me to only take what I actually need, as opposed to all that stuff that I'd like to have with me just in case. And to be honest, which I try to be, I don't really need a whole lot - bathing suits and coverups, a couple of sundresses or skirt/top combos for nights out, my two favorite skorts with tops for any shopping or tours, maybe a pair of shorts and a tee shirt or two for just hanging around. The condo we'll be staying in does have its own washer and dryer which makes it even easier. I'm good at mixing and matching - this top goes with this skirt and also with this other skirt, etc., so I'm going to try really, really hard to keep the clothes to a minimum. I must confess, though, that in all the years I've been going to Mexico on vacation I always seem to take too many clothes. Maybe I can break that streak this year. I'm much better than when I started, though -the first time I went I remember taking a daytime outfit and a nighttime outfit for every day I was going to be there, and then spent most of the week in a bathing suit. You'd think I'd learn.
I have 92 days left until I go back to work. Does that sound good or what????
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Lazy...
that's me.
Two days of vacation have passed and I've done basically nothing. If we get to the middle of July and I still haven't done a darn thing, maybe then I'll feel bad but right now it feels good.
I have been doing laundry (which never ends, no matter what) and I've been visiting my friend's tanning bed so I don't arrive in Mexico looking like I should be wearing a sign that says "sunburn waiting to happen". I did book the transportation from the airport to the resort. I love arriving in Mazatlan: the airport is pretty small and usually only one plane shows up at a time so there are no long lines for immigration, baggage claim, or customs. Last year I timed it - 22 minutes from the time the plane touched down on the runway until I was out the door on my way to the resort. Much better than the 90 minutes I spent coming through immigration and customs in Houston on my way back.
Here's a story about that: I am not a US citizen, so I have a green (it's actually beige, but who cares?) card and this card was issued about 26 years ago. Keep in mind there is no requirement to renew these cards. So, I was standing in line for immigration in Houston and the guy checking my passport and immigration card says "Did you ever think about getting a new one of these?" Since I travel with it once a year, twice if I happen to be able to visit my brother in England, I gave him an honest answer, "No." "Well maybe you should", he says, kind of snottily. "Why?", I asked. "Because this one is old.", he replied, even more snottily. So I asked him, in a very polite tone, "Is it a requirement to get a new one?" "Well, no.", he says back, "but maybe you should." "Why would I get a new one if I don't have to?", I asked him. "OK", he finally said, while scribbling something on my customs form. Then I get to customs, and the agent pulls me out and says you need to go to that room over there. So I went and waited and finally another guy comes up and asks for my form. I showed it to him and he asks"What agricultural products are you carrying?" I told him that I wasn't carrying agricultural products. So he looks at my form again and says that the immigration guy wrote a notation that I needed to be checked for agricultural products. That son-of-a-b**ch wrote on my form so I'd get pulled out of the customs line!!!!! Then this customs guy asks "Are you sure you're not carrying agricultural products?" My reply, "Unless tequila is an agricultural product, no, I'm not!" "Have you been to any farms?", he asks. "I've been to the beach!", I replied. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then he says, "OK, but you still have to send all your items through this more intense scanner." At that point, I was like "Whatever" but I just said "OK". And guess what? They didn't find any damn agricultural products. Seriously, how petty is that? That's 30 minutes or so of my life totally wasted because the immigration guy got mad about my old card that has no requirement to be renewed. Please. There was enough time before my connecting flight that I could have gone back and given him a piece of my mind, except that the way it's set up you can't go back to the immigration area once you've left it. Probably a good thing, because I was good and mad.
I was checking out HBO On Demand the other day and found this show called "True Blood" about vampires living like regular people. Except, of course, they can only come out at night. Anyway, it takes place in this little town in Louisiana and it's just crazy!!!!! There's a lot of violence and sex - vampires apparantly have a big sex drive, plus everybody else in this little town seems pretty obsessed with sex, too - but parts of it are hysterically funny. It's kind of like "The Sopranos" that way - violence mixed in with totally bizzare stuff that makes you laugh. Anyway, I watched the whole first season in three days and now I can't wait for season two next month. Guilty pleasure thy name is "True Blood". Maybe I've found something to fill the void where "The Sopranos" used to be, cuz I was totally addicted to that show.
Knitting: I ripped out all of the baby blanket I was doing - the yarn was just too fine for that big a project and it was boring me to death. So I'm using two strands of the same yarn on bigger needles, so hopefully it will go faster and I won't get as bored. Plus with it being so fine, the blanket wasn't going to have much substance, if you know what I mean. I think this will work out much better.
Not much else is going on. Just a whole bunch of nothin'!
Two days of vacation have passed and I've done basically nothing. If we get to the middle of July and I still haven't done a darn thing, maybe then I'll feel bad but right now it feels good.
I have been doing laundry (which never ends, no matter what) and I've been visiting my friend's tanning bed so I don't arrive in Mexico looking like I should be wearing a sign that says "sunburn waiting to happen". I did book the transportation from the airport to the resort. I love arriving in Mazatlan: the airport is pretty small and usually only one plane shows up at a time so there are no long lines for immigration, baggage claim, or customs. Last year I timed it - 22 minutes from the time the plane touched down on the runway until I was out the door on my way to the resort. Much better than the 90 minutes I spent coming through immigration and customs in Houston on my way back.
Here's a story about that: I am not a US citizen, so I have a green (it's actually beige, but who cares?) card and this card was issued about 26 years ago. Keep in mind there is no requirement to renew these cards. So, I was standing in line for immigration in Houston and the guy checking my passport and immigration card says "Did you ever think about getting a new one of these?" Since I travel with it once a year, twice if I happen to be able to visit my brother in England, I gave him an honest answer, "No." "Well maybe you should", he says, kind of snottily. "Why?", I asked. "Because this one is old.", he replied, even more snottily. So I asked him, in a very polite tone, "Is it a requirement to get a new one?" "Well, no.", he says back, "but maybe you should." "Why would I get a new one if I don't have to?", I asked him. "OK", he finally said, while scribbling something on my customs form. Then I get to customs, and the agent pulls me out and says you need to go to that room over there. So I went and waited and finally another guy comes up and asks for my form. I showed it to him and he asks"What agricultural products are you carrying?" I told him that I wasn't carrying agricultural products. So he looks at my form again and says that the immigration guy wrote a notation that I needed to be checked for agricultural products. That son-of-a-b**ch wrote on my form so I'd get pulled out of the customs line!!!!! Then this customs guy asks "Are you sure you're not carrying agricultural products?" My reply, "Unless tequila is an agricultural product, no, I'm not!" "Have you been to any farms?", he asks. "I've been to the beach!", I replied. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then he says, "OK, but you still have to send all your items through this more intense scanner." At that point, I was like "Whatever" but I just said "OK". And guess what? They didn't find any damn agricultural products. Seriously, how petty is that? That's 30 minutes or so of my life totally wasted because the immigration guy got mad about my old card that has no requirement to be renewed. Please. There was enough time before my connecting flight that I could have gone back and given him a piece of my mind, except that the way it's set up you can't go back to the immigration area once you've left it. Probably a good thing, because I was good and mad.
I was checking out HBO On Demand the other day and found this show called "True Blood" about vampires living like regular people. Except, of course, they can only come out at night. Anyway, it takes place in this little town in Louisiana and it's just crazy!!!!! There's a lot of violence and sex - vampires apparantly have a big sex drive, plus everybody else in this little town seems pretty obsessed with sex, too - but parts of it are hysterically funny. It's kind of like "The Sopranos" that way - violence mixed in with totally bizzare stuff that makes you laugh. Anyway, I watched the whole first season in three days and now I can't wait for season two next month. Guilty pleasure thy name is "True Blood". Maybe I've found something to fill the void where "The Sopranos" used to be, cuz I was totally addicted to that show.
Knitting: I ripped out all of the baby blanket I was doing - the yarn was just too fine for that big a project and it was boring me to death. So I'm using two strands of the same yarn on bigger needles, so hopefully it will go faster and I won't get as bored. Plus with it being so fine, the blanket wasn't going to have much substance, if you know what I mean. I think this will work out much better.
Not much else is going on. Just a whole bunch of nothin'!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Summertime...
and the livin' is easy.
At lease I hope it will be! I want a relaxing, stress free summer.
I have turned off my Monday through Friday alarm clock for the duration, the coffee maker has been reset to make that first pot of the day at a later time, and I'm at the very beginning of a long stretch of having no pressing obligations. Does that sound great, or what??!! I counted on the calendar - I have 97 days before I have to do the daily routine again. That's 14 days more than we normally get because the first day of school for next year has been pushed back to the last day of August instead of the mid-August start date we've had for a few years.
I have my list of "projects" I want to get done. Stuff like organize photos, clean out my closet, go through and categorize my recipes and at the same time "clean up" the bookcase with all my cookbooks. There's more, but you get the idea. Sadly, at least two of the things are left over from last summer's list. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but am self-aware enough to know that I'm a champion procrastinator so it would not surprise me if a future post contained lamentations about not getting anything done.
I've been knitting: I finished the baby blanket made from leftovers. I think it's pretty and I have a home picked out for it already. A good friend has a grandbaby due the end of the summer so it worked out well. Two projects ongoing right now: the sock-yarn strips for a blanket and another baby blanket; both are coming along. I dug out my digital camera because a.) I decided it was time to learn to use it and b.) I wanted to post some pictures but, while I found the camera and instructions, I can't find the damn box with the charger so it's deader than a doornail. I'll have to go and buy a new charger. So pictures will have to wait. :o(
Today is Memorial Day - a time to remember those who serve, those who did serve, and those who died in that service. We owe all of them more than can ever be repaid.
At lease I hope it will be! I want a relaxing, stress free summer.
I have turned off my Monday through Friday alarm clock for the duration, the coffee maker has been reset to make that first pot of the day at a later time, and I'm at the very beginning of a long stretch of having no pressing obligations. Does that sound great, or what??!! I counted on the calendar - I have 97 days before I have to do the daily routine again. That's 14 days more than we normally get because the first day of school for next year has been pushed back to the last day of August instead of the mid-August start date we've had for a few years.
I have my list of "projects" I want to get done. Stuff like organize photos, clean out my closet, go through and categorize my recipes and at the same time "clean up" the bookcase with all my cookbooks. There's more, but you get the idea. Sadly, at least two of the things are left over from last summer's list. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but am self-aware enough to know that I'm a champion procrastinator so it would not surprise me if a future post contained lamentations about not getting anything done.
I've been knitting: I finished the baby blanket made from leftovers. I think it's pretty and I have a home picked out for it already. A good friend has a grandbaby due the end of the summer so it worked out well. Two projects ongoing right now: the sock-yarn strips for a blanket and another baby blanket; both are coming along. I dug out my digital camera because a.) I decided it was time to learn to use it and b.) I wanted to post some pictures but, while I found the camera and instructions, I can't find the damn box with the charger so it's deader than a doornail. I'll have to go and buy a new charger. So pictures will have to wait. :o(
Today is Memorial Day - a time to remember those who serve, those who did serve, and those who died in that service. We owe all of them more than can ever be repaid.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Home Stretch
Well, we're on the home stretch now both at work and on American Idol.
We have two days of work left, and I expect to hear a collective sigh of relief in our building when that final dismissal bell rings. I'm also looking forward to waving at the school buses as they leave for the last time with horns honking and kids bouncing in the seats. I have to move to a new room for next year (not sure which one yet) so I've been packing up stuff and taking things off the walls. That's a job I'll definitely be glad to finish with, hopefully tomorrow.
And here we are, just hours away from the final American Idol of the year. What a trip it's been! I so want Adam to win, but Kris may pull off the upset. I can hardly stand the wait! Those two are so different but both are good. I just think Adam has the bigger star potential. Here's a comparison of the two from Jacob at TelevisionWithoutPity.com - he explains it better than I ever could:
"I've been saying it's the best season ever since auditions, and you didn't believe me. Can you possibly join me now? Because check out your Top Two: KRIS and ADAM, which is the equivalent of winning two new cars in a raffle you forgot you entered. One of them goes really fast, changes from one just-invented color to another, gets its satellite radio from an unknown star, and takes you to wonderful, frightening lands of the future. The other has automatic transmission, sleek lines and touchable faux-leather interior, and always smells like heaven. And the biggest dilemma you face in your life is: which car am I going to drive today? That's a lot like having no problems at all. "
For me, I definitely want my Adam-car, racing toward those future lands. I did my best to help by voting as long as I could; I got through about ten times before I had about an hour of busy signals and just had to give up. Dial Idol has Kris marginally in the lead, so I don't know what to think. Last year they had a small lead for David Cook and he won by 12 million votes. I'm hoping for something similar, but with Adam coming out on top. As far as last night's show: I'm disappointed they had to sing something from a previous show. Both chose songs that were perfect the first time, so why try to improve on that? Note to Idol producers - let them pick something new! I thoroughly enjoyed Adam's "A Change is Gonna Come" and can't help but feel the emotion he felt about it was real; Kris' song didn't do much for me - too low key - but that's been his style most of the season. And the winner's song - don't get me started. OMG, can't they find someone to write a song that's upbeat and fun and sounds good????? I remember the very first show this year had a video clip of all these tween David Archuleta fans waiting for the final announcement. When David Cook's name was announced, one little girl's mouth dropped open in shock, another started crying, and another just stood there kind of spazzing out. I laughed out loud because it was really funny. Well, guess what? If Adam doesn't win, I'll be doing all three at once. And thank God no one will be videotaping me.
