(sing) Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match!

I just finished taking a survey that's supposed to match you up with your ideal presidential candidate, based on your answers to 20 questions. I had no idea who mine would be, since I don't feel very closely aligned with any of them so far. The only thing I felt sure about was that it wouldn't be Huckabee!

Turned out I'm closest in my views with Rudy Juliani, but not by that much. I agree with him on 51% of the issues.

BTW my prediction was right - the one I;m the LEAST compatible with IS Huckabee. I sat beside a total Huckabee supporter on Thanksgiving Day - that was interesting. Found out some things I didn't know about her... kind of wish I still didn't know those things!! :-p

To clarify, (before anyone gets all fired up & flames me) I'm not saying he's all evil or anything like that. I just know that being aligned with him seemed to make my friend feel very comfortable with tossing the word "queer" around in ways that didn't mean odd. Made me want to smack her.

Anyway... If you'd like to take the poll & see who your "best match" is, click on the box above!

Thoughts on a Snowy Night

We're supposed to have 15 inches of snow and strong winds creating blizzard conditions by tomorrow afternoon. Woooo hooo I hope we actually get it!! It's snowing hard right now.

DH couldn't wait for me to order my new cell phone. (You get one free every 2 years.) I don't know why he worried about it, I wasn't. I liked my old one just fine. Sure, it had some teeth marks on the antennae but that just made it easily identifiable. ;-) (It was from Polly's puppy days- she was teething & chewed on it when it was brand new. Luckily she was so cute that I couldn't even get mad at her.)

DH is watching the movie "Taxi" with Queen Latifah. I swear if I have to watch her & her BF stick their tongues down each other's throats one more time I'm gonna barf!

We watched the movie "Elf" this afternoon. Very cute! If you haven't seen it, try to. :-) It's kid-friendly too - supports the reality of Santa. Bob Newhart and Ed Asner are both in it. My uncle was in the army with Newhart... he said he was a good guy & very funny.

Speaking of Ed Asner, I wonder why the "Mary Tyler Moore" show isn't on Nick at Night? Maybe it's too new? (snort!) I love watching "I Love Lucy" on it. If I'm ever in a coma and you want to have something for me to listen to, "I Love Lucy" would be good... or music, just not jazz. I like some jazz but after a while it gets annoying (unless it's live). It'd be awful to be in a coma and unable to say "turn that off please!"

When my gran'ma was in a coma they played Hawaiian music in her hospital room because they do think people can often hear, even when they're in a deep coma. My uncle (her son) remembered seeing some old Hawaiian records in her attic so he'd told the nurses that that was what she liked. Later on mom told me that Gran'ma actually hated Hawaiian music because it was the favorite music of my gran'pa's last girlfriend (before he met gran'ma), and those records in the attic had belonged to him. So.. I guess Gran'ma may have spent her last days silently stewing over the girlfriend of 60 years ago!

Dh filled out a card & sent it in to get info about cremation at one of the local funeral homes. He got a call from them yesterday confirming that he had actually requested it. The lady told him that people send the cards in with their friends' names on them as a joke so often that now they call each person before actually sending out the information.

When my son was in high school & girls he wasn't interested in asked for his phone number, he'd give them the funeral home number. He knew it because a their ad came on each morning just as his clock radio came on.

If reincarnation is real I want to come back as a dog that's owned by somebody just like me. :-) They have a good life.

I wish I knew how to ice skate. If I did I'd join a women's ice hockey team. I think that would be great! Being able to knock people down and slam them into the boards all in the name of good clean fun would be great! I'll bet hockey players don't have to take anti-anxiety meds or anti-depressants, what do you think? So much of what ails us is caused by holding too much stuff in.

Hannah Montana has added 3 weeks to her concert schedule. Santa is bringing my niece tickets to see her. :-p Somehow having elementary kids going to concerts doesn't seem right - it used to be such a special thing for somebody when they got to go to their first concert, usually in high school. Now the kids will have been going to them since they were 5 or 6, so there won't be much of a thrill.

"The Lion King" is playing in Detroit. We saw it in Toronto a few years back and it was fabulous! I think the one in Detroit is a smaller version. My boss is going, I hope he likes it. He sure needs and deserves a relaxing evening. The people over him have been treating him badly all year, and it's getting worse by the minute. You wouldn't think people working in a church environment would be that way, but they are.

My mom will find out Tuesday whether she has to have another angioplasty done. She had a stent put in in July and they now think that scar tissue has formed inside the stent and is causing a blockage. I hope it doesn't turn out to be that bad.

"I Love Lucy" is on now & they're about to go to the Grand Canyon because Fred wants to. Have you been there? I was and to be honest I wasn't all that impressed. I think living in an enormously mountainous area with beautiful rock formations, deep valleys, and places like Red River Gorge kept the canyon from seeming that unusual to me. I did love the Painted Desert though - that was amazing!

I'd like to try knitting with alpaca yarn sometime. It's supposed to be amazing to work with & very soft to the touch. I'm allergic to wool but I don't think alpaca hair would be the same as wool when it comes to allergies. I haven't priced it but I'll bet it's expensive... maybe I should start saving the dogs' hair when I brush them. (NO, not really!)

Washing Dishes

Dontcha just love modern appliances? At this very moment I'm washing dishes, washing clothes, and drying clothes all while sitting in my recliner with the laptop! :-D It just doesn't get much easier than this!

My mom doesn't have a dishwasher, has never had one, and doesn't want one! She said that to her washing dishes is like therapy... she actually enjoys it! I think maybe if she had one she'd change her mind. (If you ask her she'll tell you that she has had 2 dishwashers in her lifetime. Don't be fooled - she's referring to my sister and me!)

I Love Snow!

We have 3 inches of snow, hurrah! It's so pretty I love it! We got a little the day before Thanksgiving and were thinking it'd melt yesterday but it didn't. So... this snow fell on top of it.. thus begins the mountains of snow that will accumulate for the next 4 or 5 months!

As for why this is written in yellow... well, the dogs went out into the snow and... well... you know... ;-)

blah blah blah

It has been gray and gloomy all day, and is now starting to rain. It is 5:30 and already dark! I am feeling really grouchy for no particular reason. Usually I'm a pretty positive person, so this is kind of strange. Part of it could be because I'm tired. DH had surgery Thursday, so part could be the stress of his having surgery & worrying about his health and all that.

I know that part of the grouchiness is disappointment because the day before his surgery he was offered a different position at work which would've had him working the hours we'd love, but because it pays significantly less he turned it down yesterday... which of course brings us to money. Ugh.

After the holidays I will probably be getting a full-time job. Doing what? I don't know. What I do know is that right now I'm working very hard at a place where my boss appreciates me greatly but the "powers that be" take me for granted. My boss has asked them (repeatedly) to increase my work-time by 4 hours a week so I would be eligible for benefits (insurance, retirement, etc.) but they won't. :-(

I've been working there for over 5 years now. If I had stayed Kentucky teaching I'd have 20 years under my belt (instead of 15), but I didn't. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I screwed that one up. :-/ Moving here for love & with no thought of retirement... but can you really live your whole life with your retirement being the main goal? I don't think so.

A former co-worker of mine started teaching the same year I do. From the very beginning she was counting down the days to retirement! Imagine somebody in their 20's saying "2 years down, just 28 more to go!" OMG if you feel that way you should find yourself a different job. Her attitude reflected the counting down too - she didn't have any of the enthusiasm or love of children that would've made her a better teacher.

I, on the other hand, had enthusiasm and love and was considered by many to be a wonderful teacher (if I do say so myself LOL) ... yet here I am being the one who is no longer teaching while she is still down there plugging away. (After 15 years of living as a strong, very independent single woman/teacher I was swept off my feet by DH and in the blink of an eye I'd sold my house, quit my job, and left everybody I knew hundreds of miles away.)

Anyway, back to my current job, the kicker is that they have decided that the office needs to be open on Friday mornings now (for 4 hours) but instead of offering ME those hours (which would mean I'd get benefits..see the last paragraph) and would have useful time to get some of the zillions of things I'm expected to get done in 16 hours) they are having a woman come in as a volunteer. This kind of ticks me off. Of course she doesn't do any of the things I do, she just answers the phone... what a waste.

Ok, so the more I write the more I realize why I'm grouchy.

I'm disappointed because even though Lasik surgery has given me perfect vision during the day, I have the halo-effect at night which makes it difficult to drive. :-( I don't know if that will get better or not... when I had the Lasik done the dr. said that my vision would change some during the first year - but in a couple of weeks it will have been a year and the halos are still there.

Ok, complaining will now come to a screeching halt because one of the dogs is gazing at me with his "gee I sure do need to go outside" look. :-) That means I get to go out and walk in the freezing rain in the dark, yee ha! (Really it's not that bad, sometimes walking outside can make you feel better even when it is icky weather.)

