SASF v.4.29

Sonofabitch


Ringtones
I got a new Sprint phone recently. I love it, but the whole ringtone thing is a bit perplexing. I can download actual songs for ringtones, but some of them just sound like SHIT! For example, I downloaded a couple of Sarah songs and they sound so horrible I won't use them. I have Green Day's Brain Stew on there right now, and it sounds perfect. What is up with that?

Holy Shit - Frodo Failed!


Simple Mind?
Heh. The green spots on my chair match the green color of my pants exactly. Yes, I'm wearing greeeen pants. It worries me sometimes that I'm so easily amused...

Words to the Wise
Ladies, keep your toys put away. Bwaaaahahahaha!

Oh, What a Beautiful Lunch Time
I had to go register my car at the DOT at lunch. Feh. Not fun, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I get there, and it is standing room only, wait of approximately one hour. Gah! After milling around for a few minutes, I walk out of the building only to remember that I had plugged my meter for an hour. It's a beautiful day, so I walked about 6 blocks down the street to grab a sandwich and a mocha latte and walked back, eating my sandwich on a grassy hill beside the river. Very nice. Oh, and a window-washer guy whistled at me! Went back inside the DOT building and not 30 seconds after walking in the room, they called my number. Nice. Don't you just love it when things fall into place like that!?

Jinkies!
These are some critters that were found on the shore after the Tsunami disaster in December (thanks, Pup!):

How'd you like to encounter this little bastard on the beach?

Coffinfish - just looks wiggly. It's skin looks eerily human....eek!

Black Dragonfish. Hey, he's got one of those funny little bait things like in Finding Nemo!

A carrier shell. Wierd. Is it just me, or do the things around the outside look like pizza sausage? Ew.

Gunards. Funny little fish. Reminds me of a fish I ate in Greece.

Fangtooth. 'Nuf said!

Twisted
Someone has entirely too much time on their hands and a very morbid sense of humor. Gotta love bunny suicide methods. I think the Star Trek one cracked me up the most, although the alien one is pretty damned funny.

Have Fun & Be Safe!
I have SO many blogger friends who are traveling this weekend: Varla, Aimee, Katey, Nanner, Michael, Jamie, myself... possibly more. Be careful out there and have a great time, peeps!

Y'all have a fabulous weekend!

Scattered Thoughts

Got purple cala lillies from my boss for "administrative professionals day." Heh...one of my fave flowers. Love it.

Chicken Spiedini Caesar Salad. mmmmmmm...

Going to see Sarah MacLachlan this weekend. Can't WAIT. So good to be getting the hell out of Iowa, too. Good friends, good tunes, good times.

D will also be having his first little "sleepover" experience this weekend. New friends are always fun for him. Wonder what time they'll all finally pass out...

Arthur (you know, on PBS) was obsessed with cake this morning on TV. I really, really like cake. mmmmmmm...

I would go insane without my internet connection and honey ginseng mint tea.

I think I broke out of this weight-loss plateau from hell I've been on. Feeling a bit trimmer today and the scale says another 10 lbs. are gone. Yippeee!

I fell asleep last night with my forehead on the edge of my desk. I awoke as my chair rolled back and I nearly ended up on the floor. d'oh! Reminds me of the time that I fell asleep in church & whacked my head on the pew in front of me. LOL

I should be working. Since my boss took me out to lunch, I really should try to be productive this afternoon. I'll get back to you on that...

My lips hurt - I have a tendency to chew them when I'm pissed off or stressed and I did way too much of that last night. It was a shitty night. ...and you know what? It's ok. I'm ok. I'm past it and have moved on. Not going to let it affect me.

Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

My sister will be in Iowa (at mom's) for three days next week. She told mom that she really wants to make an effort to see me! She has made NO effort whatsoever to contact me for 3 1/2 years. We're having dinner next Tuesday. Perhaps she's decided she does care if she has a sister...

My sidebar is too long but I don't have the heart to nix anyone. What to do?

Liz Phair rocks. She gave me motto and her lyrics totally touch me and crack me up.

I can't get my mind off of getting a '68 Camaro. I MUST have one!

I'm thinking about Nanner. Travel safely Nanner!

I'm thinking about Aimee. Hope things have stopped spinning, Aimee!

I'm thinking about lots of things that I really shouldn't be thinking about. My mind can be such a wonderous playground. heh ;p

Back to work!

Sex on Wheels

I have always been fascinated with cars, as long as I can remember. It's probably my dad's fault – he was an auto mechanics instructor at our local college for 35 years. When I was born, my daddy was building race car engines. It's in my blood.

I am the youngest of two daughters – no boys in my family. Dad always taught my sister and I to take care of our own car. I know how to change my oil, grease a front end (handy for older cars), check and change my break pads…I know my way around a car pretty well. It comes in very handy when I'm far away from dad and my car needs repairs. I usually have a pretty good idea what's wrong and can nail any mechanic that tries to rip me off to the wall. I love the looks I get when I start talking exhaust manifolds and cam shafts with a mechanic. They're priceless.