I know it's probably a little crazy for a woman my age to be so obsessed with a show and a singer, but we all have our issues, OK? Hey, I may not be totally normal, but at least I'm harmless. :o)
Silver Lining: If Adam doesn't win, he won't have to sing that awful song for his first single. (I still hope he wins, though).
We have two days of work left, and I expect to hear a collective sigh of relief in our building when that final dismissal bell rings. I'm also looking forward to waving at the school buses as they leave for the last time with horns honking and kids bouncing in the seats. I have to move to a new room for next year (not sure which one yet) so I've been packing up stuff and taking things off the walls. That's a job I'll definitely be glad to finish with, hopefully tomorrow.
And here we are, just hours away from the final American Idol of the year. What a trip it's been! I so want Adam to win, but Kris may pull off the upset. I can hardly stand the wait! Those two are so different but both are good. I just think Adam has the bigger star potential. Here's a comparison of the two from Jacob at TelevisionWithoutPity.com - he explains it better than I ever could:
"I've been saying it's the best season ever since auditions, and you didn't believe me. Can you possibly join me now? Because check out your Top Two: KRIS and ADAM, which is the equivalent of winning two new cars in a raffle you forgot you entered. One of them goes really fast, changes from one just-invented color to another, gets its satellite radio from an unknown star, and takes you to wonderful, frightening lands of the future. The other has automatic transmission, sleek lines and touchable faux-leather interior, and always smells like heaven. And the biggest dilemma you face in your life is: which car am I going to drive today? That's a lot like having no problems at all. "
For me, I definitely want my Adam-car, racing toward those future lands. I did my best to help by voting as long as I could; I got through about ten times before I had about an hour of busy signals and just had to give up. Dial Idol has Kris marginally in the lead, so I don't know what to think. Last year they had a small lead for David Cook and he won by 12 million votes. I'm hoping for something similar, but with Adam coming out on top. As far as last night's show: I'm disappointed they had to sing something from a previous show. Both chose songs that were perfect the first time, so why try to improve on that? Note to Idol producers - let them pick something new! I thoroughly enjoyed Adam's "A Change is Gonna Come" and can't help but feel the emotion he felt about it was real; Kris' song didn't do much for me - too low key - but that's been his style most of the season. And the winner's song - don't get me started. OMG, can't they find someone to write a song that's upbeat and fun and sounds good????? I remember the very first show this year had a video clip of all these tween David Archuleta fans waiting for the final announcement. When David Cook's name was announced, one little girl's mouth dropped open in shock, another started crying, and another just stood there kind of spazzing out. I laughed out loud because it was really funny. Well, guess what? If Adam doesn't win, I'll be doing all three at once. And thank God no one will be videotaping me.
I know it's probably a little crazy for a woman my age to be so obsessed with a show and a singer, but we all have our issues, OK? Hey, I may not be totally normal, but at least I'm harmless. :o)
Silver Lining: If Adam doesn't win, he won't have to sing that awful song for his first single. (I still hope he wins, though).
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday Stuff
OK - I'm back and in a better mood.
I have heard from Austin via email and he made it safely to Iraq (via a two day layover in Spain, where he spent time at the beach) and is now living in a tent and working twelve-hour shifts with F-16s. I can think about him now without getting all upset and am focusing on his return. I send many, many, many positive thoughts his way every day.
As for the two sons still here: Ian's dad asked Ian to live with him while he's back here getting his life together. Their relationship hasn't been the best the last few years, and he asked Ian to stay with him so they could work on rebuilding their relationship. He's less than five minutes from my house, so I'll still see plenty of him and it would make me really happy if the two of them could get along better. Silver Lining - I can keep the guest room as a guest room. :o) Jordan had a busy week: He was elected to next year's Student Council, was inducted into the National Honor Society, and was hired as a lifeguard at the public pool. So, all in all, a good week child-wise.
American Idol: Adam and Kris in the finale. Kind of a surprise, but personally I'm glad Danny's gone. He seemed to irritate me more and more each week. Plus his singing was going downhill. I can't wait for the final show on Wednesday to see who wins!!!! I think they're singing three songs each on Tuesday and apparently there was some sort of coin toss which Kris won and he elected to have Adam sing first. When the show started in February, co-workers and I talked about the fact that the show would end during our last week of school; it seemed like such a long way off then, but here we are. What a great week, huh? The American Idol big finale and summer vacation begins! What more could I ask for? (Well, lots of stuff, but that's a rhetorical question.)
I joined NetFlix and decided to get the first season of two shows I've never watched: The X Files and Grey's Anatomy. The X Files isn't on any longer, of course, but I had some friends who watched it religiously so I thought I'd give it a try. I watched the first disc already and it's pretty good. I love cop shows and it's kind of like a cop show with Twilight Zone stuff mixed in. A whole bunch of my friends are into Grey's Anatomy and after watching the first few episodes I can see why. I can't wait for the next disc to show up in my mailbox!
It's been a low-key weekend. I've done all the laundry and have the rest of the day free from household tasks. USA network is having a Law & Order SVU marathon so I think I'll grab my knitting and turn on the TV.
Speaking of knitting: I knitted a total of six dishcloths and am back to working on the baby blanket. Now that I've started it, I think I'll just do the whole blanket in the variegated and use the "spotted" yarn for the edging. The blanket isn't really looking like it's done with variegated yarn, it's working up in a very muted way where all the colors seem to blend. Pretty.
I guess that's it for today. Now that I'm back to my "normal" self, I be blogging more than once a week.
I have heard from Austin via email and he made it safely to Iraq (via a two day layover in Spain, where he spent time at the beach) and is now living in a tent and working twelve-hour shifts with F-16s. I can think about him now without getting all upset and am focusing on his return. I send many, many, many positive thoughts his way every day.
As for the two sons still here: Ian's dad asked Ian to live with him while he's back here getting his life together. Their relationship hasn't been the best the last few years, and he asked Ian to stay with him so they could work on rebuilding their relationship. He's less than five minutes from my house, so I'll still see plenty of him and it would make me really happy if the two of them could get along better. Silver Lining - I can keep the guest room as a guest room. :o) Jordan had a busy week: He was elected to next year's Student Council, was inducted into the National Honor Society, and was hired as a lifeguard at the public pool. So, all in all, a good week child-wise.
American Idol: Adam and Kris in the finale. Kind of a surprise, but personally I'm glad Danny's gone. He seemed to irritate me more and more each week. Plus his singing was going downhill. I can't wait for the final show on Wednesday to see who wins!!!! I think they're singing three songs each on Tuesday and apparently there was some sort of coin toss which Kris won and he elected to have Adam sing first. When the show started in February, co-workers and I talked about the fact that the show would end during our last week of school; it seemed like such a long way off then, but here we are. What a great week, huh? The American Idol big finale and summer vacation begins! What more could I ask for? (Well, lots of stuff, but that's a rhetorical question.)
I joined NetFlix and decided to get the first season of two shows I've never watched: The X Files and Grey's Anatomy. The X Files isn't on any longer, of course, but I had some friends who watched it religiously so I thought I'd give it a try. I watched the first disc already and it's pretty good. I love cop shows and it's kind of like a cop show with Twilight Zone stuff mixed in. A whole bunch of my friends are into Grey's Anatomy and after watching the first few episodes I can see why. I can't wait for the next disc to show up in my mailbox!
It's been a low-key weekend. I've done all the laundry and have the rest of the day free from household tasks. USA network is having a Law & Order SVU marathon so I think I'll grab my knitting and turn on the TV.
Speaking of knitting: I knitted a total of six dishcloths and am back to working on the baby blanket. Now that I've started it, I think I'll just do the whole blanket in the variegated and use the "spotted" yarn for the edging. The blanket isn't really looking like it's done with variegated yarn, it's working up in a very muted way where all the colors seem to blend. Pretty.
I guess that's it for today. Now that I'm back to my "normal" self, I be blogging more than once a week.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Not in a Blogging Mood
I'm just not into writing today.
We saw Austin off to Iraq yesterday and it's left me sad and downhearted. We took him to the hanger where his unit was told to report, hung around for awhile, and then watched them all get on the transport plane. We waited by the fence outside the hanger until the plane took off and watched it until we couldn't see it anymore.
I have things going on the next couple of nights, so I probably won't be back until Thursday.
We saw Austin off to Iraq yesterday and it's left me sad and downhearted. We took him to the hanger where his unit was told to report, hung around for awhile, and then watched them all get on the transport plane. We waited by the fence outside the hanger until the plane took off and watched it until we couldn't see it anymore.
I have things going on the next couple of nights, so I probably won't be back until Thursday.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Here I Am
I'm sorry if you thought I'd deserted the blog - stuff came up and I got jammed up for time. I hate when that happens!!!!
Anyway, here I am. I took today as a personal day since I'm heading up north to spend some time with Austin before he leaves for Iraq. I would much prefer to take a personal day to fly to Vegas for a wild weekend. I'd even prefer to use a personal day on something totally, mind-numbingly, complete-waste-of-my-time, boring - like going to a hunting/fishing/camping expo. It goes without saying that it's not the spending time with Austin that I'd rather not do, it's the seeing him off to Iraq part. (Hmm, if it goes without saying, why did I say it?? Just how my mind works, I guess. Whatever.) So before I go I thought I'd spend some quality time with the old blog.
Let me address any hunters/fishers/campers out there who may look at the last paragraph and wonder why I wouldn't jump at the chance to visit such an expo. I don't do any of those things. Ever. Please don't start with how I'd really enjoy...let's say, camping...if I did it the right way. For me, there is no right way. It's camping. My aversion to camping actually started when I did my Army basic training all those years ago. We had to do a three-day bivouac (Army word for camping), complete with tents, sleeping bags, etc. We packed all our stuff on our backs and marched for hours to the campsite. I should also point out that it was August in Alabama. Nuff said about that. So we get to where we have to set up our tents and I get started. Tents and I don't get along, but I finally got the damn thing up and put the sleeping bags inside. As I was crawling out backwards (these were not big tents) I saw a snake and (city-girl that I was) totally freaked out. I got all tangled in the sleeping bag and then thE tent and after what seemed like an hour but was probably about 30 seconds I managed to get untangled, but the tent fell down and then I noticed it wasn't a snake after all, it was the zipper of my sleeping bag. The rest of the day we did our marching/training/whatever stuff and then I had to sleep in my re-erected tent. There were all kinds of middle-of-the-Alabama-woods noises, scary ones, and then it started to rain. I had managed to put the tent up right in the middle of some run-off area and the water ran through and everything (me, the sleeping bag, my clothes) got soaking wet. The next morning I was standing in formation in my wet uniform and the Alabama sun started to shine and pretty soon it looked like I was wearing a sauna-suit as the steam started to rise. I decided right then and there that I would never willingly do anything remotely connected with camping again. I've stuck to that all these years, except for one relapse in Italy when some guy I was seeing decided it would be fun to camp on a remote beach for a couple of days and I let him convince me I'd like it. Well I didn't like it, it still sucked, and I broke up with him after that. Now, if someone asks me if I camp (a legitimate question here in Colorado) I just look them dead in the eye and give them one of my two well-worn answers: 1. "Do I look like I camp?" or 2. "My idea of camping is staying in a hotel with no room service." The conversation always moves on to something else. Living in Colorado with all its outdoor beauty and activities, I've also been able to use a variation of #1 a few times: "Do I look like I fish?".
That's not really what I'd planned to write today, but my mind goes off of these tangents and sends words to my fingers to type and this is what I ended up with.
Let's get caught up on American Idol. I cannot believe that Danny is still around after butchering "Dream On" so badly. "Dream On" is my number one favorite song ever; I've even instructed my family to play it at my funeral, that's how much it means to me. It's all wrapped up with the words and how it came out when I was a teenager and it just speaks to me as a perfect song for my life. There I go again on a tangent detour. Sorry. So, Danny's in the top three after that and Allison is gone. There is no justice. Adam was his normal awesome self and continues his march to the Idol victory. Kris was his normal cute self. I still can't bring myself to pick on him because of his cuteness. As for the duets, Kris and Danny: why did they even bother?, Adam and Allison: Bravo! Record something together and I'll buy it!
In keeping with this Idol conversation, here's this week's Fill-Ins:
1. Apples are to oranges as Adam is to Danny.
2. Adam better be the next American Idol and that's all I have to say about that.
3. I think I hear Ryan Seacrest announcing You-Know-Who is the new American Idol.
4. Kris and Danny, just start waving the white flag.
5. Do what you want to do, but make sure you vote for Adam.
Knitting news: I made another dishcloth and then started the baby blanket for my pregnant friend. I only have a couple of rows done so far. The baby's not due until October - good news for me! I'm using a variegated baby yarn in shades of green, yellow, and lavender (non-gender-specific, obviously) and will alternate with another yarn that's basically white with "dots" of the same colors. I'm making it up as I go, but if the result matches the vision in my head it will be a really pretty blanket.