Icky. Yep I said it - such a good vocabulary I have. Yep I have a Master's Degree. (snort!) (If Jason reads this he will know why I snorted-)

Anyway, onward and upwards - the canine bladder awaits...

Peppy Poodle Puppy

Sunday afternoon DH and I went to the pet shop to get some dog food. (We use a snazzy brand that Walmart doesn't carry.) (Kind of ironic when the humans are eating Walmart-brand generic pizza while the dogs munch on the Fabuloso Stuff, but that's another topic...)

Anyway, this pet shop had recently re-opened and now has what seems to be wonderful care for the animals. (hurrah!)

There was the most adorable little chocolate poodle there (not real chocolate, just the color LOL) and one of the sales people (who wore Safari Outfits, how cute is that?) apparently noticed that DH & I were enamored with it 'cause next thing we knew he was taking it out of its cage and bringing it out to see us. :-)

Within about 5 seconds it had left his hands and was in my embrace. (Well, maybe 6 seconds because they require that you use hand-sanitizer before holding the dogs - "their immune systems are still developing".)

The toy poodle was SOOOO cute, about the size of our Polly when we first got her (barely 2 pounds). It was 4 months old and had the wildest hair I've ever seen on a dog! DH said it had "bed head" all over! LOL Seriously, with its softly spiked coif shooting out in all directions and its tail strongly resembling that of a cartoon cat who has just stuck its claws in an electric socket, you'd never know that there was a sophisticated poodle hiding within, just waiting for the clippers to shape it into a snazzy creature sporting a ball on the end of its tail!

We took it to the petting area and played with the little bundle of energy. It was hysterical, bouncing all around, I'd forgotten just how crazy puppies can be (crazy in a good way)! After a bit we left Mr. Poodle in the hands of Safari Guy and headed home, where we were greeted by our own 2 furboos who sniffed each part of my clothes that had touched the puppy.

They knew something was up - went straight past the 'you're home, you're home!' phase and immediately started the suspicious "ummm hmm... who was he??" sniffing. After a bit they settled down as if to say "ok, you can pet 'em, just don't bring 'em home!"

Taggity Tag Tag!

I was tagged by Ann http://www.blogger.com/profile/06918235879560864134

The Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.

Okey dokey, here are my 7 facts (feel free to ZZzzzzZZZ)

1. I am typing with a cat on my shoulder, a dog pressed against my thigh, and a dog's head in my lap (up against the laptop). Just call me loved- :-)

2. Even though I'm usually very good about following rules, I have 3 more pets than I'm allowed to have in my condo!

3. My first flying experience was a trans-Atlantic flight to England the day before my 20th birthday.

4. Bare mattresses give me the creeps. (yes I'm serious!)

5. I like to dump a box of Raisinettes into my popcorn when I go to the movie.

6. My favorite day of the week is Thursday.

7. When I was twelve, I wanted to be just like Cher. :-)

I'm tagging (in no particular order)

1. Roni http://ronijj.blogspot.com/
2. Brandi http://brandibug.blogspot.com/
3. Sue http://craftchatwithsewiknit2.blogspot.com/
4. One... moms http://oneofthosehorriblemoms.blogspot.com/
5. Lisa http://lisamidwifeknits.blogspot.com/
6. Finn http://orphantrainsfromfinn.blogspot.com/
7. Sophie http://sophiejunction.blogspot.com/

Christmas 2006 as seen by my dog- (and if that title doesn't send you racing for a straitjacket I don't know what will!)

My little dog has her own blog on MySpace. Today I was reading through it (I know, there are lots of other things I could/should be doing, but hey, it's my day off!) and I found myself giggling at one of them. (It has been nearly a year since I.. er... SHE wrote it, and I'd forgotten about some of the things that happened.)

My dog wrote the blog to her fellow MySpace canines. There's a whole sub-culture of them out there. (Strange, but not nearly as strange as the MySpace group who like to wrap themselves and each other in saran wrap and duct tape... ah, but that is a topic for another time!)

So, without further ado, for your giggling pleasure I present my dog's Christmas '06 Blog:


"Hi Furry Friends! We got back last night from our very bery busy Christmas trip! We missed you all and want to tell you what we did (and we look forward to hearing 'bout what YOU did, too!)

On Christmas Eve we slept 5 hours in the car and when we woke up we were at our uncle Sharkey the poodle's house! (Well, actually we woke up at some rest areas and stuff, but just for long enough to take care of business and den get back in de car.)

Sharky and us were so excited to see each other! It was de first bisit together since Thanksgiving!! We ran and ran and played and played and ate crumbs Sharky's mommy kinda "dropped" while she was cooking. (we just LOVe her!) She was making Chex mix and cereal is one of our favorite treats!

Our human uncle Jason (Sharky's dad) got down in the floor and WRESTLED with all 3 of us, that was GREAT!! He is so so fun! We spent 2 nights at dere house, and den we headed for Lexington.

We stopped at a rest area and made 2 new friends! Dey were Bichons, a boy and a girl, and one had just been wid her new parents for 2 weeks 'cause she was rescued from a puppy farm where she was being a mommy too too many times! She was bery tiny and shy, but after a minute the 4 of us were bestest friends! Den, we got back in our cars & when we got to Lex guess what??

All our mommy's fambly was dere!! The grandparents and sisters and sons and granddaughters and eberybunny! Eben Sharkey showed up later dat night! Our cousins brought DiMaggio, who is bery old and cool and big and has long black and brown fur. We had neber met him before but we liked him right away! He is from South Carolina so he barks deeper and slower dan we do!

DiMaggio snapped at Garcia de next day but I tink that was cause Garcia just couldn't leave him alone when he was trying to nap. Plus he couldn't hear so I tink maybe Garcia startled him! Also dat day I got stepped on! Dat was cause dere were like 15 (including 4 little girl humans) and 4 dogs all in one condo and it was bery busy and fun and lots goin on and our human sister tried to stand in the same spot where I was standing. Anyway, I squealed but I wasn't hurt and eberbunny was ok. After dat happened I satted in Daddy's lap for a long time and I liked that.

So.. the whole fambly brought foods and eated and opened presents and eated and eated some more and brought more food and played games and eated and stuff... you get the idea! We got so many bery interesting crumbs plus the little girls were feeding us stuff when the big humans weren't looking, and one eben gave Garcia some Sprite!

Den Garcia and Sharkey discovered that in a bery quiet corner of the kitchen dere was dis can were they putted yummy treats and rustling plastic and stuff, so the 2 of dem were having so much fun eating and shredding paper and stuff 'til somebody noticed and said "out of de trash bois" and dey had to stop! Bwahaha I didn't care though 'cause I was in de other room where one of the littlest humans was holding her celery and letting me eat pnutbutter off of it!

Well, on de last day of eating and fun, we had a birfday party for 2 of the granddaughters. One was 2 and one was 6 and dey are sisters! We all singed and Sharkey singed really weally loud like he does when humans do. Garcia & Dimagio and I just listened though, we don't know how to sing like Sharkey does.

After de party eberbunny gadered up all dere stuffs and put it in all de cars and headed off in all different directions! We had long drives den, like Garcia & I had to trabel 7 hours north and Dimaggio had to trabel 7 hours south and our grandparents went 2 hours east but nobody went west!! So.. I guess dere are no cowboys in our fambly yet! Udder humans went different distances but I"m just telling you bout the furboos cause I know that's what interests you most!

Dis morning we are resting up & pwaying wid the cats 'cause dey didn't get to go and we just know that dey missed us so so much. Also we are pwaying with our Christmas presents, and we were pwaying wid the cats' gifts too but mommy & daddy made us stop cause we were getting the catnip balls all wet and Callie didn't like dat! Bwahahahaha!!

So.. dis was Garcia's 1st Christmas and my 2nd one, and now you know what we did! Can you tell us about yours (or about your Hannukah, whichever one you had at your house)?"

Unexpectedly coming across images of 9-11

So do you think we'll ever get to the point where we can come across a photo of the 9-11 tragedy without feeling like we've just been kicked in the stomach? I don't.

A Baby Story

Today I happened upon the last ten minutes or so of "A Baby Story" on TLC. I came in during the part where they're yelling "push, push" and the girl is screaming as the baby tries to push its way into the world. Very intense - I really felt like I was there!

The baby arrived, dark haired and perfect (looking very much like MY first baby). The mom cried. The dad cried. Both grandmothers cried. I cried.

I started out crying because it was all so wonderful and happy. After a minute or so, when everyone else's eyes had dried, I found that I was still crying. I had been unexpectedly overcome with such an intense longing to be back at the point in my life when I was a new mom and all the years of having my children little and at home were still ahead of me.

Wouldn't it be fun if we could occasionally travel back in time for a few days? If we could, I'd be visiting the 70's right now. How about you? What experiences would you like to re-live?