Enjoy the weekend!
Anyway, here I am. I took today as a personal day since I'm heading up north to spend some time with Austin before he leaves for Iraq. I would much prefer to take a personal day to fly to Vegas for a wild weekend. I'd even prefer to use a personal day on something totally, mind-numbingly, complete-waste-of-my-time, boring - like going to a hunting/fishing/camping expo. It goes without saying that it's not the spending time with Austin that I'd rather not do, it's the seeing him off to Iraq part. (Hmm, if it goes without saying, why did I say it?? Just how my mind works, I guess. Whatever.) So before I go I thought I'd spend some quality time with the old blog.
Let me address any hunters/fishers/campers out there who may look at the last paragraph and wonder why I wouldn't jump at the chance to visit such an expo. I don't do any of those things. Ever. Please don't start with how I'd really enjoy...let's say, camping...if I did it the right way. For me, there is no right way. It's camping. My aversion to camping actually started when I did my Army basic training all those years ago. We had to do a three-day bivouac (Army word for camping), complete with tents, sleeping bags, etc. We packed all our stuff on our backs and marched for hours to the campsite. I should also point out that it was August in Alabama. Nuff said about that. So we get to where we have to set up our tents and I get started. Tents and I don't get along, but I finally got the damn thing up and put the sleeping bags inside. As I was crawling out backwards (these were not big tents) I saw a snake and (city-girl that I was) totally freaked out. I got all tangled in the sleeping bag and then thE tent and after what seemed like an hour but was probably about 30 seconds I managed to get untangled, but the tent fell down and then I noticed it wasn't a snake after all, it was the zipper of my sleeping bag. The rest of the day we did our marching/training/whatever stuff and then I had to sleep in my re-erected tent. There were all kinds of middle-of-the-Alabama-woods noises, scary ones, and then it started to rain. I had managed to put the tent up right in the middle of some run-off area and the water ran through and everything (me, the sleeping bag, my clothes) got soaking wet. The next morning I was standing in formation in my wet uniform and the Alabama sun started to shine and pretty soon it looked like I was wearing a sauna-suit as the steam started to rise. I decided right then and there that I would never willingly do anything remotely connected with camping again. I've stuck to that all these years, except for one relapse in Italy when some guy I was seeing decided it would be fun to camp on a remote beach for a couple of days and I let him convince me I'd like it. Well I didn't like it, it still sucked, and I broke up with him after that. Now, if someone asks me if I camp (a legitimate question here in Colorado) I just look them dead in the eye and give them one of my two well-worn answers: 1. "Do I look like I camp?" or 2. "My idea of camping is staying in a hotel with no room service." The conversation always moves on to something else. Living in Colorado with all its outdoor beauty and activities, I've also been able to use a variation of #1 a few times: "Do I look like I fish?".
That's not really what I'd planned to write today, but my mind goes off of these tangents and sends words to my fingers to type and this is what I ended up with.
Let's get caught up on American Idol. I cannot believe that Danny is still around after butchering "Dream On" so badly. "Dream On" is my number one favorite song ever; I've even instructed my family to play it at my funeral, that's how much it means to me. It's all wrapped up with the words and how it came out when I was a teenager and it just speaks to me as a perfect song for my life. There I go again on a tangent detour. Sorry. So, Danny's in the top three after that and Allison is gone. There is no justice. Adam was his normal awesome self and continues his march to the Idol victory. Kris was his normal cute self. I still can't bring myself to pick on him because of his cuteness. As for the duets, Kris and Danny: why did they even bother?, Adam and Allison: Bravo! Record something together and I'll buy it!
In keeping with this Idol conversation, here's this week's Fill-Ins:
1. Apples are to oranges as Adam is to Danny.
2. Adam better be the next American Idol and that's all I have to say about that.
3. I think I hear Ryan Seacrest announcing You-Know-Who is the new American Idol.
4. Kris and Danny, just start waving the white flag.
5. Do what you want to do, but make sure you vote for Adam.
Knitting news: I made another dishcloth and then started the baby blanket for my pregnant friend. I only have a couple of rows done so far. The baby's not due until October - good news for me! I'm using a variegated baby yarn in shades of green, yellow, and lavender (non-gender-specific, obviously) and will alternate with another yarn that's basically white with "dots" of the same colors. I'm making it up as I go, but if the result matches the vision in my head it will be a really pretty blanket.
Enjoy the weekend!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tiptoe Through the Tulips on Tuesday
I'm not tiptoeing and I don't have any tulips. But if I did, I would. Plus I feel alliterative today.
Today was another mostly ordinary day. I got a call from middle son Ian that his father is driving up there this afternoon and moving him back home. When Ian was here last weekend we discussed this possibility, but I didn't think it would be quite so soon. I've talked to other parents and apparently this is a common occurrence - kids move out and then they move back in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he finds a job quickly so he can get back on his feet and make some plans for the future. Work-wise things moved along well. Thirteen days to go. One of my students gives me the countdown status every morning. Bless his heart. Little does he know that I've probably been counting down longer than he has. I've got to find my Alice Cooper CD so I can play "School's Out" really, really loud on our last day.
Tonight is Rock night on American Idol. Slash from Guns-n-Roses is the mentor this week; he never did anything for me, but it should be interesting to see what he tells the contestants. And I have to admit, Adam singing "Welcome to the Jungle" would probably be a performance to remember. In my opinion, Danny and Kris will probably have the hardest time - rock just doesn't seem like their thing. Plus we get duets. It should be an interesting show.
Knitting: finished one dishcloth last night and started another. They're fun, easy, and quick! I can resort to dishcloths when my knitting ADD gets out of control to feel like I'm accomplishing something. That could be a Silver Lining, right?
That's it for now - I'm tiptoeing on out of here. :o)
Today was another mostly ordinary day. I got a call from middle son Ian that his father is driving up there this afternoon and moving him back home. When Ian was here last weekend we discussed this possibility, but I didn't think it would be quite so soon. I've talked to other parents and apparently this is a common occurrence - kids move out and then they move back in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he finds a job quickly so he can get back on his feet and make some plans for the future. Work-wise things moved along well. Thirteen days to go. One of my students gives me the countdown status every morning. Bless his heart. Little does he know that I've probably been counting down longer than he has. I've got to find my Alice Cooper CD so I can play "School's Out" really, really loud on our last day.
Tonight is Rock night on American Idol. Slash from Guns-n-Roses is the mentor this week; he never did anything for me, but it should be interesting to see what he tells the contestants. And I have to admit, Adam singing "Welcome to the Jungle" would probably be a performance to remember. In my opinion, Danny and Kris will probably have the hardest time - rock just doesn't seem like their thing. Plus we get duets. It should be an interesting show.
Knitting: finished one dishcloth last night and started another. They're fun, easy, and quick! I can resort to dishcloths when my knitting ADD gets out of control to feel like I'm accomplishing something. That could be a Silver Lining, right?
That's it for now - I'm tiptoeing on out of here. :o)
Monday, May 4, 2009
First Monday of May
Not much going on. It's Monday. This head cold continues to sap my energy and drag me down. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon while doing laundry and never did get it all done. I fluffed up what was in the dryer (hubby's shirts) this morning and got them put away, but I still have about three loads left. There were a couple of shows I had planned to watch last night, but at the last minute I set the DVR because I knew I'd never be able to concentrate on them. It's a good thing I did, because I pretty much dozed off and on through the evening and finally gave up and went to bed about 9:30.
On a brighter note, the family turkey dinner was enjoyable, if typical: 5 hours of cooking and preparation for 15 minutes of actual eating. But we had fun around the dinner table and that's what counts, right? An added bonus was that because I did all that cooking, the boys did the clean-up. Since it was Saturday night all of them had place to go and people to see, which was actually OK with me since I was starting to feel the effects of this darn cold again. So they all went out while I watched TV and knit a dishcloth. Is my life exciting, or what????
I did get my hair done over the weekend. Got rid of those pesky gray hairs. I've long since forgotten what my actual hair color is (I've streaked, frosted, highlighted, lowlighted, and sometimes completely dyed my hair since I was 16), but until I get so old that I actually forget that I care about it I will not have gray hair.
I'm still in a holding pattern as far as the trip to Mexico. Nobody has backed out yet, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed we can go as planned. Apparently the World Health Organization may declare a world-wide pandemic. What is that? A combination of the words panic and epidemic that freaks everybody out?? I think we'll be OK unless travel to Mexico is actually banned by the government.
Since I'm tired and my head can't come up with anything else to talk about, I'm taking a shortcut and giving you a Monday Medley, with my answers in bold italics. Substitute your own answers if you like.
1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is own the office.
2. Spaghetti vongole is the best way to eat clams.
3. When I think of carnivals I think of riding the Ferris wheel at night.
4. Tulips: my favorite spring flower.
5. Things on my desk include a Happy Bunny daily calendar, 3 things made by my kids, folders, notepads, computer monitor and keyboard, mousepad, school mascot stuffed animal.... I need a bigger desk.
On a brighter note, the family turkey dinner was enjoyable, if typical: 5 hours of cooking and preparation for 15 minutes of actual eating. But we had fun around the dinner table and that's what counts, right? An added bonus was that because I did all that cooking, the boys did the clean-up. Since it was Saturday night all of them had place to go and people to see, which was actually OK with me since I was starting to feel the effects of this darn cold again. So they all went out while I watched TV and knit a dishcloth. Is my life exciting, or what????
I did get my hair done over the weekend. Got rid of those pesky gray hairs. I've long since forgotten what my actual hair color is (I've streaked, frosted, highlighted, lowlighted, and sometimes completely dyed my hair since I was 16), but until I get so old that I actually forget that I care about it I will not have gray hair.
I'm still in a holding pattern as far as the trip to Mexico. Nobody has backed out yet, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed we can go as planned. Apparently the World Health Organization may declare a world-wide pandemic. What is that? A combination of the words panic and epidemic that freaks everybody out?? I think we'll be OK unless travel to Mexico is actually banned by the government.
Since I'm tired and my head can't come up with anything else to talk about, I'm taking a shortcut and giving you a Monday Medley, with my answers in bold italics. Substitute your own answers if you like.
1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is own the office.
2. Spaghetti vongole is the best way to eat clams.
3. When I think of carnivals I think of riding the Ferris wheel at night.
4. Tulips: my favorite spring flower.
5. Things on my desk include a Happy Bunny daily calendar, 3 things made by my kids, folders, notepads, computer monitor and keyboard, mousepad, school mascot stuffed animal.... I need a bigger desk.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Turkey in May
As I write this, I have a turkey in the oven. It's a nice, big Thanksgiving-size turkey. It's going to be offered up as the main dish for dinner tonight as we all gather round to have a last family dinner with Austin before he goes to Iraq next week. Emotionally, I'm torn. I'm happy to have all the kids but one (Shea has finals, plus a nasty case of bronchitis, so she stayed up north) home for the weekend, but I'm unhappy about the reason they're all here. I'm still not thinking about the whole Iraq thing. Yes, I am well aware that denial is not just a river in Egypt, but at this particular moment in time denial is my friend. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?
I also have a terrible head cold. I haven't had one in quite a long time, and the timing of this is aggravating. I read somewhere that the older we get, the less colds we catch because there are only so many cold germs out there and as we go through life we eventually expose ourselves to most of them, so when we meet them again it's kind of a "been there, done that" thing both for us and the germs and we don't catch colds. So how did this particular cold germ that I've never met before manage to track me down? It's so unfair. Getting fewer colds was one of the aspects of getting older that I was actually be happy about.
I have recovered from Wednesday night's scare when Adam was in the bottom two on American Idol. I got so panicked, I went to the live website to see the final results. I normally don't do that since I (usually) enjoy watching the show unfold. But when it was Adam in danger, I couldn't help myself. Probably a good thing I don't live in the Eastern Time Zone - I might have worked myself into a panic attack. I'm still not sure I believe he was actually the second lowest vote-getter; a cynical part of me thinks that it was all done for drama and ratings. Whatever. With rock music the theme for the coming week, he should be back on top in no time.
On the knitting front, the guy blanket is now completely finished!!!! I did a couple of rows of single crochet and one row of crocheted shell stitch around the edge and called it good. It survived a trip through the washer and dryer and is now draped over the bed. I decided to take a quick break from the other things waiting for me to finish them and make a few dishcloths for the kitchen instead. When I got a clean one out the other day I noticed I only have three that are in decent shape. I have at least four skeins of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn so it makes sense to whip up a few instead of going out and buying any. I have never made a dishcloth before but over the years I bought them at various craft fairs, and they seem to last longer than store ones.