One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today we got our second dog, little G. He is such a sweetheart, so loving and funny - first animal I've known that had a sense of humor! (I should write more about that when I'm not so sleepy.) I never thought I'd have one dog, much less 2, but it is great!

Formerly an avid cat person, I must admit that there's nothing quite like opening the door after a lousy day to find 2 little creatures just beside themselves with joy at your arrival! (It's kind of like it was back when the kids were little... but they were never quite this fuzzy!)

Granted, I do still love my cats - even though they rarely raise an eyebrow at my arrival. They are definitely cheaper & much lower maintenance than dogs. Having both cats AND dogs makes life very interesting (we have 2 of each... did I mention that our condo bylaws say we are limited to having one pet?) Life just wouldn't be quite the same without those 16 little feet dashing up & down the hall in their own version of the Kentucky Derby!

A big thanks to the stars that aligned just right to bring little G. into our lives on October 24, 2006!

Ms. Claus + The Grinch = Christmas Challenges

In 2 months and 2 days it will be Christmas, can you believe that? It used to be my favorite holiday. I went all out decorating every room of the house, making gifts and special treats for all my friends, family, and even co-workers. I just loved it - started playing Christmas carols the day after Thanksgiving. The last few years (7 to be exact) it hasn't been quite as joyous.

I married the Grinch! How did this happen, you might ask... well, we had dated less than a year when we married (4 months to be exact) so I had NO IDEA how he felt about Christmas until it approached. Wow, are we ever opposite in our feelings about it! He hated (hates) everything I loved (love).

I think it's fun to select just the right gift for each person... he thinks gifts are part of the commercialization of Christmas. I love decorating the house... he sees no point in it. Being with family is a special part of the holiday to me... he can't wait to get back home where it's quiet. I love going to a Christmas Eve service and remembering what Christmas is all about... he doesn't particularly believe in God. I love to cook special Christmas dishes... he'd rather go out to eat because it's easier (this comes into play more on Thanksgiving than Christmas since most restaurants are closed on Christmas!).

So...

There have been some pretty miserable preambles to Christmas since we married. (Christmas itself is usually ok because I get to be with my other family members, the ones who like/love Christmas.)

I have been trying to come up with a solution - something that will allow me to be happily immersed in Christmas without sending DH into a fetal position or turning him into a grouchy (even hateful) Scrooge that I hardly recognize.

The first 5 years that we were married the Christmas season didn't work too well. (I take that back, it did one year because I had survived a potentially fatal illness that year & so he was just grateful to still have me & did just what I wanted for Christmas.) That was the only Christmas without major drama between 2000-2004.

In 2005 we had my son come up for Christmas, and that was very cool. We went to a Christmas Eve service (omg the music was just awful - I don't know what went wrong with the soloist but eeeeek!)

The next morning (Christmas) we opened gifts, had breakfast & then headed for a Pistons game. Definitely not a traditional way to spend Christmas afternoon, but loads of fun! It was a full house (DH had bought our tickets months in advance) & they had 2 spirit sticks in each seat waiting for us... they looked like giant plastic candy canes! You banged them together & they made a really loud, very satisfying noise whenever something especially good or bad happened! They had dancing Santas (a group of middle-aged men who did a really cute/funny dance) and lots of other Christmas-related activities between quarters. They even had fireworks (indoors)!!

DH & DS & I all totally enjoyed it; it was the first year that we were both totally happy about how the holiday went. I wasn't homesick for the rest of my family because I knew I'd be seeing all of them the next afternoon. DH wasn't stressed because he knew he didn't have to travel (he hates visiting his family). I headed south for several days while he stayed here and happily worked overtime making tons of money. Meanwhile, I was down reveling in family and hugs and kids and gifts and fun and totally surrounded by people who love Christmas the way I do. (how's that for a run-on sentence?)

The other Christmas that we both totally enjoyed was last year. DS & DIL invited us to come spend Christmas Eve with them. It was their first Christmas together, and their first Christmas in their new home, so we felt very special being invited to be a part of it! We had a wonderful time (DIL is a fabulous hostess) and our dogs had lots of fun with their new uncle, a poodle. :-)

The day after Christmas we all headed further south where we met 15 members of my side of the family for a big 2-day party. That was pretty wild, all of us packed into a penthouse along with our 2 fuzzy white dogs, DS's fuzzy black poodle, and my sister's big black dog. Definitely shoulder-to-shoulder, all talking at once, while our parents were unhappy because we were all talking and they couldn't hear any one person.

Our group has grown too large for that gathering really work in the format that we've been using. Something new will need to be planned for this year... I'm sure I'll be writing all about it later on.

So... now it's 2007 and 2 months and 2 days til Christmas. Time to start planning so that we can have another GREAT holiday rather than the screaming, crying, snot slinging times that we've sometimes had in the past! (psst.. there wasn't really screaming, we're all much too refined for that.)

Wish us luck! :-)

The Commercialization of Our Music

It's so strange to hear what were once popular rock songs being used in commercials! The first few times I heard this being done I was just totally stunned - it was kind of like seeing the Beatles standing on a corner selling hot dogs.

Granted, these songs are 30-something years old, but still... what ever happened to the good old days when little ditties were written specifically for commercials? It seems almost sacreligious hearing Barry White's deep, amazing voice hawking Arby's sandwiches! (On the bright side, it WAS fun to hear him again...)

This trend reached an all new low (or should I say high?) (snicker) a few minutes ago when a commercial aired with a middle-aged band singing an Elvis song "Viva Las Vegas". What was it advertising? Viagra! OMG!! What would The King have thought? DH & I just sat here rolling our eyes. Funny? yes! Horrifying? kinda!

Poop and Beer in the Morning Light

Picture it:

7:30 a.m. Me, walking down the street with a little pink bag of poop and a Bud Light beer, donned in a long navy coat (think "flasher!") over bright pink tinkerbell capris pjs and Crocs. Passersby on their way to work gaze in astonishment...

That's right honey, when it comes to strange, Brittany Speers has nothing on me!

Ok, now before you call for the men in the little white coats (or at least a family member) to come get me, I will point out that I was accompanied by 2 little white dogs (which would explain the poop).

The beer... well, I was thirsty and didn't have the ingredients for a Mimosa so it seemed like the next best way to start the day! :-) Nah, actually I retrieved the empty can from the lawn where some noodlehead deposited it during the night, 'cause I am a friend of the earth and apparently care more about the environment than said noodlehead.

As far as the outfit goes, what can I say... 3 of us woke up, 2 needed to go outside to potty, and nobody had the patience to wait for me to get properly dressed first.

I LOVE no longer being the infamous Mrs. C., schoolteacher who must keep up appearances & be at least semi-dignified at all times!

New bedroom floor!

This weekend DH and I worked together to put down a new wooden floor in the small bedroom. I LOVE IT! It was a lot of work but definitely worth it. :-) I am so lucky to have a husband who can do things like this!

He put the same type of floor in the living room & dining room this summer, and we have enjoyed it SO much. With 4 pets it's also very practical. I would highly recommend it to anybody wanting an easy-care floor!

Fuzzy Dogs Recipe # 2

A month or 2 ago I offered a recipe for a dessert, and everybody seemed to like it! :-) Now here's another one - this one is SO quick & easy that kids can make it, and all the ingredients can be kept on hand for those days when you just don't have time to spend on meal prep. If you're a vegetarian, you can experiment with different soy products to replace the tuna, or just add extra veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
1 CAN VEG-ALL or leftover veggies, drained and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 CAN TUNA or leftover cooked turkey or chicken
2 FROZEN PIE CRUSTS

TECHNIQUE:

1. Let your oven pre-heat to 350 while you're assembling the ingredients. Take the 2 pie crusts out of the freezer & let them be thawing.
2. Mix soup, veggies, and tuna together in a mixing bowl. Salt and pepper if desired.
3. Pour mixture into one of the pie crusts.
4. Put the second pie crust upside down on top of the pie for a top crust. When it's soft enough, pinch the edges of the top & bottom together to seal the edges of the pie. Using a sharp knife, cut 4 vents in the center top crust of the pie.
5. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until crust is brown.

The Sleep Report - Day 3

I'm trying out DH's suggestion about getting enough sleep for a week and seeing if it makes a difference in my stress level, etc. I'm on day 3 and it really does seem to be working!

A couple of things happened today that would've sent me on a tailspin, but instead I just shook them off. Also, I have noticed a sort of peaceful, happy feeling that has been missing for quite a while. Nice!

I AM an invisible friend!

You know how kids have imaginary friends? I had 3 when I was little. Their names were Peeney, Crinky, and Andy. They were with me all the time 'til my little sister came along, then, one by one, they went away. One ran away, one got the measles and died, and I don't remember what happened to the last one. I need to ask my mom about that!

Fast forward 40+ years and now my youngest DGD has her own imaginary friend! This is a relatively new development, probably a result of her sisters both going off to school, leaving her to be the only child at home.