Even though it's now May, our weather is back to cloudy and much cooler. Thursday afternoon it was sunny and close to 80 and today it's in the low 40's. The Blossom Festival Parade is today and I feel bad for the marching bands - it must be even harder to march and play when your fingers are turning blue. This parade is in its 72nd year and it goes on no matter what. Some years we worry about the marchers passing out from heat stroke and other years we worry about frostbite. I've seen them march in everything: sunshine, cloud cover, light rain, heavy rain, wind, snow. On a personal note, I'm glad my kids are older and can get themselves downtown. I have no desire to sit and shiver while watching a parade.
The aroma of roasting turkey is making its way through the house. I love that smell. To me it means family and I'm going to do my best to focus on that rather than the actual reason for the dinner.
I also have a terrible head cold. I haven't had one in quite a long time, and the timing of this is aggravating. I read somewhere that the older we get, the less colds we catch because there are only so many cold germs out there and as we go through life we eventually expose ourselves to most of them, so when we meet them again it's kind of a "been there, done that" thing both for us and the germs and we don't catch colds. So how did this particular cold germ that I've never met before manage to track me down? It's so unfair. Getting fewer colds was one of the aspects of getting older that I was actually be happy about.
I have recovered from Wednesday night's scare when Adam was in the bottom two on American Idol. I got so panicked, I went to the live website to see the final results. I normally don't do that since I (usually) enjoy watching the show unfold. But when it was Adam in danger, I couldn't help myself. Probably a good thing I don't live in the Eastern Time Zone - I might have worked myself into a panic attack. I'm still not sure I believe he was actually the second lowest vote-getter; a cynical part of me thinks that it was all done for drama and ratings. Whatever. With rock music the theme for the coming week, he should be back on top in no time.
On the knitting front, the guy blanket is now completely finished!!!! I did a couple of rows of single crochet and one row of crocheted shell stitch around the edge and called it good. It survived a trip through the washer and dryer and is now draped over the bed. I decided to take a quick break from the other things waiting for me to finish them and make a few dishcloths for the kitchen instead. When I got a clean one out the other day I noticed I only have three that are in decent shape. I have at least four skeins of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn so it makes sense to whip up a few instead of going out and buying any. I have never made a dishcloth before but over the years I bought them at various craft fairs, and they seem to last longer than store ones.
Even though it's now May, our weather is back to cloudy and much cooler. Thursday afternoon it was sunny and close to 80 and today it's in the low 40's. The Blossom Festival Parade is today and I feel bad for the marching bands - it must be even harder to march and play when your fingers are turning blue. This parade is in its 72nd year and it goes on no matter what. Some years we worry about the marchers passing out from heat stroke and other years we worry about frostbite. I've seen them march in everything: sunshine, cloud cover, light rain, heavy rain, wind, snow. On a personal note, I'm glad my kids are older and can get themselves downtown. I have no desire to sit and shiver while watching a parade.
The aroma of roasting turkey is making its way through the house. I love that smell. To me it means family and I'm going to do my best to focus on that rather than the actual reason for the dinner.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Woo-Hoo, it's Wednesday!
Also known as Hump Day. I personally think the term "Hump Day" sounds kind of sleazy - like Wednesdays are for fooling around instead of working. But that's just me (and my obviously not-very-nice mind). So from now on Wednesdays will be known as Woo-Hoo Wednesdays to celebrate being halfway to the weekend. If you actually are fooling around instead of working, the Woo-Hoo still works for you.
Work-wise, today was a pretty good day. Some of my kids made me smile (and even laugh out loud a few times), which is nice. Others made me want to bang my head on the wall in frustration. Typical day. The good news is no matter what kind of days I have now, there are only 17 of them left. Woo-Hoo!
The swine flu continues to worry my Mexico vacation friends. I did contact the resort's head office and was told that since the government hasn't actually banned travel to Mexico the best they can do for me is sell me reservation insurance instead of letting me roll over that reservation until next summer. Just what I want to do: spend more money to not go on vacation. Right now, we're all kind of thinking that we'll go anyway. Worst case, we'll have the plane and the resort to ourselves. Hey, we can pretend we're really rich people with a whole resort to ourselves! Woo-Hoo!
American Idol: For the most part, I think they did the Rat Pack proud.
Kris sang a really sweet song and sounded good, but there was no "wow" factor. Allison did a great job and looked good, but I'm not sure her fan base is big enough to keep her in it. Matt started out OK but didn't follow through - he may be the one leaving. Danny sang one of my favorites from that era, "Come Rain or Come Shine" and for the first time I really liked him. And then there was Adam. "Feeling Good" is another one I like and he did an awesome job with it. Say what you will about his orientation, his lifestyle, his mannerisms, whatever; the man is a performer. When he came down those stairs and strode across the stage he owned the joint. I even played the video (courtesy of the AI website) and closed my eyes so I could just listen and not be sidetracked by the performance aspect of it, and his voice is truly unbelievable. It left me wanting more. Maybe I'll quit trying to find someone to go to an AI tour date with me and just wait for an Adam Lambert concert. It took me 57 minutes to cast my phone-vote, so he's probably safe. Danny should be, too, but I think it's a toss up among the other three as to who will leave tonight. If if had to pick who's going home, I'd say Matt but it could be Allison. The bottom line here is: I really don't care as long as it's not Adam. If he were to leave it would be a bigger surprise than when Chris Daughtry only got 4th place a few years ago. Today's phrase definitely works when talking about Adam: Woo-Hoo!
I got no knitting done last night. First I was too busy trying to vote for Adam and then I had to call a couple of friends and discuss Adam and then I had to check out idolbloglive and see what they said about Adam. It's Adam's fault: if he weren't so good, I would have had more time to knit. I won't hold it against him, though. :o) I will get knitting done tonight. Woo-Hoo!
Work-wise, today was a pretty good day. Some of my kids made me smile (and even laugh out loud a few times), which is nice. Others made me want to bang my head on the wall in frustration. Typical day. The good news is no matter what kind of days I have now, there are only 17 of them left. Woo-Hoo!
The swine flu continues to worry my Mexico vacation friends. I did contact the resort's head office and was told that since the government hasn't actually banned travel to Mexico the best they can do for me is sell me reservation insurance instead of letting me roll over that reservation until next summer. Just what I want to do: spend more money to not go on vacation. Right now, we're all kind of thinking that we'll go anyway. Worst case, we'll have the plane and the resort to ourselves. Hey, we can pretend we're really rich people with a whole resort to ourselves! Woo-Hoo!
American Idol: For the most part, I think they did the Rat Pack proud.
Kris sang a really sweet song and sounded good, but there was no "wow" factor. Allison did a great job and looked good, but I'm not sure her fan base is big enough to keep her in it. Matt started out OK but didn't follow through - he may be the one leaving. Danny sang one of my favorites from that era, "Come Rain or Come Shine" and for the first time I really liked him. And then there was Adam. "Feeling Good" is another one I like and he did an awesome job with it. Say what you will about his orientation, his lifestyle, his mannerisms, whatever; the man is a performer. When he came down those stairs and strode across the stage he owned the joint. I even played the video (courtesy of the AI website) and closed my eyes so I could just listen and not be sidetracked by the performance aspect of it, and his voice is truly unbelievable. It left me wanting more. Maybe I'll quit trying to find someone to go to an AI tour date with me and just wait for an Adam Lambert concert. It took me 57 minutes to cast my phone-vote, so he's probably safe. Danny should be, too, but I think it's a toss up among the other three as to who will leave tonight. If if had to pick who's going home, I'd say Matt but it could be Allison. The bottom line here is: I really don't care as long as it's not Adam. If he were to leave it would be a bigger surprise than when Chris Daughtry only got 4th place a few years ago. Today's phrase definitely works when talking about Adam: Woo-Hoo!
I got no knitting done last night. First I was too busy trying to vote for Adam and then I had to call a couple of friends and discuss Adam and then I had to check out idolbloglive and see what they said about Adam. It's Adam's fault: if he weren't so good, I would have had more time to knit. I won't hold it against him, though. :o) I will get knitting done tonight. Woo-Hoo!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Torture Me if it's Tuesday...
and it's definitely Tuesday.
Some days I honestly wonder why I bother getting out of bed. The world would keep moving along just fine if I stayed curled up under my quilt and I would spare myself the frustration of feeling like I take one step forward and two steps back, work-wise. Yes, it's been that kind of day. I know that a lot of it has to do with A.) the weather - cloudy again today (please understand that two days without the sun in Colorado is equivalent to about three months of sunless existence anywhere else - we like our blue skies and get cranky very quickly when deprived), B.) there are only 17 school days left until summer break, and C.) the carnival is coming to town and will open up tomorrow night. B & C alone would be enough to get the kids wound up but add in A with its potential to ruin carnival opening night....serious recipe for trouble.
Speaking of sunshine and Colorado, here's a true story from when my first husband (Colorado native) and I were newly wed and living in Italy. Italy is a beautiful country, but it has its share of cloudy/rainy days. At the time, I had never set foot in Colorado but I was learning plenty from my new husband. Things like: the skies are bluer in Colorado than anywhere else, the air is cleaner, life is better. Obviously we would be moving back to Colorado as soon as possible. (Which we did.) So, anyway, the Italian summer faded to autumn: the days got shorter, the weather got cooler, and the rainy season began. Where we lived, it rarely snowed but it sure did rain. Me, having lived in Italy for six years by then, I was used to it. Plus I spent my early childhood in England and then later moved to Ohio. Clouds and rain were a normal part of life. First husband - not so much. After about ten straight days of clouds with rain in various forms (mist/drizzle/steady/sideways blown by wind), he was extremely cranky. New bride that I was, I took exception to this crankiness and was told (and this is a direct quote - I still remember after all these years): "Sarah, it's not my fault. I haven't seen the sun in a week and I'll be this way until the weather gets better. I can't go for long periods without the sun - I was raised in Colorado and I'm used to the sun. We have sunshine 320 days a year and I need the sun." Two thoughts went through my mind: 1.) B***s**t, and 2.) It's a long time 'til Spring, is he going to be cranky the whole time??? (followed by thought #3 "OMG, what have I done? I'm married to this man!", but that's a whole different story). Anyway, a lot of years have passed since that conversation and I now find myself cranky if there's no sunshine for extended periods of time. And by extended, I mean two days. Seriously. You get used to it and when it's not there... let's just say I wouldn't welcome a move to Seattle. But looking back, I still think it was a BS excuse for him being cranky. And he's now my ex-husband so I'm not inclined to cut him any slack.
On to other things. By other, I mean American Idol. (It's performance night, what did you expect???) I am so looking forward to this category of songs - Rat Pack. I'm not old enough to remember the heyday of Frank, Dino, Sammy, et al, but I've heard enough of those songs to think it will be a memorable night. Dare I hope that Adam will sing "My Way" his way? It's probably too much to ask. I think there's definite trainwreck potential (Matt, Danny, maybe Allison) as well as the opportunity for someone (please let it be You Know Who) to have what they call a "moment". I also hope that all five decide to dress from that era - Allison would look beautiful in a classy cocktail dress and the guys would look spiffy in suits or even tuxes.
Here's a Tortured Tuesday Silver Lining: One of my students provided me with the most lame excuse for not working that I have ever heard: "The writing surface of this desk is too hard and it makes it too difficult for me to work on this math paper." I'm not joking - he looked me right in the eye and actually said those words. So now I have the standard by which to judge all future lame excuses for not working. If that's not a Silver Lining, I don't know what is.
Until tomorrow....
Some days I honestly wonder why I bother getting out of bed. The world would keep moving along just fine if I stayed curled up under my quilt and I would spare myself the frustration of feeling like I take one step forward and two steps back, work-wise. Yes, it's been that kind of day. I know that a lot of it has to do with A.) the weather - cloudy again today (please understand that two days without the sun in Colorado is equivalent to about three months of sunless existence anywhere else - we like our blue skies and get cranky very quickly when deprived), B.) there are only 17 school days left until summer break, and C.) the carnival is coming to town and will open up tomorrow night. B & C alone would be enough to get the kids wound up but add in A with its potential to ruin carnival opening night....serious recipe for trouble.
Speaking of sunshine and Colorado, here's a true story from when my first husband (Colorado native) and I were newly wed and living in Italy. Italy is a beautiful country, but it has its share of cloudy/rainy days. At the time, I had never set foot in Colorado but I was learning plenty from my new husband. Things like: the skies are bluer in Colorado than anywhere else, the air is cleaner, life is better. Obviously we would be moving back to Colorado as soon as possible. (Which we did.) So, anyway, the Italian summer faded to autumn: the days got shorter, the weather got cooler, and the rainy season began. Where we lived, it rarely snowed but it sure did rain. Me, having lived in Italy for six years by then, I was used to it. Plus I spent my early childhood in England and then later moved to Ohio. Clouds and rain were a normal part of life. First husband - not so much. After about ten straight days of clouds with rain in various forms (mist/drizzle/steady/sideways blown by wind), he was extremely cranky. New bride that I was, I took exception to this crankiness and was told (and this is a direct quote - I still remember after all these years): "Sarah, it's not my fault. I haven't seen the sun in a week and I'll be this way until the weather gets better. I can't go for long periods without the sun - I was raised in Colorado and I'm used to the sun. We have sunshine 320 days a year and I need the sun." Two thoughts went through my mind: 1.) B***s**t, and 2.) It's a long time 'til Spring, is he going to be cranky the whole time??? (followed by thought #3 "OMG, what have I done? I'm married to this man!", but that's a whole different story). Anyway, a lot of years have passed since that conversation and I now find myself cranky if there's no sunshine for extended periods of time. And by extended, I mean two days. Seriously. You get used to it and when it's not there... let's just say I wouldn't welcome a move to Seattle. But looking back, I still think it was a BS excuse for him being cranky. And he's now my ex-husband so I'm not inclined to cut him any slack.
On to other things. By other, I mean American Idol. (It's performance night, what did you expect???) I am so looking forward to this category of songs - Rat Pack. I'm not old enough to remember the heyday of Frank, Dino, Sammy, et al, but I've heard enough of those songs to think it will be a memorable night. Dare I hope that Adam will sing "My Way" his way? It's probably too much to ask. I think there's definite trainwreck potential (Matt, Danny, maybe Allison) as well as the opportunity for someone (please let it be You Know Who) to have what they call a "moment". I also hope that all five decide to dress from that era - Allison would look beautiful in a classy cocktail dress and the guys would look spiffy in suits or even tuxes.
Here's a Tortured Tuesday Silver Lining: One of my students provided me with the most lame excuse for not working that I have ever heard: "The writing surface of this desk is too hard and it makes it too difficult for me to work on this math paper." I'm not joking - he looked me right in the eye and actually said those words. So now I have the standard by which to judge all future lame excuses for not working. If that's not a Silver Lining, I don't know what is.
Until tomorrow....
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday Marches On
Yes, it's Monday again and the weather is not warm and sunny like it was last week - it's somewhat cloudy and on the cooler side. After today, there are only three more Mondays until summer break. See - Mondays can be good for something, even if it is just helping us countdown to summer vacation at which time we'll stop paying any attention to Mondays until school starts again the end of August. I think Mondays have become used to being hated and avoided and now are happy to get attention any way they can - kind of like dentists.
I am now following the LA Times' Idol Tracker blogs. As if I didn't already spend enough time reading about AI. (Sigh) But I couldn't help it - these bloggers spend a lot of time talking about Adam. I might miss something important.
My time away was good. Some parts of the conference were very good and others not so much - at one point we seemed trapped in a bunch of blahblahblah whatever until I thought my head would explode. But that, like everything eventually does, passed and my head is intact. I managed to visit three yarn shops that just happened to be (sort of) on my way home.There is now an official embargo on yarn purchases. This is a self-inflicted embargo, and will only last as long as I can keep away from these dangerous places. Or until I find a Mexican yarn shop while I'm on vacation. Or until I hear about a really good sale. It's probably a pretty useless embargo, but I'll try to be good. I did get home in time to see Jordan in his tux before he went to the prom. He looked very handsome and grown-up. It's bittersweet seeing him like that - I enjoy his progress through life, but don't enjoy the fact that as he grows up I'm getting older. Plus sometimes I miss my babies. On a certain level they will always be my babies (I can see their eyes rolling as I write that), but I do miss some of the things from when they were younger - like snuggles and hugs and bedtime stories. Stuff like that.
I read that Fox will not broadcast the President's 100 days in office press conference since it might interfere with American Idol. Yessss! Priorities. Seriously, if a person really wants to watch the President there are many other channels to choose from all showing the same thing plus there will be recaps, comments, highlights, etc. for days afterwards. I've thought for years that the broadcast companies should show things like that on a rotating roster system. Why have the exact same thing on 92 different channels? But that's just me.
Hubby spent part of the weekend doing yard stuff. Since the grass is now green it's also growing and the lawnmower needed some work. Said lawnmower is now in working order and ready for Jordan to use it. This is Colorado, home of the late spring storms, so I'm waiting a few more weeks before I get my hanging flower baskets and tubs ready for the porch and patio. This allows me to be lazy but seem prudent.
I guess that's all I have for today. I still have some laundry that needs my attention, and we all know that if you leave laundry sitting around it somehow breeds and you wind up with even more laundry.
I am now following the LA Times' Idol Tracker blogs. As if I didn't already spend enough time reading about AI. (Sigh) But I couldn't help it - these bloggers spend a lot of time talking about Adam. I might miss something important.
My time away was good. Some parts of the conference were very good and others not so much - at one point we seemed trapped in a bunch of blahblahblah whatever until I thought my head would explode. But that, like everything eventually does, passed and my head is intact. I managed to visit three yarn shops that just happened to be (sort of) on my way home.There is now an official embargo on yarn purchases. This is a self-inflicted embargo, and will only last as long as I can keep away from these dangerous places. Or until I find a Mexican yarn shop while I'm on vacation. Or until I hear about a really good sale. It's probably a pretty useless embargo, but I'll try to be good. I did get home in time to see Jordan in his tux before he went to the prom. He looked very handsome and grown-up. It's bittersweet seeing him like that - I enjoy his progress through life, but don't enjoy the fact that as he grows up I'm getting older. Plus sometimes I miss my babies. On a certain level they will always be my babies (I can see their eyes rolling as I write that), but I do miss some of the things from when they were younger - like snuggles and hugs and bedtime stories. Stuff like that.
I read that Fox will not broadcast the President's 100 days in office press conference since it might interfere with American Idol. Yessss! Priorities. Seriously, if a person really wants to watch the President there are many other channels to choose from all showing the same thing plus there will be recaps, comments, highlights, etc. for days afterwards. I've thought for years that the broadcast companies should show things like that on a rotating roster system. Why have the exact same thing on 92 different channels? But that's just me.
Hubby spent part of the weekend doing yard stuff. Since the grass is now green it's also growing and the lawnmower needed some work. Said lawnmower is now in working order and ready for Jordan to use it. This is Colorado, home of the late spring storms, so I'm waiting a few more weeks before I get my hanging flower baskets and tubs ready for the porch and patio. This allows me to be lazy but seem prudent.
I guess that's all I have for today. I still have some laundry that needs my attention, and we all know that if you leave laundry sitting around it somehow breeds and you wind up with even more laundry.
A Little Extra Something
A friend of mine turned me on to "Friday Fill-Ins" - each Friday you can get different fill-in-the-blanks stuff, but I wasn't here on Friday so I'm doing it now. We can call it Monday Medley!
And...here we go!
My answers are in the bold type. Put your own answers in place of mine and send them back - I'd like to see different mind-sets. :o)
1. Apparently there's some sort of swine flu going around.
2. Today is not a sunny day.
3. 2009 has been pretty good so far.
4. For too long I've been sweating the small stuff.
5. I am not obsessed with Adam Lambert; I am not!
Just a little something extra to have some fun with.
And...here we go!
My answers are in the bold type. Put your own answers in place of mine and send them back - I'd like to see different mind-sets. :o)
1. Apparently there's some sort of swine flu going around.
2. Today is not a sunny day.
3. 2009 has been pretty good so far.
4. For too long I've been sweating the small stuff.
5. I am not obsessed with Adam Lambert; I am not!
Just a little something extra to have some fun with.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
That's What I'm Talkin' About!
Today is the first time I actually felt like Spring has arrived. It was a beautiful day: sunshine, blue sky with a few fluffy white clouds, temps around 75, and the grass in my yard turned from brown to green overnight. Well, it probably wasn't overnight, but it seems like it. Plus the trees in my yard and all up and down the block are starting to leaf out/blossom, depending on the type of tree of course. So Spring is here and Summer can't be far behind. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Tomorrow I'll work for half a day and then take off for Denver. Shortened work week - that's what I'm talkin' about! Of course, I'll be away from the blog for a couple of days but I'll catch everything up Saturday night. Or Sunday, depends on what time I get home. But I will be back. Pretend I just said that in my Arnie-in-the-Terminator voice and it's much more entertaining.
You know I watched last night's American Idol and will tell you my thoughts. I will, however, try to keep my comments to one word for each contestant. There's no particular reason for this, I just want to see if I can do it. So here goes:
Lil - Loser
Kris - Surprising (but in a good way; and nothing in parentheses counts against my one word deal)
Danny - Danny
Allison - Awesome
Adam - Absolutelyamazing (it's one word, and besides, it's Adam)
Matt - Average
Anoop - Nope
I did it!!! That's what I'm talkin' about!
Seriously, Lil and her backtalk need to just leave. And get her mother out of there before she hurts somebody. I don't know/don't really care who else will go with her. As long as it's not Adam. Since it took me 57 minutes to cast my Adam-vote, I'll go out on a limb and say he's safe.
I decided to go back and re-watch all of Adam's videos from the show, starting with "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". All in the name of research of course. Not because I'm obsessed or anything like that, I just wanted to make sure he's worthy of all that cell battery time I use every week for my votes. (I also have some really nice land in Florida to sell - call me). Anyway, after review, yes he is totally awesome. Watching his performances one after another, while gratifying on so many levels, also made me realize that I didn't hear one wrong note. Ever. Here's an idea: Just call it Adam Idol or have Ryan start tonight's show with Adam standing next to him and announce, "THIS is the American Idol". And for the rest of the season (four weeks) it can be all Adam, all the time. That's what I'm talkin' about. I so need to find someone to take a road trip with me to an American Idol Tour city.
Last night, Hubby played in a Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament. It was one of those free ones that if you win and then go play some more tournaments and rack up points, you can get a free entry to that big tournament in Vegas. He came in second and won ten bucks. That's what I'm talkin' about! Not! He did say he can still play in some more tournaments and get points, so I say: "Go for it! Everyone should have a dream." A trip to Vegas would be fun.
I got my hair trimmed over the weekend. The stylist that does my hair for me comes to my house. No, I'm not rich, it's just one of the benefits of living in a small town. People make house calls. Anyway, we were talking and I somehow got her talking about something that really upset her and by the time she was done venting and cutting, my hair was somewhat shorter than I had planned. It's so short that Hubby noticed within five minutes after he got home. To give perspective on this, last time I had my hair done he didn't notice for three weeks. Got the picture? Plus, I think my hair got mad that so many of its follicle-friends were gone and decided it wasn't going to do anything I wanted it to. So for four days I've been walking around with cowlicks I never had before and rebellious strands sticking out at annoying angles. Finally today it actually looked like it was supposed to. Hair obviously doesn't hold a grudge or has no long term memory. For which I'm grateful. I think next time she comes to do my hair I'll just give her a note that says I have laryngitis. Better hair through deception. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Today I wore a light-colored top and within five minutes after I got to work I had a black smear from the newspaper I was carrying and a pencil line drawn across the front. This always happens to me when I wear white, cream, ivory, or any shade of beige. You'd think I'd learn. What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Yep, that's what I'm talkin' about.
On the knitting front, I didn't have much time last night (I was busy voting for Adam, remember?) so I just knit a few rows of a sock-yarn strip. The guy blanket's edge is coming along, but it feels like it's going to take forever. It's a big blanket and it takes a long time to go all around the edge. I've done 2 1/2 rows of edging and need about 4 more. I will finish it. Soon. I promise.
Gotta go. Stuff to do before Adam Idol comes on. Yes, that's what I'm still talkin' about! :o)
Tomorrow I'll work for half a day and then take off for Denver. Shortened work week - that's what I'm talkin' about! Of course, I'll be away from the blog for a couple of days but I'll catch everything up Saturday night. Or Sunday, depends on what time I get home. But I will be back. Pretend I just said that in my Arnie-in-the-Terminator voice and it's much more entertaining.
You know I watched last night's American Idol and will tell you my thoughts. I will, however, try to keep my comments to one word for each contestant. There's no particular reason for this, I just want to see if I can do it. So here goes:
Lil - Loser
Kris - Surprising (but in a good way; and nothing in parentheses counts against my one word deal)
Danny - Danny
Allison - Awesome
Adam - Absolutelyamazing (it's one word, and besides, it's Adam)
Matt - Average
Anoop - Nope
I did it!!! That's what I'm talkin' about!
Seriously, Lil and her backtalk need to just leave. And get her mother out of there before she hurts somebody. I don't know/don't really care who else will go with her. As long as it's not Adam. Since it took me 57 minutes to cast my Adam-vote, I'll go out on a limb and say he's safe.
I decided to go back and re-watch all of Adam's videos from the show, starting with "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". All in the name of research of course. Not because I'm obsessed or anything like that, I just wanted to make sure he's worthy of all that cell battery time I use every week for my votes. (I also have some really nice land in Florida to sell - call me). Anyway, after review, yes he is totally awesome. Watching his performances one after another, while gratifying on so many levels, also made me realize that I didn't hear one wrong note. Ever. Here's an idea: Just call it Adam Idol or have Ryan start tonight's show with Adam standing next to him and announce, "THIS is the American Idol". And for the rest of the season (four weeks) it can be all Adam, all the time. That's what I'm talkin' about. I so need to find someone to take a road trip with me to an American Idol Tour city.