Little B's imaginary friend... well, can you guess its name? It's not Peeny, Crinky, or Andy! It is (brace yourself) Nana! Yep, I am her imaginary friend! DD said that they'll be in Walmart & little B. turns around & looks behind them saying "c'mon Nana, let's go this way". (keep in mind that I'm a good 8 hr. drive away, so its not me she's talking to. It's an invisible Nana. How cute is that??!!? :-)

Who was more worried, the dogs or me?

Today DH & I toured the facility where we planned to board our dogs next weekend. We'd just taken G. to have his Rabies Shot, and P. was with us too, so the 4 of us got the tour.

The kennel is right across the driveway from the vet, & is part of the vet/kennel/grooming/day care complex. It's a good, reputable place, very nice people work there, but OMG I just don't think I could leave Polly or Garcia there! I don't know what I was expecting... I guess a more "home-like" atmosphere.

They don't stay in cages there, they have "runs" which are 6-10 ft. long. They have concrete floors with blankets for laying on. While that might be ok for an outside dog, these 2 are used to a cushy life - they are pretty sure they're people. I think they would be horrified to be left there. Even when we were just touring it P. was trembling violently in my arms, and Garcia was doing the same in DH's (we had to carry them during the tour).

It was SO LOUD. We were there during 'walking time' and the girl said they were all barking because they knew they'd be going out. The workers were walking each dog individually in a nice large area. They each get 15 minutes of one-on-one play time outside. You can get more for a fee. You can also have them in the doggie day care section during the day if you want to -- then they're in a large area all day & get to play with other dogs their size. That, too, costs extra.

I noticed one worker lighting up a cig as she went out the door to walk one of the dogs. Somehow that just didn't seem right - do people really want their dogs to be breathing smoke? Granted, they were outside, but STILL! They have such little lungs, like babies really, and you sure don't want somebody smoking around a baby. DH said I had the most horrified look on my face from that point on. It was just too much - the noise, the cold concrete, so many big dogs... I just hated it.

When we got in the car I burst into tears (yeah, get pretty emotional when it comes to my kids and my pets) & told DH I just didn't think I could leave them there next weekend. He agreed. There's another kennel in a nearby town that one of his co-workers uses when she goes on trips. We had planned to check it out if we didn't like this one, but I don't know if we will or not now.

The way G. and P. were trembling... to think of them being there for 3 days and 2 nights on that hard floor, not understanding why they were there & not knowing where we'd gone or if we'd ever come back... well, I just won't do it.

Garcia spent the first 7 months of his life in a cage. I really don't want him to have to be in one ever again. (Yes, I know it's a "run", not a "cage", but still.) So.. we'll have to go to Plan B. OH, wait, we don't HAVE a plan B!

Hmm...

Sleep

Today my husband presented me with a challenge. (Well, actually it was more like "made a suggestion" but "challenge" sounds more exciting.) He said he would like for me to go to bed at a decent hour & get enough sleep for one week and then see if it makes a difference in how I feel.

Maybe I will try it. Probably I should.. I mean it wouldn't be THAT difficult.

So, we shall see. Might be interesting, maybe not. What if sleep COULD take care of stress, etc.? That would be pretty darn cool.

Do you groom your own pet?

Are you good at giving shoulder rubs? I could sure use one right about now! I just finished brushing our little furboo girlie and it took about 2 hours! I didn't realize it, but apparently I was holding my arm at a funny angle while I was doing it, so now it feels like it's going to fall off!

I enjoy brushing the dogs, I find it relaxing (well, maybe not so much when Mr. G. is trying to get away - then it's more like World Federation Wrestling - all I need to do is put a sock over my head and it'd definitely qualify. (You know how they always wear those costumes...)

Anyway, it is relaxing when one (dog, not wrestler) goes to sleep in your lap & you can just take your time combing the tangles out of their silky hair. It's a lot like knitting but without having to count stitches. :-) Afterwards they look SO pretty & it lasts at least ten minutes -'til they go outside & find something smelly to roll in, or shove their heads down in the crack of the couch & come out with static making their hair stand on end. When that happens, it's so funny it makes up for the loss of the perfect hairdo! With her hair standing on end Ms. P. looks amazingly like I do first thing in the morning! ;-)

Speaking of mornings, have you ever really taken a good look at dog walkers as you drive to work? I totally expect a passing car to stop any day now & ask me for fashion tips when they see how spiffy I look as I'm walking the 2 fluffs first thing after getting up. Right now it's pretty tame because the mornings have been chilly enough for me to wear my long coat, & that hides some pretty scary things that are being worn when the dogs decide we must go out immediately.

I tend to think of myself as invisible (as opposed to thinking everybody is looking at me), but that comforting belief vanishes if I happen to glance toward my next door neighbor's house as I pass it... her door gives a startlingly clear reflection of me how I look.

Hmm, I think groggily, maybe penguin pj pants (length: just below the knee - originally came to the foot but get shorter every time they're washed), hoodie, and Crocs don't quite go together... kind of a top-heavy look. Actually it wouldn't be a bad ensemble if one was gathering sea shells on a chilly morning in shallow ocean water. Bearing in mind that I live in the far north, it just looks like someone determined to lose herself to frostbite from the legs down.

Ok, back to the pet grooming... (talk about straying down the garden path!)

Sunday DH ran into a woman who has the same breed of dog as ours. He said it looked just like them except for the coloring. SO they got to talking about tangles, and guess what? This woman (who, IMHO, has more dollars than sense) has a mobile groomer come to her house EVERY WEEK to groom her dog!

This is one of those vans that's equipped like a grooming salon but is on wheels.) Price? $60.00 a pop (not counting tip)!!!!! Okey dokie, let's see... that's 52 x 60= $3120.00 per year, plus tips. Of course we have 2 dogs, so for us it'd be $6,240 per year. OMG!!! Next time I'm feeling decadent for spending $30 each at the groomer every couple of months I'll just remind myself of this woman & feel like quite the thrifty girl! :-)

Photos deserve to be seen & enjoyed

Six photo albums & a box of old photos have been sitting on my desk looking at me for about 3 weeks now. Sometimes I go in there & look back at them, but so far the relationship hasn't gone any further.

These are albums with pics that begin when I was 13. (The oldest ones are organized chronologically in a box because the albums they were in were "unsafe"). I'd like to do something with the pics so they'll be seen/enjoyed more often! Right now nobody (including me) ever sees them. I could do collages, mini-albums based on subject or age, big chronological albums, eeek! I just don't know! There are lots of pics of my kids as they were growing up, much too cute not to be enjoyed!

I want to scrapbook/ journal about some of the pics, but not all of them.

Then there's the question of what to do with photos of one's exes and children's exes etc. It just seems SO cold to throw away pics of people! I have done it with pics of old bf's and that wasn't so hard.. it's just the ones who were in the family for years and years that give me pause... or the ones where your relative looks so adorable but the person he/she is with just turns your stomach.

I am not going to cut the photos in half to remove the other person. I think that is SO tacky. Photoshopping them out, on the other hand.... hmmm... nah, too time consuming.

Ok, I just noticed that I have an 'eek' and an 'argh' all in the same post!! Definitely time to do SOMETHING if dallying over the decision is turning me into a (1.) mouse; or (2.) pirate.

I'm hoping that acknowledging that I'm procrastinating over this will (maybe) inspire me to get going on it. I think this is one of those cases where you feel like something should be perfect, & that desire for perfection immobilizes you! (Yes, I'm a Virgo, how did you know?) :-)

Whatdya mean no explaining??

Being from the south, I'm NOT known for keeping my answers short. Nevertheless I'm going to try it on this survey which I snagged from Denise's blog:

Answer questions with only one word--no explaining! :-)
1. WHERE IS YOUR CELL PHONE? totebag
2. YOUR HAIR? soft
3. WORK? ok
4. YOUR FATHER? adored
5. YOUR FAVORITE THING? family
6. YOUR DREAM LAST NIGHT? none
7.YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? tea
8.YOUR DREAM CAR? VWconvertible
9.THE ROOM YOU'RE IN? living
10. YOUR FEAR? loss
11. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE IN 10 YEARS? happy
12. WHO DID YOU HANG OUT WITH LAST NIGHT? dogs
13. WHAT YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT? lying
14. MUFFIN? blueberry
15. ONE OF YOUR WISH LIST ITEMS? travel
16. WHERE YOU GREW UP? Kentucky
17. LAST THING YOU DID BEFORE SEEING THIS? blogged
18. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? cotton
19. WHAT AREN'T YOU WEARING? shoes
20. YOUR PETS? loving
21. YOUR COMPUTER? Toshiba
22.YOUR LIFE? good
23 YOUR MOOD? happy
24. MISSING? offspring
25. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW? bathroom
26. YOUR CAR/TRUCK IS? reliable
27. YOUR SUMMER? hot
28. YOUR RELATIONSHIP STATUS? married
29. YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? blue
30. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU REALLY LAUGHED? today
31. LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Sunday
32. SCHOOL? important
33. FAVORITE WEATHER? snowy
34. FAVORITE SOUP? homemade
35. MOVIE GENRE? humorous

Test Update

I'm back from KY and the test results were all good! What a relief! Also, the doctors at UK Children's Hospital were fabulous. DD said they explained everything to little B. in a way that she (age 2) could understand. They let both parents go back with her for the procedures and just made it an all-around good experience.

This was SO much better than when her sister had a procedure done(at about the same age) at a small-town hospital & was torn, screaming, from DD's arms & carried down the hall by a very insensitive orderly. (Any idea how much control it took to refer to him in such a nice way?)

Little B. came home and told me all about how the dr. had put jelly on her back (for the ultrasound). She didn't say anything about the catherization they did for the dye test... but that night at church she had stickers & was decorating her arms, legs, and then... well... in her words she was putting them on her "tootie". (grin) Maybe to decorate it in case of another procedure?

That reminds me of the story a friend told me about her grandmother going for her regular gyn. checkup. On the way to the doctor the grandmother confided to her granddaughter that she had "borrowed" a little of her "feminine deoderant" body spray. The girl was a bit confused because she didn't have anything like that.

When the grandmother was in the stirrups the dr. came in & said "Oh, my, aren't you fancy today!" She was offended & left immediately... later to discover that the spray she had used was some left over from her granddaughter's prom preparations. It was spray glitter for her hair!

Wednesday I will head south to lend moral support when little B. has tests done on her kidneys early the next day. I've had the same tests she's having - but I was about 22 times older than she is when I had them done. They aren't painful, but I can't imagine how they'll keep her still while they do them. One involves dye, and that's the one that has her mommy (my DD) worried. We will all be very relieved when the tests are over!

Brings back a lot of memories thinking about those tests. Ugh.

The dr. thinks it will turn out to be a fairly common condition that young children have (I can't think of the name of it to save me... but anyway it's something that does have a non-surgical cure.)

Tomorrow I'll go to the library & get a couple of books on tape to listen to while I'm driving. They make the trip go SO much faster!! I actually meant to get them today but I forgot. :-/ Ooops!

"Expressions" toothpaste

Have you tried any of the new "Expressions" toothpaste flavors from Crest? We have the "Lemon Ice" and it is just disgusting! Been using it for a couple of weeks now & my teeth just don't feel clean to me... it's kind of like brushing your teeth with one of those tubes of colored gel that are used to decorate cakes!

So... if you'd like half a tube of Lemon Ice Expressions, just let me know! ;-) I want to go back to the old-fashioned but refreshing minty stuff!!

"Big Love" on HBO

We started getting HBO about a month ago (free 3 month special deal) & I've gotten hooked on their series "Big Love". It's about some families who are polygamists in the modern day. It's not "Six Feet Under" but it is very good!

Only thing is... we weren't planning nto keep HBO after the free months end because they just keep showing the same movies over & over... BUT now that I've discovered this show... hmmm..

Wasting time?

If the internet and television were to vanish tonight, I wonder how much more productive we would all be? Also, have to wonder if the divorce rate might go down since people would communicate more with their spouses. Hmm...

On the other hand, I've made some great friends though the internet, and tv can be educational, so...

Here's some money, make 3 wishes!

If you could have 3 MATERIAL wishes right now, this very minute , what would they be? (Abstract items, such as "Peace on Earth" or Good Health for my Family" cannot be included in this list. We may do one of those another time.

THIS list is totally concrete items... price is no object, and they must be FOR YOURSELF. C'mon, be selfish, we want to hear it!

My list:

1. A helicopter so I could visit my family quickly & easily whenever I want to without having to worry about whether there's an airport nearby.

2. Money to pay off all of my credit cards. I did this just before I got married, but sadly they no longer have a balance of -0-. I HATE credit card debt... it is so stupid and difficult to get rid of because of that crazy interest that keeps piling up.

3. A beach house on Pawley's Island with lots of room for friends & family. (Yes, I know that is awfully far away, but do remember I have that helicopter from item # 1.)

Ok, now I told you mine, you tell me yours! :-)

I've Seen Fire and I've Seen Rain...

While slipping on shoes to go to work, a random thought: these will be the shoes I'll be wearing today if somebody rams my car and kills me, or if there's an accident and I have to walk home, or if I must flee a burning building. "What a strange thing to think" says the logical side of my brain.
"Well, it's the truth" mutters the emotional side, which seems to have wrestled the logical side to the ground this morning, immobilizing it with a choke hold. We are all so vulnerable, both young and old. How do we stand it?
Watching the aftermath of the explosion in Oklahoma years ago, trying to explain the unexplainable to 28 children as images go across the screen of bloody, burnt babies being tenderly carried by firemen. It was on day after day on "channel 1" a 14 minute news show that we were required to have our class watch each morning. It was the school's way of repaying Channel 1 for supplying us with a tv for every room. It was in the contract.
After a couple of days, I could no longer bear beginning every day by subjecting children to constant reminders that their world is not a safe place, that they could die at any minute at the hands of some crazy person who got the instructions for building a bomb off the internet. I did not turn on Channel 1 news.
Some kids fret "won't we get in trouble for not watching it? What if they come take the tv away? Others are visibly relieved at not having it all pushed in their faces at 7:30am. Whispers are heard in the hall "their class doesn't have to watch channel 1". No channel 1 troops storm the school, tvs are not confiscated. Time marches on and the lucky ones forget, but most of us sport souls that, if studied carefully, still exhibit scars from the horror of it all.
Then comes 9/11 and buildings crash down again, this time after planes crash into them on purpose. I was so glad not to be in a classroom that day. A 2-year old says "Please, granny, sit by my bed while I sleep so the planes won't crash into our house." TWO YEARS OLD and she's worrying about this??? It is just so wrong.
As the anniversary of the tragedy is coming near, I'm torn with conflicting emotions. One is excitement because I'll be surrounded by loved ones soon as we celebrate my birthday. The other is despair for the families who lost their loved ones the day after my birthday. Their lives were forever changed, as were the lives of most of us.
We lost our innocence, our assumption that living in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, would keep us safe. Sounds trite because it has been said so many times before, but it is true.
"Oh, let's all wear red on Fridays! Let's all fly the flag on the 11th! Drive with your headlights on during the day to show you remember 9/11" These are the forwards that are swooping into my mailbox like mosquitoes to the tender skin of a baby. Sure, we can do all that, and will do all that, but it won't bring those people back.
"Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain, I've seen sunny days when I could not find a friend... but I always thought I'd see you baby, one more time again..." The voice of James Taylor singing this song in N.Y. at the concert in the park to honor the victims of 9/11 will always echo in my mind.
It had only been a few days since it happened... people were afraid to gather in large groups because who knew if another madman would come attack, but these souls gathered anyway. All around the country we joined them in honoring the survivors and remembering those who perished. James (yes, I can call him that, he has been part of my life for decades) sang and I sobbed, fetal position in the recliner with a quilt pulled up to my nose. DH looked slightly puzzled.
I think some of us feel things more deeply than others. We are more aware that we never know when we could lose the ones we love, or could be lost ourselves. Does this mean we are anxious? depressed? overly emotional? "Just shake it off" we may be told. "It wasn't even anybody you knew."
Well, no, but it could've been. my son. my daughter. my granddaughters. my sister. the list goes on... those people in Oklahoma... in New York city... had no idea, when they left home, that they would not be coming back.
Sometimes it's almost too much to bear.

Front line or support staff?

A funny thing happened today at work. I was sending in a change of information sheet for an employee who has direct deposit & has switched banks. I typed up a quick cover letter to go with it, complete with blank for signature and title written below the name... and the name was mine.

In my current position I rarely send out letters in my own name. (E-mails, sure, and plenty of them, but letters... no.) So, it was the first time in a l-o-n-g time that I'd "officially" signed a business letter. The thing is, it felt right. Like I was back in a position of authority. It felt good.

Seven years ago I left my career field willingly, happily, with a sense of relief after having so much responsibility for so many years. (Not just responsibility for paperwork - but for people's lives, success, self-esteem, important things like that.)

Today the simple act of signing a letter made me realize that maybe, just maybe, I am ready to make a change* ... but then again, maybe I'm just ready to write my name a lot. :-)

* Having written this, I'm feeling panicky because I said I'm ready for a change... guess I must be thinking that the Blog Police will come running in and force me to change positions whether I want to or not! (job positions, that is -- not my current "position" which is in the recliner with the laptop balanced precariously atop one leg.)

What Kind of Blogger are YOU?