Last night, Hubby played in a Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament. It was one of those free ones that if you win and then go play some more tournaments and rack up points, you can get a free entry to that big tournament in Vegas. He came in second and won ten bucks. That's what I'm talkin' about! Not! He did say he can still play in some more tournaments and get points, so I say: "Go for it! Everyone should have a dream." A trip to Vegas would be fun.
I got my hair trimmed over the weekend. The stylist that does my hair for me comes to my house. No, I'm not rich, it's just one of the benefits of living in a small town. People make house calls. Anyway, we were talking and I somehow got her talking about something that really upset her and by the time she was done venting and cutting, my hair was somewhat shorter than I had planned. It's so short that Hubby noticed within five minutes after he got home. To give perspective on this, last time I had my hair done he didn't notice for three weeks. Got the picture? Plus, I think my hair got mad that so many of its follicle-friends were gone and decided it wasn't going to do anything I wanted it to. So for four days I've been walking around with cowlicks I never had before and rebellious strands sticking out at annoying angles. Finally today it actually looked like it was supposed to. Hair obviously doesn't hold a grudge or has no long term memory. For which I'm grateful. I think next time she comes to do my hair I'll just give her a note that says I have laryngitis. Better hair through deception. That's what I'm talkin' about!
Today I wore a light-colored top and within five minutes after I got to work I had a black smear from the newspaper I was carrying and a pencil line drawn across the front. This always happens to me when I wear white, cream, ivory, or any shade of beige. You'd think I'd learn. What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Yep, that's what I'm talkin' about.
On the knitting front, I didn't have much time last night (I was busy voting for Adam, remember?) so I just knit a few rows of a sock-yarn strip. The guy blanket's edge is coming along, but it feels like it's going to take forever. It's a big blanket and it takes a long time to go all around the edge. I've done 2 1/2 rows of edging and need about 4 more. I will finish it. Soon. I promise.
Gotta go. Stuff to do before Adam Idol comes on. Yes, that's what I'm still talkin' about! :o)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, Monday
Does anyone else remember this song???
It was an average day at work - not too crazy, not too slow. Steady enough to make the day go by reasonably fast. Now we only have four more Mondays until summer break.
I finally have to face something that I've been avoiding. My oldest son, Austin, will be deploying to Iraq shortly with his Colorado Air National Guard unit. I've known this was coming for a few weeks, but kept pushing it to the back of my mind because if I thought about it for more than a few minutes I got all freaked out. Well, I can't keep doing that because he now has a deployment date (sort of): sometime between May 9th and May 11th his unit will be leaving. This time frame encompasses Mother's Day - the irony overwhelms me but is probably lost on the military powers-that-be. Austin keeps telling me he'll be fine: not in Afghanistan, not doing security patrols, just working on F-16 jets at Balad AFB. I understand that it's probably relatively safe there and I realize that he's probably in more danger when he goes to college parties each weekend but....it's Iraq.
On to other things - I'm starting to freak out about it again.
Later this week I'll be in Denver for a conference. I'll work Thursday morning and then take off since it all gets started Thursday afternoon. I'll be back Saturday, probably early evening. This means I will miss seeing Jordan get ready for Prom. He's only a sophomore, but he's going with a junior girl. He's always been somewhat of an overachiever. I'll just have to give him some extra $ and make him promise to get pictures done at the dance. During my lunch break, just out of curiosity, I Googled "yarn shops" in the vicinity of my hotel and found three. They're all within about 10 minutes of where I'm staying, so I may just have to visit them. I used to be like this with book stores - now it's yarn stores. Hey, at least it's not liquor stores, right?
On the knitting front: the guy blanket is done!!! Well, except for the edge that I'm crocheting around it. But the knitting part is done, done, done!!! And get this, Hubby looked at it and wants me to give it to him so he can use it when he's watching TV or taking a nap or whatever. Bless his heart. Once I get it completely finished, I should probably start on the baby blanket for my pregnant co-worker. With my knitting project ADD it may take awhile.
Silver Lining: without Mondays, Fridays wouldn't feel so good. :o)
It was an average day at work - not too crazy, not too slow. Steady enough to make the day go by reasonably fast. Now we only have four more Mondays until summer break.
I finally have to face something that I've been avoiding. My oldest son, Austin, will be deploying to Iraq shortly with his Colorado Air National Guard unit. I've known this was coming for a few weeks, but kept pushing it to the back of my mind because if I thought about it for more than a few minutes I got all freaked out. Well, I can't keep doing that because he now has a deployment date (sort of): sometime between May 9th and May 11th his unit will be leaving. This time frame encompasses Mother's Day - the irony overwhelms me but is probably lost on the military powers-that-be. Austin keeps telling me he'll be fine: not in Afghanistan, not doing security patrols, just working on F-16 jets at Balad AFB. I understand that it's probably relatively safe there and I realize that he's probably in more danger when he goes to college parties each weekend but....it's Iraq.
On to other things - I'm starting to freak out about it again.
Later this week I'll be in Denver for a conference. I'll work Thursday morning and then take off since it all gets started Thursday afternoon. I'll be back Saturday, probably early evening. This means I will miss seeing Jordan get ready for Prom. He's only a sophomore, but he's going with a junior girl. He's always been somewhat of an overachiever. I'll just have to give him some extra $ and make him promise to get pictures done at the dance. During my lunch break, just out of curiosity, I Googled "yarn shops" in the vicinity of my hotel and found three. They're all within about 10 minutes of where I'm staying, so I may just have to visit them. I used to be like this with book stores - now it's yarn stores. Hey, at least it's not liquor stores, right?
On the knitting front: the guy blanket is done!!! Well, except for the edge that I'm crocheting around it. But the knitting part is done, done, done!!! And get this, Hubby looked at it and wants me to give it to him so he can use it when he's watching TV or taking a nap or whatever. Bless his heart. Once I get it completely finished, I should probably start on the baby blanket for my pregnant co-worker. With my knitting project ADD it may take awhile.
Silver Lining: without Mondays, Fridays wouldn't feel so good. :o)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Housework is Harmful to My Health
or my back.
I spent a couple of hours cleaning, dusting, moving stuff to clean behind/under it - you get the picture. BTW - It should be a dusty, dirty, grumpy picture. Somewhere in all that I managed to do something to my lower back and now I'm having painful spasms. I knew there was a good reason to avoid housework. A hot shower helped a little (and it for sure helped with the dusty and dirty part of your picture), but not enough. Pain killers - here I come!! I did spend time clearing off my desk: sorting through a bunch of stuff that had piled up and then throwing away a lot of that same stuff. It's amazing - I hang on to stuff and then I don't need it and can throw it away. Too bad I can't get in the habit of just throwing the stuff out in the first place. But the minute I start that, I'll probably need the stuff!! Anyway, now my desk looks clean and neat. Which will last maybe a few days until I start piling stuff up again. (Sigh) There was a Silver Lining, though: I found a pair of earrings under the bed that I hadn't seen in ages.
I have a few friends who follow "Dancing With The Stars" and even though I've never watched it regularly, I have checked it out a few times. I like seeing those gorgeous outfits. Hubby and I took a Beginner's Ballroom Dancing Class years ago and I absolutely loved it. I wanted to move on to Intermediate, hopefully followed by Advanced, but couldn't convince him to do it. As much as I enjoyed it, I think he hated it that same amount. My two favorites were the waltz and the tango; the waltz because it's easy and classy, and the tango because it was fun. Too bad there isn't a show called "Dancing With The Nobodies". I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Not much going on today. The winter storm missed us for the most part and now it's just cloudy and cold. Monday is supposed to be sunny and mid-70s. Colorado weather - gotta love it. Jordan did my grocery shopping for me, so I don't even have to go out today. I'm debating on whether to curl up and read or find a movie to watch. Maybe I'll just take a nap.
No big knitting news: I'm still working on the guy blanket and my sock-yarn strips.
I spent a couple of hours cleaning, dusting, moving stuff to clean behind/under it - you get the picture. BTW - It should be a dusty, dirty, grumpy picture. Somewhere in all that I managed to do something to my lower back and now I'm having painful spasms. I knew there was a good reason to avoid housework. A hot shower helped a little (and it for sure helped with the dusty and dirty part of your picture), but not enough. Pain killers - here I come!! I did spend time clearing off my desk: sorting through a bunch of stuff that had piled up and then throwing away a lot of that same stuff. It's amazing - I hang on to stuff and then I don't need it and can throw it away. Too bad I can't get in the habit of just throwing the stuff out in the first place. But the minute I start that, I'll probably need the stuff!! Anyway, now my desk looks clean and neat. Which will last maybe a few days until I start piling stuff up again. (Sigh) There was a Silver Lining, though: I found a pair of earrings under the bed that I hadn't seen in ages.
I have a few friends who follow "Dancing With The Stars" and even though I've never watched it regularly, I have checked it out a few times. I like seeing those gorgeous outfits. Hubby and I took a Beginner's Ballroom Dancing Class years ago and I absolutely loved it. I wanted to move on to Intermediate, hopefully followed by Advanced, but couldn't convince him to do it. As much as I enjoyed it, I think he hated it that same amount. My two favorites were the waltz and the tango; the waltz because it's easy and classy, and the tango because it was fun. Too bad there isn't a show called "Dancing With The Nobodies". I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Not much going on today. The winter storm missed us for the most part and now it's just cloudy and cold. Monday is supposed to be sunny and mid-70s. Colorado weather - gotta love it. Jordan did my grocery shopping for me, so I don't even have to go out today. I'm debating on whether to curl up and read or find a movie to watch. Maybe I'll just take a nap.
No big knitting news: I'm still working on the guy blanket and my sock-yarn strips.
Friday, April 17, 2009
No Snow.....
yet.
I went to my meeting last night and got rained/hailed on just as I arrived. Three hours later made the drive home in fog, but no snow. This morning it was cloudy, raining, windy, and cold and about noon or so there was some major snow action but nothing stuck to the ground and now it's just cloudy, windy, and cold. Supposedly the storm is swirling around slowly and we could still get snow. Other parts of the state are getting a whole bunch right now and there's a winter storm advisory until noon tomorrow. Summer----where's my summer?????
Michelle told me this morning she got her ticket to go to Mexico, so there's four of us now. She can only stay six days instead of the whole two weeks. Janie and I will miss her when she's gone and we're still goofing off. My other friend can only stay part of the time, too, but Janie and I have fourteen full days of total relaxation time. Lucky us, right?
I was driving down a street a couple of blocks from my house yesterday and saw a sign in someone's yard that said: "Drive carefully, we (heart) children." And the rest of us don't???? It irritated me, but I was really cranky yesterday so most things irritated me. I guess I should drive by it again to see if I have the same reaction.
I watched a video on YouTube of a woman named Susan Boyle auditioning for the show "Britain's Got Talent" and she was amazing. If you haven't seen it, here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Simon Cowell is involved with that show, too, and he should have her come and sing on American Idol.
And speaking of American Idol... I was kind of surprised they used the Judge's Save on Matt since it's obvious to everyone (including Matt himself, I'm sure) that he has no chance of winning, but maybe they figured "use it or lose it". Whatever. Next week two people will get kicked off (goodby Anoop and Lil). Plus it's Disco Week - my absolute favorite. Not only because I myself am a former Disco Queen and remember the words to most of those songs, but because it has such trainwreck potential. And you know I love a good old AI trainwreck! Am I being mean? Yes. (You should be used to it by now.) Will it be fun? Absolutely. I rest my case.
I checked the Idols Tour schedule and for the second year in a row - no stops in Colorado. What's up with that??? I really want to see them in person, but I'll have to go to Utah or Texas to do it. I'll have to think about that and see if I can convince someone to go with me.
Jennifer Hudson and Miley Cyrus were the guest performers on AI this week. Jennifer was good, Miley not so much. In my opinion, Miley wouldn't have made it through Hollywood week with that performance. But I've never been a big fan of the whole Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus deal anyway.
I missed my new show "Southland" last night because I got home after it started and I couldn't record it because I was already recording "Harper's Island". Last week's "Southland" was shown about three more times, but I searched and no such luck for this week. Bummer. Maybe I should take this as a sign to get a life and quit watching so much TV. Or not. If I quit watching TV, when would I knit?? I think that's all for today - I need to check out tonight's TV schedule. :o)
Silver Lining: If I'm home watching TV, I'm not out causing trouble.
I went to my meeting last night and got rained/hailed on just as I arrived. Three hours later made the drive home in fog, but no snow. This morning it was cloudy, raining, windy, and cold and about noon or so there was some major snow action but nothing stuck to the ground and now it's just cloudy, windy, and cold. Supposedly the storm is swirling around slowly and we could still get snow. Other parts of the state are getting a whole bunch right now and there's a winter storm advisory until noon tomorrow. Summer----where's my summer?????
Michelle told me this morning she got her ticket to go to Mexico, so there's four of us now. She can only stay six days instead of the whole two weeks. Janie and I will miss her when she's gone and we're still goofing off. My other friend can only stay part of the time, too, but Janie and I have fourteen full days of total relaxation time. Lucky us, right?
I was driving down a street a couple of blocks from my house yesterday and saw a sign in someone's yard that said: "Drive carefully, we (heart) children." And the rest of us don't???? It irritated me, but I was really cranky yesterday so most things irritated me. I guess I should drive by it again to see if I have the same reaction.