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read.Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

I'm Pundit Blogger?? What the heck does THAT mean? Sounds kind of like a Bandit Blogger... maybe I should be wearing a black cowboy hat & have a red bandana tied on to hide my nose & mouth like my childhood hero "The Lone Ranger". He would be so disappointed in me though, finding out that instead of being one of the white-hat wearing "good guys" I've grown up & become a Pundit, crouching over my laptop with on the lookout for a stagecoach full of gold!

Well, I looked it up (my mom, who was an encyclopedia salesperson, had a motto: "We never guess, we look it up!" She even had buttons that said that. (Part of one of World Book's sales campaigns) So... here's what I found - turns out being a pandit isn't so bad after all. (Whew, what a relief! Now you'll be able to sleep tonight.) LOL

pun·dit Pronunciation: 'p&n-d&t

Function: noun

Etymology: Hindi pandit, from Sanskrit pandita, from pandita learned

1 : PANDIT

2 : a learned man : TEACHER

3 : a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media : CRITIC

FuzzyWhite cooks: pastry with lemon filling

Here's a recipe for something that is quick & easy to fix, & tastes fabuloso! This is the first recipe ever shared by FuzzyWhiteDogs! It's a trial run -- if we get feedback, more recipes may be posted - if not, we'll go back to whining about lost loves and chihuahuas (which, by the way, are NOT one and the same!)

On a scale of 1-5, Fuzzywhite gives it a 5 for taste (we only post things that rate a 5)

You need:

1 pkg crescent rolls (the kind that come in a roll like canned biscuits)

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice (the original recipe called for a teaspoon, but I like lemon.. use your own judgement in making this important decision.)

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice together. Take into the living room and eat it with a spoon.NO! NO! WAIT - just kidding!

Take the bowl back into the kitchen. Unroll the triangles of crescent roll dough so they're flat. Spread each one with the cream cheese mixture. Roll them up and bake on a cookie sheet using the oven temp & cooking time printed on the pkg. (If you already threw it away, 12 minutes at 400 ought to do it. :-)

# Note: Recipes on this blog will not make you thin, but they will make you happy!

Another weekend without Harry

Every weekend since Harry Potter came out, DH and I have planned to go see it. Planned being the key word. It's been out what... a month or so... and we still haven't gone!!!

Today we came close VERY close to going -- I was dressed & ready to go when DH admitted that he really didn't feel up to it.

I'm thinking of calling a friend & going one afternoon this week with her. Then if/when DH wants to go I'll see it a second time. I really want to see it on the big screen, & if we wait much longer it will be gone. (We don't have any of those nifty $1. theatres around here that shows almost-new movies. Wish we did!) So.. when the new wears off, you can't see it 'til it comes out on video.

A Chihuahua for MIL - the Search Continues

Animals are so much like children! Usually when I mean it in a fun/cute/entertaining way, but this morning I'm referring to how vulnerable they are.

I've been perusing chihuahua rescue sites (for my MIL, as mentioned in a July blog) off & on for several weeks now. Some of the websites I've been reading this morning tell about each dog's background/how it came to be available for adoption. So many of them previously belonged to elderly people who are no longer able to care for them. Can you imagine how confusing it must be to suddenly be uprooted and taken to a strange place? (I guess that statement could refer to both the animal and the human involved.) My heart goes out to them.

There is a chihuahua (on the first website listed below) who is looking for a home because his owners had a new baby, moved to a larger house & didn't want to take the dog! It mentioned that the dog is sadly missing the little girl 'cause it loved playing with her... well, I'd say she is missing the dog too. How sad is that?!! What ARE those parents THINKING?? Even if they don't care about what they're doing to the dog, you'd think they'd realize they're setting the stage for enormous resentment by their daughter who no longer has her pet because of her sister or brother!

http://www.chihuahuarescueusa.org/dogs.php?sel=f has lots of wonderful-sounding chihuahuas. Whoever writes for them is doing a great job! It almost made me want one, and I'm not even a chihuahua fan! (Hence the name "fuzzywhitedogs" instead of "barkypetitedogs). If you're looking for a chihuahua, this rescue group seems to be very nice.

If you know of a chihuahua (or small short-haired chihuahua-type mix) that needs a home, please let me know! Why? Because a lot of rescue groups won't adopt to a "third party", which is what we are considered since DH & I are looking for one for his mom instead of for ourselves. This makes it more complicated/maybe impossible to get one from a rescue group.

There are lots of rescue groups listed on http://www.petfinder.com/ , but they all seem to have the same policy on "3rd party adoptions". Seems like they'd be happy to have a good home for one of their furboos. I know they have to be careful. I could understand it if it was an instance of somebody wanting to "surprise" someone with a dog (that they may or may not want), but since she has specifically asked us to find one for her, I don't see what the problem is.

So.. I'm going back to search some more! If you're thinking of adding a pet to your family, be sure to check out the rescues first... and if you're thinking about getting RID of your pet please try to find it a good home yourself first instead of just taking it directly to the pound.

Hurray for Masseuses

AAAAAaaaaaaaaaah, the massage was quite fabulous! Afterwards I just wanted to go float around on a cloud somewhere...

I think everybody should have at least one professional massage during his/her life. Granted, there are a few people who hate being rubbed on, and they may be excused... but for the rest of us, I say "MASSAGES ALL AROUND!"

Better OUT than IN -

I love blogging!

Just typing all that junk that was bothering me made me feel SO MUCH BETTER!!

I challenge you to try it next time you're feeling crappy. Just go for it, type like a maniac, then sit back & see if you don't feel better!

Grumbles, Moans, & Groans

I'm feeling grumbly this afternoon.

1. My living room smells like wet dogs! Phew! (It has been raining all day, which is actually kind of nice because it's been forever since we had a nice, cool rainy day.)

2. My head hurts, my body is aching, and I feel whiney. I know lots of people in the world have it much worse than I do but I think on one's blog one is allowed to be grouchy & complain since anybody who doesn't want to hear it can just go on to a different webpage. It's not like we're sitting together & you have to nod politely & say "oh, poor baby".

On the good side I have an appt. for a massage Wed. afternoon. That will be great! It's been months since I've had one.

3. Last time I was supposed to have a massage I had to cancel because of a work emergency. (How the heck can you have a work emergency at a 16 hour a week job, you might ask... to which I will answer that some 16 hour a week jobs should actually be called Life Obsessions or something like that.")

Yes, this summer has kind of sucked. (My kids laugh wildly when I -very rarely- use that expression "sucked" because I used to fuss at them for saying it. But, (and yes, I know you're not supposed to begin a sentence with the word "but" but I am anyway, this is a blog for heaven's sakes, not a term paper) it has sucked.

4. All sorts of medical problems have plagued my family and friends this summer. Happily, most of them are all doing pretty much ok for the moment, but I still worry about them. A lot. So much so that I ended up spending the night in the hospital this summer because I was having all the symptoms of a heart attack. (Hmm, does that count as a Summer Vacation since it involved spending a night away from home? Naah, I don't think so...)

5. I had to cancel a trip to the beach that I'd really looked forward to for months with 9 sewing friends from an on-line forum. (Do you KNOW how long it's been since I've SEEN the ocean? Approximately a million bleeping years, that's how long!)

6. My "part time" (aka 99 hours a week) job spiraled out of control all summer with people thinking they had access to me 24/7 as it was home-based while the office was redone. DH is very annoyed that I've stayed with that job so long.

7. My only sister & her family (who I almost never get to see) didn't get to come up as planned. We were going to take the train to Chicago (that would've been SO much fun)

8. My niece didn't get to come stay a week w/o her parents for the first time ever (she has wanted to do tht for about 6 years now, and her mom & dad had finally said she could... then they turned around & signed her up for every camp known to man.

9. The grandchildren didn't get to come stay a few days with us w/o parents like they usually do (they started back to school so early that there wasn't time).

10. Since DH went back on steroids, I have gained 10 pounds. OMG this is not good! The steroids make him hungry all the time, and whenever he goes & gets a snack he brings me one too. We will soon be known as the Roly Poly Couple if this doesn't get under control quickly!

So, lots of planned fun times were cancelled & that was disappointing. DH didn't feel well most of the summer, so we didn't do any traveling or anything like we normally could've. I worry a lot about him, too. It took us over 40 years to meet each other, so it would be nice if we could both live at least 40 years together!

The only really fun times of the summer were:

1. when DD & kids came up and spent several days

2. when DH & I spent the weekend with DS & DIL.

Both of those times were GREAT fun, which leads me to wonder... WHY do DH & I live a million miles from the 2 people who make me the happiest? Life is short and I feel like I am just wasting much of mine. (...and then she began to cry... oh boo hoo, shut up!)

I'm usually an upbeat kind of person, guess today I needed to vent. I'll shut up now. (Oh, and l am already well aware of the many people who have it much worse than me and I know I'm blessed in many ways, so please don't inundate me with tales of woe from all around the world, they run through my brain like a newsreel all the time as it is.)