I watched a video on YouTube of a woman named Susan Boyle auditioning for the show "Britain's Got Talent" and she was amazing. If you haven't seen it, here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Simon Cowell is involved with that show, too, and he should have her come and sing on American Idol.
And speaking of American Idol... I was kind of surprised they used the Judge's Save on Matt since it's obvious to everyone (including Matt himself, I'm sure) that he has no chance of winning, but maybe they figured "use it or lose it". Whatever. Next week two people will get kicked off (goodby Anoop and Lil). Plus it's Disco Week - my absolute favorite. Not only because I myself am a former Disco Queen and remember the words to most of those songs, but because it has such trainwreck potential. And you know I love a good old AI trainwreck! Am I being mean? Yes. (You should be used to it by now.) Will it be fun? Absolutely. I rest my case.
I checked the Idols Tour schedule and for the second year in a row - no stops in Colorado. What's up with that??? I really want to see them in person, but I'll have to go to Utah or Texas to do it. I'll have to think about that and see if I can convince someone to go with me.
Jennifer Hudson and Miley Cyrus were the guest performers on AI this week. Jennifer was good, Miley not so much. In my opinion, Miley wouldn't have made it through Hollywood week with that performance. But I've never been a big fan of the whole Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus deal anyway.
I missed my new show "Southland" last night because I got home after it started and I couldn't record it because I was already recording "Harper's Island". Last week's "Southland" was shown about three more times, but I searched and no such luck for this week. Bummer. Maybe I should take this as a sign to get a life and quit watching so much TV. Or not. If I quit watching TV, when would I knit?? I think that's all for today - I need to check out tonight's TV schedule. :o)
Silver Lining: If I'm home watching TV, I'm not out causing trouble.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hump Day
And now we're on the downhill side on our way to the weekend. Today I actually felt closer to my normal self than I have in a week or so, so maybe this bug or virus or whatever is on its way out the damn door. I had a busy, busy day at work which always makes the time go by faster, but I always get caught just before the bell rings with about four things left to do. (Sigh) Oh, well - there's always tomorrow.
Last night's American Idol could have been subtitled A Cure for Insomnia. The theme was songs from movies, which means seven people could choose from about a bazillion songs and what do we get - mostly slow snoozefest stuff. Seriously, I'm hard pressed to remember most of the performances. I could look at my notes but I quit taking notes because: 1. With only 7 left, it should be easy to keep track, 2. Hubby made me an omelet and I couldn't eat and write at the same time (well, I could have but it would have been messy) and 3. after I re-read the post where I talked about taking notes it sounded sort of pretentious and stupid. After all, it's not like I'm getting paid to do this (wouldn't that be great if I could???!!!). So I skipped the notes. So here goes:
Allison - that Aerosmith song from "Armageddon" - I thought she did a good job but I was hoping for something else. I don't know what, just something else.
Anoop - some Bryan Adams song from some movie - the judges liked it, but it thought it was Boring with a capital B.
Adam - "Born to be Wild" - not his best performance, but so what. He's awesome, and he was energetic. I need to get eyeliner lessons from him. I'm pretty good with my make-up (years, and I mean years, of practice), but his eyeliner (or guyliner, whatever) was great. It took me 48 minutes to get through to vote for him, and I completely ran my battery down, so I think he's probably safe.
Danny - "Endless Love" - yes, we know he was singing it to his dead wife. Sweet. And where were his glasses? Did he get contacts? Do I really care?
Matt - some other Bryan Adams song from some other movie. Mediocre at best and a big disappointment. He can do better.
Kris - a song I never heard of from a movie I never heard of. I can't remember much, but I think I liked it.
Lil - "The Rose" from Bette Midler's "The Rose" - Finally, a trainwreck to make the night interesting. I thought it was a disaster from start to finish and if there's any justice she'll be the one to go. Plus she got all snippy with Simon and I hate it when they do that. Not just to Simon but any of the judges. They should keep their comments to themselves, not stand up there and talk back to the people that got them there in the first place.
I can see Matt, Lil, and either Anoop or Kris being in the bottom three. We'll find out soon.
On to other things. It looks like Janie and I talked our co-worker Michelle into coming to Mexico with us. She can only stay for one week, but it's better than not going at all. The more the merrier. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she can get on the same flight with us, too.
Yet another spring snowstorm is supposed to be on its way. I'm so done with snow. I want spring. Well, actually I want summer but I realize I'll have to wait for that. Anyway, this storm is supposed to come in tomorrow evening. I have a dinner meeting in Colorado Springs tomorrow night. I'm not liking my prospects: I can go to the meeting and possibly have a bad drive home or not go to the meeting and miss important stuff I need for a conference I'm attending in Denver next week. Of course, this is Colorado which means: a. the storm might not actually get here, b. the storm might not be much more than a few flakes, or c., the storm might turn into a screaming blizzard and roads will get closed. No way to tell until it's actually time to go, and even then things could change drastically while I'm at the meeting. So...I don't know what I'm going to do.
I'm going to stop writing now. I'm stressing about the storm I can't control so I should do something relaxing. Hey, I think I'll knit!!! Maybe I'll actually finish something someday soon. :o)
Last night's American Idol could have been subtitled A Cure for Insomnia. The theme was songs from movies, which means seven people could choose from about a bazillion songs and what do we get - mostly slow snoozefest stuff. Seriously, I'm hard pressed to remember most of the performances. I could look at my notes but I quit taking notes because: 1. With only 7 left, it should be easy to keep track, 2. Hubby made me an omelet and I couldn't eat and write at the same time (well, I could have but it would have been messy) and 3. after I re-read the post where I talked about taking notes it sounded sort of pretentious and stupid. After all, it's not like I'm getting paid to do this (wouldn't that be great if I could???!!!). So I skipped the notes. So here goes:
Allison - that Aerosmith song from "Armageddon" - I thought she did a good job but I was hoping for something else. I don't know what, just something else.
Anoop - some Bryan Adams song from some movie - the judges liked it, but it thought it was Boring with a capital B.
Adam - "Born to be Wild" - not his best performance, but so what. He's awesome, and he was energetic. I need to get eyeliner lessons from him. I'm pretty good with my make-up (years, and I mean years, of practice), but his eyeliner (or guyliner, whatever) was great. It took me 48 minutes to get through to vote for him, and I completely ran my battery down, so I think he's probably safe.
Danny - "Endless Love" - yes, we know he was singing it to his dead wife. Sweet. And where were his glasses? Did he get contacts? Do I really care?
Matt - some other Bryan Adams song from some other movie. Mediocre at best and a big disappointment. He can do better.
Kris - a song I never heard of from a movie I never heard of. I can't remember much, but I think I liked it.
Lil - "The Rose" from Bette Midler's "The Rose" - Finally, a trainwreck to make the night interesting. I thought it was a disaster from start to finish and if there's any justice she'll be the one to go. Plus she got all snippy with Simon and I hate it when they do that. Not just to Simon but any of the judges. They should keep their comments to themselves, not stand up there and talk back to the people that got them there in the first place.
I can see Matt, Lil, and either Anoop or Kris being in the bottom three. We'll find out soon.
On to other things. It looks like Janie and I talked our co-worker Michelle into coming to Mexico with us. She can only stay for one week, but it's better than not going at all. The more the merrier. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she can get on the same flight with us, too.
Yet another spring snowstorm is supposed to be on its way. I'm so done with snow. I want spring. Well, actually I want summer but I realize I'll have to wait for that. Anyway, this storm is supposed to come in tomorrow evening. I have a dinner meeting in Colorado Springs tomorrow night. I'm not liking my prospects: I can go to the meeting and possibly have a bad drive home or not go to the meeting and miss important stuff I need for a conference I'm attending in Denver next week. Of course, this is Colorado which means: a. the storm might not actually get here, b. the storm might not be much more than a few flakes, or c., the storm might turn into a screaming blizzard and roads will get closed. No way to tell until it's actually time to go, and even then things could change drastically while I'm at the meeting. So...I don't know what I'm going to do.
I'm going to stop writing now. I'm stressing about the storm I can't control so I should do something relaxing. Hey, I think I'll knit!!! Maybe I'll actually finish something someday soon. :o)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tuesday
Gosh, here it is - American Idol performance night with songs from movies. That's such a broad category I can't even begin to guess what I'll hear. I'm almost certain that Adam will be awesome. Because he just is. I'm a little worried about my Adam obsession. I spent 45 minutes last night searching for and watching his videos on the internet. That man can sing! The quality on some was less than ideal - they looked like they were recorded on cell phones - but his voice came through OK. I suppose there are more harmful obsessions, so I should probably quit worrying. I certainly have better things to worry about.
After extensive research (various articles, internet blogs, and a survey of my fellow Idol-obsessed coworkers) I think Lil or Anoop will be the next to go. Neither one are that great nor have they found a big following. It's kind of like nobody really cares about them, so let's just move on to the ones that really count. Sad but true. I'm secretly hoping for a train wreck or two tonight to add some excitement. It's the best I'm going to get now that Blind Scott is gone and the whole "will he fall off the stage tonight?!" question is no longer relevant.
Last night I finally got back into my normal knitting routine. I'm making progress on something, that's all I can say. I've given up promising to finish anything - this week all I want is some no-pressure knitting.
Janie and I (I think) have convinced another friend to go with us to Mexico. The more the merrier! I've already started building my stack of trashy, don't have to really think about the plot too much books to take for beach reading. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy books that actually make me think - but not while I'm on the beach. The sun interferes with my thought processes so I need those less cerebral ones while I'm working on my tan.
Tomorrow is Wednesday - halfway to the weekend. Yay!!!
After extensive research (various articles, internet blogs, and a survey of my fellow Idol-obsessed coworkers) I think Lil or Anoop will be the next to go. Neither one are that great nor have they found a big following. It's kind of like nobody really cares about them, so let's just move on to the ones that really count. Sad but true. I'm secretly hoping for a train wreck or two tonight to add some excitement. It's the best I'm going to get now that Blind Scott is gone and the whole "will he fall off the stage tonight?!" question is no longer relevant.
Last night I finally got back into my normal knitting routine. I'm making progress on something, that's all I can say. I've given up promising to finish anything - this week all I want is some no-pressure knitting.
Janie and I (I think) have convinced another friend to go with us to Mexico. The more the merrier! I've already started building my stack of trashy, don't have to really think about the plot too much books to take for beach reading. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy books that actually make me think - but not while I'm on the beach. The sun interferes with my thought processes so I need those less cerebral ones while I'm working on my tan.
Tomorrow is Wednesday - halfway to the weekend. Yay!!!
Monday, April 13, 2009
I'm Here....
sort of.
Friday I went to work and had to turn right around and come home due to, putting it as nicely as I can, nausea issues. After what seemed like neverending dry heaves, I crawled into bed and proceeded to have awful dreams so I must have had a fever, too. I finally got back out of bed sometime Saturday afternoon. Yesterday and today have been OK, but I still don't feel normal. I made my excuses for two meetings I had scheduled after work and dragged my sorry butt home.
And here I am.
I read in the gossip news today that Mel Gibson's wife has filed for divorce after something like 28 years and 7 kids. Infidelity is reported to be the cause. I bet his drunken rantings and ravings didn't help. I used to love Mel, but the past few years he's been getting kind of strange - that whole anti-Semitic thing, building a "traditional" Catholic church in his neighborhood, etc. They got married before he ever thought about being famous plus they live in community-property California, so she'll do OK.
It's a beautiful Colorado day - sunshine, blue sky, about 70 degrees. Yesterday it was snowing when I got up, and my car was covered with ice this morning because it was below freezing. I've lived here a long time now, but this bi-polar weather still amazes me. You really can wear snow boots and sandals in the same day.
Nothing new on the knitting front, since I didn't do much knitting over the weekend. So the guy blanket still isn't finished. Maybe this week. Think positive thoughts!
Friday I went to work and had to turn right around and come home due to, putting it as nicely as I can, nausea issues. After what seemed like neverending dry heaves, I crawled into bed and proceeded to have awful dreams so I must have had a fever, too. I finally got back out of bed sometime Saturday afternoon. Yesterday and today have been OK, but I still don't feel normal. I made my excuses for two meetings I had scheduled after work and dragged my sorry butt home.
And here I am.
I read in the gossip news today that Mel Gibson's wife has filed for divorce after something like 28 years and 7 kids. Infidelity is reported to be the cause. I bet his drunken rantings and ravings didn't help. I used to love Mel, but the past few years he's been getting kind of strange - that whole anti-Semitic thing, building a "traditional" Catholic church in his neighborhood, etc. They got married before he ever thought about being famous plus they live in community-property California, so she'll do OK.
It's a beautiful Colorado day - sunshine, blue sky, about 70 degrees. Yesterday it was snowing when I got up, and my car was covered with ice this morning because it was below freezing. I've lived here a long time now, but this bi-polar weather still amazes me. You really can wear snow boots and sandals in the same day.