Thanks for listening. I'm glad I have the internet. Without it I might die. (Obsessed? Yes, thanks for noticing.).

How the Heck do you get 16 Feet in One Bed??

You know that there are 16 feet in my bed, but did you know there could've been 20? The other 4 feet belong to Mr. Macinac (aka Mac), our black & white tuxedo cat who was named after Macinac Island where we spent our honeymoon. He has chosen to abstain from sleeping with the rest of us since the dogs joined our family.

Mac is visibly relieved each night when the 2 white fuzzy dogs, 1 totally unfuzzy husband, and I head for the bedroom. As soon as we are out of the way, he heads for his favorite spot atop a cranberry & navy afghan made years ago for me by a former student's grandmother), curls up, and clicks the remote on to watch Johnny Carson. (well, I'm not so sure about that last part, but it is what I envision happening once we're out of sight...)

Now, if you are a math person, you have probably realized by now that only 12 feet are marching down that hall towards the bedroom. How, you may ask, does that become 16?

Easy answer: we have one cat who does not leave the bedroom except to dash straight across the hall into the bathroom to take care of her personal needs, then dashes right back into the bedroom! We even had to move her food & water up onto the bathroom counter because she didn't like having to go all the way to the kitchen to get it.

I think she has agrophobia.

She is a calico cat and was creatively named "Callie" by DH's X. This gives a clue as to just how creative X is... but we won't go there. Anyway, I once named a black cat "Blackie" so it's not like I've always given amazingly creative names to all of my pets... of course I WAS just 4 at the time... heh heh.

So, there, in a nutshell, is the answer to how my blog page got its name... hope you're not too disappointed that it didn't involve more humans and fewer animals. (snicker)

Go for the Squish!

Had my annual mammogram today. They're really not as bad as people say they are, and hey, they can save your life! So, ladies, if you haven't had one lately call TODAY & make an appointment! Men, if your wife/girlfriend/mom/sister hasn't had one lately remind her to do so!

It doesn't take long at all -- I was in & out in half an hour & that included filling out a form -- is covered by most medical insurance companies, & to me is less traumatic than going to the dentist!

Questions? Feel free to ask, I've had several so can either answer your ? or else help you find an answer!

One of my best friends from high school through early 20's died of breast cancer about 7 years ago. Another very good friend from the years when I lived in England died of it 8 years ago (hers was an aggressive type that doesn't start with a lump, but instead with a dimple.) A co-worker of mine had it 2 years ago and is doing fine now after having a mastectomy.

So.. I would like to take a moment to rejoice in Leona's good health, and to remember Susan and Margaret and the thousands of others who weren't so lucky. C'mon girls, quit putting it off, go get squished! The life you save may be your own.

The final Harry Potter book (not a spoiler)

Finished reading the final "Harry Potter" book yesterday afternoon & it was SOOOO GOOOD!! I'd managed to avoid hearing anything about how it ended by avoiding most websites, tv, etc. I even had to switch radio stations on the way to work one morning when they starting to talk about HP... just did not want to even risk hearing about it before reading it for myself.

Up 'til now, I thought the first HP book was head & shoulders above the rest. I mean, I enjoyed the other HP books but the first one was just SO much better... well, this last one ranks right up there with the first! I totally recommend it, but be sure to read the others first so you'll know what's going on. This one brings in lots of info on characters from earlier in Harry's wizarding experiences, & you'll miss out on a lot if you don't know who they are.

Now, I'd better stop before I reveal anything! Final words:

READ THE BOOK READ THE BOOK READ THE BOOK!

Free your Mind and the Rest will Follow...

After being in the hospital overnight for what I thought was a heart attack but turned out to be an anxiety attack, it has been suggested that going to counseling would be a good idea. Actually, the only people who suggested it were my son, daughter, husband, friends, doctor, well ... you get the drift! In fact, most of them (the ones who know me best) have also suggested quitting my job & getting a different one, if that tells you anything.

Called to make an appt. and guess what? Judy, my counselor (the one I saw several years ago when I was adjusting to (a) living here (b) leaving my family (c) leaving my career (d) selling my house (e) getting married) has... brace yourself... retired & moved to Georgia!!

AAAAAAaaaargh! I LOVED her, she was SO great and SO understanding and we had a wonderful rapport. When I go to counseling I'm not looking for advice. I just need a place where I can openly express my thoughts without having to worry about hurting feelings or having something I say get thrown back at me 20 years later. I'm generally able to figure things out myself, I just need to slow down long enough to say them out loud & acknowledge them.

I'm pretty insightful - in fact, Judy once said that she thought I'd be a wonderful counselor, and that if I ever decided to go into it she would write me a recommendation & help me in any way that she could. I didn't though... I know I'd be good at it, but I also know that I'd take it home with me & worry about each patient incessantly & that would not be good.

So, anyway, I was devastated when I heard that "my Judy" is no longer there. Why am I so upset? Well... partly because I liked her, but also because she's doing what I want to do. (No, not live in Georgia! ...although my DD would undoubtedly get a big kick out of that, because my XDH (her dad) lives there, & she is extremely fond of pointing out things we still do (after 23 years of being divorced) that are the same... like buying the same car... same sheets... same tv... etc. with each of us having no idea (since we don't talk) that the other has purchased these same brands/colors/styles.

Anyway, back to the topic, I know that the REASON Judy moved to Georgia is to be near her granddaughters. She has 3, just like me. Toward the end of my therapy, she & I spent more & more time talking about our granddaughters. (I guess you could say it became more of a friendship than a client/patient relationship.) She ADORED her grandchildren and hated being away from them. I felt the same (still do).

Now she has moved to Georgia where they live & is spending lots of time with them, working part-time at an antique shop (bound to be a welcome relief after listening to people's problems for years) and generally having a BALL. Meanwhile I'm still living a million miles from mine and am truly starting to think that maybe I will NEVER get used to it. I mean, it's been 7 years now, wouldn't you think that if I was going to get used to & accept not seeing them very often, I would've by now?

In case you're wondering how the heck I know so much about what my former counselor is currently doing, relax, I'm not stalking her. The office administrator at the counseling center - she and I have good rapport because we're both transplanted Kentuckians... well, she's not as transplanted as I am since she never actually LIVED there, but she did love spending summers there with her grandparents as a child... well, anyway SHE told me what Judy is up to now. One of the other office workers had just returned from visiting J. in GA.

So.. I have an appt. next week with a new, strange person. Ugh. She won't be Judy, but she's supposed to be good. :-/ We shall see.

Lunch, Shopping, and Looking for Tiny Furboo Love

Had fun today! (I'm trying to make it a point to get out and do more instead of letting work and stress be my whole life.)

Went out to lunch with a good friend and talked my head off. That felt GREAT! We went to a new Indian restaurant -- very yummy & lots of vegetarian choices which was a nice change! She just retired last month & was telling me all about that.

Afterwards I went over to the mall and did a little lingerie shopping for my one and only niece. Sears is having a great sale and had her size (which is hard to find because she is shapely but very slender). Had the BEST time picking out styles & colors & imagining how thrilled she will be with her little goodies. One even had eyelet on the straps - very pretty & unusual I thought. I'll be mailing them to her since she lives a million miles from me.

Then I hit a couple of pet shops just for fun to see if they had chiuahuas (they didn't). My MIL's chiuahua (hope I'm spelling that right - too tired to check) died a month or two ago and she still cries about it every time we talk on the phone... SO DH & I are thinking of getting her one & taking it to her next time we go down there. Of course it won't take Heidi's place, but it will bring back the pitter patter of little feet and companionship for her & my FIL.

We're not going to buy one at a pet shop (for about a million reasons) but I thought it would be fun to play with/pet one while it's so little. When the first pet shop didn't have any I left the mall & headed for a different pet shop close to my house. (See, I was making it a point to stay out & about for an extended period.) Well, that pet shop was closed! Re-opening sometime next month.

We're hoping to find a chi that's a rescue. There are quite a few on http://www.petfinder.com/ (I've been looking.) We don't want one that looks just like Heidi did, because that might make her feel sadder. Heidi was black with brown points.

DH hopes we can find one down near where his mom lives, because he's afraid that if we get it up here & take it to her, I will fall in love with it en route and she'll never see it... ROFL... hate to say it but he is probably right. (That's how we ended up with Mac.) I'm really not a fan of chihuauas, but it pays to be careful, especially when you already have 4 pets in a condo that allows 1 per unit. (oopsie)

So, if you know of someone who had a chi that they're no longer able to care for, let me know! Being located somewhere along the I-75 corridor (Michigan - Ohio - Kentucky) would be a plus. I know lots of times when people have to move into assisted living they have to get rid of their pets, and this would be a really good home for one who likes older people and being spoiled rotten. :-)

Sarcoidosis, MS, Vitiligo, and other unfair diseases

Previously if you'd offered me one wish, I'd have wished for "world peace".

If you made me that offer tonight, I'd wish for "good health for all good people". Right now there are several people in my life who are suffering from diseases with no cure and it is just so unfair.

There are prisons full of people who have done horrid things but are perfectly healthy (physically at least). Why can't THEY be the ones who get the diseases that take away people's mobility, rob them of their ability to breathe comfortably, steal their confidence by removing the pigment from their skin, and do other things that keep them from enjoying life as fully as they deserve?

Yes, I know "life isn't fair" but that's not a good enough reason. I am so angry right now thinking about this. Angry at God? No. I believe most diseases that are still mysterious in orgin are being caused by chemicals and other pollutants that we (humans) have created, not because God is angry or anything like that.

IF it was God's will that people be sick, then it would be the bad people who would be sick. Instead, right now I know several wonderful, giving, caring people who deserve nothing but the best but aren't getting it. I hope that cures will be found SOON to help them. Meanwhile, my heart is aching.

Beware the Facebook Spam!

I have (or should I say had) an e-mail address that virtually never gets spam.

I decided to check out facebook.com -- didn't like it -- BUT it was too late. They had my e-mail address & apparently sold it like a rabid Girl Scout bent on out-selling her sister with the thin mints!

The morning after I'd registered at Facebook (they won't let you even look at it without registering -- that should've set off the warning lights!) I opened my e-mail & had 26 pieces of spam!!! Yes, from 0 to 26 in less than 8 hours.

The facebook-generated spam falls into 3 categories:

1. They can hook me up with a marriage-ready partner. (uh.... sorry guys, you're 7 years too late)
2. Owning my own home can become a reality. (once again, a few years too late!)
3. I can keep it stiff longer. (They don't specify WHAT we're keeping stiff in the title, and I haven't opened any of those to find out... I like to think they mean the meringue on my lemon meringue pie!)

BTW, I didn't like Facebook nearly as well as MySpace, so the whole thing was just a fiasco! On the bright side, if I ever need help finding a husband, owning a home, or keeping my meringue stiff longer, I'll have plenty of reference material available in my mailbox!

The search for a couch continues...

This afternoon Dh & I headed over to the "Lazy Boy Showcase Shop" and checked out their furniture. OMG I could've gone to sleep and stayed there all night & been quite happy! Then we went over to Pier 1 (I knew they wouldn't have what we wanted -- and they didn't -- but it was right across the street & was a good excuse to get to check it out. :-) DH was tired though so we only spent a few minutes in there.

Anyway, we found a sectional that we liked a lot at LB. We got a sheet with dimensions on it (you can switch around the componentsw to make one that fits room). I'm going to play around with it tomorrow (the measurements) and see what I come up with.

I'm still having a hard time getting excited about spending this much money when we already have a couch. It's getting worn, but still.. we've been talking about getting bills paid off & here we are about to add to them instead. :-(

Ah well, we'll see....

Couch Shopping

Saturday:

Today we went to 2 large furniture stores and sat on approximately 75 couches! Big ones, small ones, sectionals, leather, denim, faux suede, you name it, I sat on it! None of them fit the bill. The most COMFORTABLE one had CUP HOLDERS, can you imagine??? I mean, it was fabulously comfortable but OMG it looked like it belonged in one of those big conversion vans, not a living room. Will continue search tomorrow.

Sunday:

Went to the furniture store in the little village where we used to live & looked at their extremely nice, outrageously expensive couches. This is where DH bought his furniture before we were married, and before he had a house payment or utility payments to make (they wre perks of his job). He kept pointing out how much more solid the couches there felt than the ones we sat on yesterday (which was true). I pointed out that if we were going to spend that much money, we could (for the price of one couch at that store) buy the enormous flat-screen tv he wants PLUS go on a really nice trip (that I'd like). We came out without a couch.

Later in the day mentioned to a friend that we were looking at couches. She asked if we'd looked at Jennifer's Convertibles. Got on-line to see if it looks like it's worth driving to (it's about 30 miles away). This (amusing/scary article) was at the top of the search results: http://www.realestateabc.com/insights/jenniferfurniture.htm
Hmmm, may not look there... but again maybe. Will send the article to DH & see what he thinks.

We would like a small sectional couch. It does not need to seat 27 people, as some of the ones we've seen seem to be designed to do. Four people would be plenty. :-) Feel free to post your furniture store and/or furniture company experiences, both pro & con!

How to post a comment :-)

A couple of you have asked how to leave a comment if you don't have a blogger account. It's easy!

At the end of each blog, it says "2 comments" (or however many comments it has.) Click on that & it will take you to an empty box where you type your comment. Type your screen name at the end of your comment. When you've finished, look below the box where you wrote your comment & you'll see where it asks for your ID. You'll click on "anonymous". Then click "post comment".

Hope this helps! If you have any other questions, just let me know!

Please tell me about YOUR jobs (past or present)!

I'm thinking of looking for a new job. (loud cheering from my family members)

I would love to hear about YOUR FAVORITE JOB EVER, and also about your LEAST-FAVORITE JOB (unless you've had therapy to get over that one, in which case I'll understand if you don't want to dig those memories back up!)

:-) Go ahead caller, I'm listening!!

Father's Day

My Dad is 76 years old and I am blessed to have him alive and well and happily living in the house where I grew up.

On Father's Day I couldn't help but think of the many U.S. children whose dads would be over 50 years younger than mine, but who are no longer have the option of seeing their dads.

This morning on Rosie O'Donnell's website I saw that she had been thinking along the same lines. Regardless of one's politics, I think all Americans join together in sending their love and sympathy to the children of Americans who served in Iraq. Here's a portion of the poem she wrote:

3682 dead

this fathers day

thousands r without theirs

forever

here in the US of A
as life goes on

another viet nam...

Life is Fragile - badly written at 3:00 am

It's 3am and I'm pondering the fragility of life.

I talked with a friend of mine yesterday and she was telling me about having an anneurism burst a couple of weeks ago! Luckily she just happened to be in the hospital when it happened... she'd had a routine colonoscopy & was in the recovery room (the anneurism wasn't related to the surgery) ...they told her she would've bled to death if she had been anywhere but where she was.

I say "luckily" but I do think God had a hand in it -- but by saying that, am I implying that He doesn't have a hand in it when somebody's anneurism bursts when they're NOT in the hospital & they end up bleeding to death like my neighbor did last Fall?

Look out, this is getting morbid, may want to click on another website right quick! Probably I should go to bed.

Anyway, instead of listing the somewhat frighteningly long list of my neighbors who have died this year, I will just say this: Life is fragile. People say "live each day as if it's your last" but that's just not very practical. I mean, if we all did that not many businesses would be staffed... we'd all be hanging out with our friends and/or family, lying on the beach with margaritas in easy reach, traveling around the world, doing all sorts of exciting things instead of being good solid citizens who go to work each day and do all the humdrum things we're expected to do.

I think what I am learning is that it is very important to let the people around you know you love them (if you do). Don't be afraid to go out on a limb and let them know that they're important to you. Who knows, hearing it might help them get through the day, keep them from jumping off a bridge, or at least make them smile.

Also... don't drink caffeine after supper, it will keep you awake much too late. ;-)

Women with Long Hair belong in Communes!

I should be living in a commune... at least that's what my sister told me when I saw her a few weeks ago! We hadn't seen each other since Christmas, and apparently my hair has grown frighteningly long since then. (She does not like my hair long, which to her is anything extending beyond the tops of my ears!) Since I'm growing it for Locks of Love she didn't try to talk me into cutting it (although I could see her fingers twitch as she cast sidelong glances toward Dad's scissors on the tray table...)

It was so funny, she kept fiddling with it & pulling it up & back & saying "you have such a pretty face, you shouldn't hide it .." The REASON it was funny is BECAUSE it is exactly what my G-mama, my mom, and the neighborhood hairdresser used to say to me when I had it long back in the 60's. ( I mean here you are, trying to hide under this mass of hair, and people keep telling you to show your face!)

All her talk of long hair and communes got me to thinking, maybe it would be kind of nice to live in one (a commune that is, not a long hair)! It'd be fun to be in a situation where one could always find somebody who was up for a game of Scrabble - and people would share chores. I would want to be the laundry girl. That's a job I enjoy doing - I find it rewarding - and I'm not frightened by enormous stacks of it!

I get a kick out of removing tough stains. (Hey, P&G, are you listening?) I could do an Era commercial! I love that stuff -- it's been my detergent of preference since the 70's! You don't even need a stain-stick!

I like the way the clothes come out of the dryer all warm and soft (or off the clothesline smelling like sunshine). Creating nice, neatly folded stacks of jeans and shirts is relaxing, and reuniting socks with their mates rivals the pleasure any therapist would feel after doing the same thing for couples.

Speaking of couples, how funny is it that all this talk of communes has not even touched on sex? Hmm... I'll have to ask my sister.