Nothing new on the knitting front, since I didn't do much knitting over the weekend. So the guy blanket still isn't finished. Maybe this week. Think positive thoughts!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Better
Today was a blah-less day and that makes me feel a whole lot better. I had visions of becoming mired in a sucking hole of blah and never being able to escape.
I got my nails done after work - maybe that helped. Yes, I'm probably that shallow.
Last night I watched Scott get kicked off AI and actually felt sort of bad for him. But it was time for him to go, and Lil or Anoop should follow him out the door over the next two weeks. Neither one of them are doing much for me lately. During the group sing, Scott got close to the edge of the stage a few times and each time I thought "Uh-oh, there he goes" but someone always managed to pull him back in time. From now on I'll have to anticipate someone falling off figuratively instead of literally. My brain is still reeling from watching performances by Frankie Avalon, Flo Rida, and Kellie Pickler within a 60 minute span. If that's not a mind-boggler, I don't know what is.
Tonight two brand new shows are starting that I want to watch - Southland, a cop show from (I think) the ER guy; and Harper's Island, some murder mystery thing about people getting killed ("One by one" - I can't get the commercial out of my head!) when they come to the island for a wedding. And they're both on at the same time. Why is it that something I want to watch is always on at the same time as something else I want to watch??? To make me use the DVR, I guess. My kids just roll their eyes when I tell them that when I was growing up we only had three channels to choose from. OK, four, but I'm not counting PBS because nobody every really watched it. I think this must be my generation's version of "I walked two miles to school in blizzards and on the way home I stopped at the store and bought a loaf of bread for a nickel." I rolled my eyes back in the day, too. The other thing that blows my mind is now I have like 345 channels to surf plus On Demand, and there are times when I can't find a single thing I want to see. How jaded is that? Probably a lot, but I refuse to dwell on it. More evidence of my shallowness, I'm sure.
So, one more day and the work-week will be over and I'll be that much closer to that Mexican beach. I've done this Mexican beach trip right after school lets out for a few years now and I have to tell you that it's my renewal/recharging time. I don't do a whole lot and I love every minute of it. It's not everybody's dream vacation, but it sure works for me.
I bought a pair of size 3 knitting needles this afternoon. I've decided to see how my sock-yarn strips that will eventually be a blanket look when knitted on the proper size needles. So I'm skipping the guy blanket for tonight and doing something with sock-yarn. We'll see how it goes.
Silver Lining: After a day of total blah, even mediocrity looks pretty good.
I got my nails done after work - maybe that helped. Yes, I'm probably that shallow.
Last night I watched Scott get kicked off AI and actually felt sort of bad for him. But it was time for him to go, and Lil or Anoop should follow him out the door over the next two weeks. Neither one of them are doing much for me lately. During the group sing, Scott got close to the edge of the stage a few times and each time I thought "Uh-oh, there he goes" but someone always managed to pull him back in time. From now on I'll have to anticipate someone falling off figuratively instead of literally. My brain is still reeling from watching performances by Frankie Avalon, Flo Rida, and Kellie Pickler within a 60 minute span. If that's not a mind-boggler, I don't know what is.
Tonight two brand new shows are starting that I want to watch - Southland, a cop show from (I think) the ER guy; and Harper's Island, some murder mystery thing about people getting killed ("One by one" - I can't get the commercial out of my head!) when they come to the island for a wedding. And they're both on at the same time. Why is it that something I want to watch is always on at the same time as something else I want to watch??? To make me use the DVR, I guess. My kids just roll their eyes when I tell them that when I was growing up we only had three channels to choose from. OK, four, but I'm not counting PBS because nobody every really watched it. I think this must be my generation's version of "I walked two miles to school in blizzards and on the way home I stopped at the store and bought a loaf of bread for a nickel." I rolled my eyes back in the day, too. The other thing that blows my mind is now I have like 345 channels to surf plus On Demand, and there are times when I can't find a single thing I want to see. How jaded is that? Probably a lot, but I refuse to dwell on it. More evidence of my shallowness, I'm sure.
So, one more day and the work-week will be over and I'll be that much closer to that Mexican beach. I've done this Mexican beach trip right after school lets out for a few years now and I have to tell you that it's my renewal/recharging time. I don't do a whole lot and I love every minute of it. It's not everybody's dream vacation, but it sure works for me.
I bought a pair of size 3 knitting needles this afternoon. I've decided to see how my sock-yarn strips that will eventually be a blanket look when knitted on the proper size needles. So I'm skipping the guy blanket for tonight and doing something with sock-yarn. We'll see how it goes.
Silver Lining: After a day of total blah, even mediocrity looks pretty good.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Blah
is the word of the day.
I feel blah, I probably look blah, and most of what I heard today was just blah, blah, blah. I admit it - I'm in a mood. Not sure what mood exactly, but I'm in one. Unless blah is a mood. I'm still tired, which doesn't help. I woke up this morning and just wanted to go right back to bed. I'd go to bed now, but then I'd be wide awake at two in the morning. Plus I'd miss American Idol. I have my priorities.
I did re-watch Adam's performance from last night and it still blows me away. This blahness that seems to be everywhere definitely isn't anywhere near him. Scott should be the one leaving (he was blah) , but all the internet buzz is about how Kris is in big trouble (people think he was blah). Lil could get the heave-ho and I wouldn't miss her (because she's been so blah). See, the results show tonight is going to be blah, too, because I doubt there will be any big suspense or drama.
I can't think of a Silver Lining - all my linings are just....blah.
Maybe if I work on my knitting, I can get to a better place. Or at least closer to finishing that darn blanket.
So, in order to spare you any more of my blah, blah, blah - I'm going to stop right here. Tomorrow is a new day. I just hope it's not full of more blah.
I feel blah, I probably look blah, and most of what I heard today was just blah, blah, blah. I admit it - I'm in a mood. Not sure what mood exactly, but I'm in one. Unless blah is a mood. I'm still tired, which doesn't help. I woke up this morning and just wanted to go right back to bed. I'd go to bed now, but then I'd be wide awake at two in the morning. Plus I'd miss American Idol. I have my priorities.
I did re-watch Adam's performance from last night and it still blows me away. This blahness that seems to be everywhere definitely isn't anywhere near him. Scott should be the one leaving (he was blah) , but all the internet buzz is about how Kris is in big trouble (people think he was blah). Lil could get the heave-ho and I wouldn't miss her (because she's been so blah). See, the results show tonight is going to be blah, too, because I doubt there will be any big suspense or drama.
I can't think of a Silver Lining - all my linings are just....blah.
Maybe if I work on my knitting, I can get to a better place. Or at least closer to finishing that darn blanket.
So, in order to spare you any more of my blah, blah, blah - I'm going to stop right here. Tomorrow is a new day. I just hope it's not full of more blah.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
OK - I'll Blog Tonight
I had planned on skipping the blog tonight for a number of reasons: I had a meeting after work, stopped to pick up something for dinner, got home and had to feed the animals, load the dishwasher (those dishes still don't hop in there on their own) and start it running, jump in the shower, put on jammies, and be in front of the TV in time for American Idol. (It comes on at 7 here.) So there I was, stuffing my face with one hand and taking notes with the other. Yes, I've resorted to taking notes otherwise I can't remember all the brilliantly witty/stupid/just plain mean comments I want to make. But the show ran over, which meant I missed the start of the next show I usually watch, so I have blog time. Silver Lining. :o)
Anyway, in keeping with the birth year theme we had baby pictures. I'll be brief - everybody was cute.
So here goes with this week's opinions:
Danny was born in 1980 and sang a country version of "Stand By Me". This song in its original form is a favorite of mine, but this arrangement didn't do much for me. The judges all loved it, so I'm wondering if they heard the same thing I did.
Next was Kris, 1985, singing "All She Wants to Do is Dance". I thought he put kind of a funky vibe on it and it was OK but the judges all hated it. Maybe it's because I still think he's just so cute that picking on him is like picking on a puppy and I just can't do it. I can't face big, sad puppy eyes.
Lil, 1984, sang Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" and I was flat-out disappointed. The past few weeks it's like she's just been going through the motions. I'm pretty much over her. The judges didn't like it much, either, so I guess we did see the same show after all. We all know when Paula starts by talking about your outfit, you're in big trouble. This was Trainwreck #1 for me.
Anoop, 1986, "True Colors". I looked at him when it was over and went "Huh?". I just didn't get it. Once again, the judges loved it so I must be back to watching a different show. Since this is not a song I ever really liked, maybe I should give him (and the judges) the benefit of the doubt. Whatever. He's probably safe, because others were a lot worse. Yes, Lil, I'm talking about you!
And Scott, 1985, was Trainwreck #2. He sang something I don't even remember the name of and I could go look it up on one of those 52 AI sites I cruise around in, but I don't want to because I just don't care. He did show some personality and I liked that, but I didn't like the song much at all. The judges and I are back with the same show because they all gave him bad comments. Scott is very gracious when dealing with criticism and I appreciate that. It's much better than when someone gets all snotty about it. Remember Megan? Oh, let's not. Forget I even mentioned her name.
Allison, 1992 (the same year as my youngest - thanks for making me feel old) did "I Can't Make You Love Me", one of my all-time favorite songs and she was awesome. I got goosebumps, I swear. Simon gave her a hard time about talking more and being more "likable", whatever that means. She doesn't need to talk - her singing says all we need to know about Allison.
Next was Matt, 1985, singing "Part Time Lover" and I loved it. I heard a couple of sort of screechy notes, but it didn't really matter. I thought it was better than anything else he's done lately.
Finally, Adam, 1982. He sang "Mad World" and words fail me. It was another OMG performance. Simon gave him a standing ovation and I can't remember if that's ever happened before.
Back to my real life vs. reality show life: Today was another crazy (but not really in a good way) day. Every year about this time it gets like this. Plus it's a full moon. Say what you will about that having no effect on us down here on Earth, I'd have to disagree. I have a friend who is an ER nurse and she says it's always busier and crazier during the full moon. Maybe I was too excited about buying that ticket to Mexico - it put beach fantasies in my head. Plus I'm just kind of cranky and impatient. Not sure what's up with that, other than I've been having these really bizarre dreams so I haven't been sleeping that well. Other than that, not much else is going on. I guess I'll just take my cranky self to bed.
Anyway, in keeping with the birth year theme we had baby pictures. I'll be brief - everybody was cute.
So here goes with this week's opinions:
Danny was born in 1980 and sang a country version of "Stand By Me". This song in its original form is a favorite of mine, but this arrangement didn't do much for me. The judges all loved it, so I'm wondering if they heard the same thing I did.
Next was Kris, 1985, singing "All She Wants to Do is Dance". I thought he put kind of a funky vibe on it and it was OK but the judges all hated it. Maybe it's because I still think he's just so cute that picking on him is like picking on a puppy and I just can't do it. I can't face big, sad puppy eyes.
Lil, 1984, sang Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" and I was flat-out disappointed. The past few weeks it's like she's just been going through the motions. I'm pretty much over her. The judges didn't like it much, either, so I guess we did see the same show after all. We all know when Paula starts by talking about your outfit, you're in big trouble. This was Trainwreck #1 for me.
Anoop, 1986, "True Colors". I looked at him when it was over and went "Huh?". I just didn't get it. Once again, the judges loved it so I must be back to watching a different show. Since this is not a song I ever really liked, maybe I should give him (and the judges) the benefit of the doubt. Whatever. He's probably safe, because others were a lot worse. Yes, Lil, I'm talking about you!
And Scott, 1985, was Trainwreck #2. He sang something I don't even remember the name of and I could go look it up on one of those 52 AI sites I cruise around in, but I don't want to because I just don't care. He did show some personality and I liked that, but I didn't like the song much at all. The judges and I are back with the same show because they all gave him bad comments. Scott is very gracious when dealing with criticism and I appreciate that. It's much better than when someone gets all snotty about it. Remember Megan? Oh, let's not. Forget I even mentioned her name.
Allison, 1992 (the same year as my youngest - thanks for making me feel old) did "I Can't Make You Love Me", one of my all-time favorite songs and she was awesome. I got goosebumps, I swear. Simon gave her a hard time about talking more and being more "likable", whatever that means. She doesn't need to talk - her singing says all we need to know about Allison.
Next was Matt, 1985, singing "Part Time Lover" and I loved it. I heard a couple of sort of screechy notes, but it didn't really matter. I thought it was better than anything else he's done lately.
Finally, Adam, 1982. He sang "Mad World" and words fail me. It was another OMG performance. Simon gave him a standing ovation and I can't remember if that's ever happened before.
Back to my real life vs. reality show life: Today was another crazy (but not really in a good way) day. Every year about this time it gets like this. Plus it's a full moon. Say what you will about that having no effect on us down here on Earth, I'd have to disagree. I have a friend who is an ER nurse and she says it's always busier and crazier during the full moon. Maybe I was too excited about buying that ticket to Mexico - it put beach fantasies in my head. Plus I'm just kind of cranky and impatient. Not sure what's up with that, other than I've been having these really bizarre dreams so I haven't been sleeping that well. Other than that, not much else is going on. I guess I'll just take my cranky self to bed.
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