I used to help dad around the garage quite a bit – handing him tools, helping with whatever he had going on. We've done a lot of body work together as dad used to buy wrecked cars, fix them and then sell them. You can make a pretty good profit that way. It also fueled a bit of my fascination with the slightly morbid things in life - going to the salvage yard and examining the way a car crumples when it crashes, the damage done and imagining the injuries involved as I look at a head-shaped indentation in a windshield. Ouch.

When I started driving, I discovered the need for speed. For my first speeding ticket, I was written up for 72 mph in a 55 zone. I was actually clocked at 77, but I batted my baby-blues enough to have him knock off 5 to keep me from losing my license. Heh

My first car was a '77 Chevy Impala with a big V8 and a 350 rocket tranny. It would fly. Unfortunately, a friend who insisted that I was too drunk to drive home proved that statement by flipping it three times in a ravine. She was drunk, too. We were lucky to walk away from that one – I came out of it with lots of bruises and a bad attitude. Dad had it towed to our house and left it in the driveway for 3 months, torturing me by forcing to look at it.

I can handle a car very well and have a firm handle on the physics involved in knowing how to take a corner at a high speed while keeping at least two wheels on pavement. The relative anonymity of this blog allows me to admit that I ran from the cops once and got away! Yep. I outran them and lost them. Neener neener.

The Fast and the Furious

When I was in high school, I dated a guy who had a very nice 1972 (or was it '78?) Z28. It was sweet! We used to go down to this parking lot and sit on our cars to hang out (small town, not much to do) on weekends. We were sitting on the Z when some smack-talkin' escalated to the point where it became "my car can kick your car's ass" so the challenge was laid out. Street racing, here I come!

We went out to an area in the country where there was a nice, straight long stretch of highway. Scott was happy to let me drive – he was a horrible driver and I was all for it. Hell yeah! The dingus that challenged us was driving an old Chevelle, but I could tell by listening to it that it wasn't all that. I knew I could whoop him, and I did. Smoked him. We probably did about two miles, and I was out of the car before he crossed the finish line. HA! The adrenalin rush was fantastic.



After that, the challenges kept coming. There were a few cars that could beat me and the Z, but not many. I raced probably about 10 or 12 times before my last race.

Now, don't get all worried – I didn't crash. In fact, I am proud to say that I have never been in a crash with me behind the wheel. I've been the helplessly horrified front seat passenger in too many crashes, but not when I was in control.

The last time I raced was fatal for the Z. When the hat flew up, I stomped it and took off like a shot. When I shoved her into third gear, I heard a huge pop and all hell broke loose under the hood. I had dropped a rod and pieces and parts flew everywhere. One piece even broke a hole in one of the fenders. Needless to say, I lost that race and the Z never moved on her own power again. RIP Z baby.

These days, I get most of my car jollies by watching others get theirs on TV. I like NASCAR and I really like drag racing. Where NASCAR can be a bit boring as they go round and round, drag racing is all action. Hot, smokin' tire, flying by the seat of your pants action.

I discovered drag racing at an early age since we were friends with the Johnson family – my childhood friend Tommy Johnson Jr. went on to blow away the competition in an NHRA victory at the 1988 Pontiac Excitement Nationals Top Alcohol Funny Car final. I believe he was the youngest ever to win at the tender age of 20. His dad’s shop was right across the street from my mom's store, so I would go over there and hang out, drooling over their cars. Tommy is now a member of the Cragar 4-Second Club and the Slick 50 300-mph Club, finishing in the top 10 for the last 5 years in a row. He now drives the Skoal Racing Chevy Monte Carlo Funny Car. Lucky dawg.


Yep, that's Tommy.

A couple of years before D was born, I got a wild hair and decided I wanted to go for a test drive. I went down to the local Lexus dealers used lot, and picked out my target. After giving the salesmen a schtick about having just started my own business and setting goals for myself, he let me take the Lexus SC400 coupe out for a drive – alone. WOO HOO!

This was one sweet car. Forest green with gold trim, tan leather interior, 12 disc CD changer with awesome surround sound system, combo moon/sun roof…it was simply loaded. This baby cornered like it was on rails, and had enough power to smoke the tires by accident if you weren't careful. Yowza.

I drove like a good girl for about 3 blocks, then it was ON. I headed straight out to the interstate, and opened her up. Next thing I know, I was doing about 120 mph, smooth as a silk ribbon with plenty of throttle left. Yee haw! Thankfully, there were no highway patrol around, but I didn't push my luck by holding that speed for very long. Gawd it was fun to drive. After two hours, I washed it and then took it back. I didn’t want to, but didn’t want an APB out on my ass.

I should mention that, even though the car was used, the price tag was $54,000. It was only a year old and had about 3000 miles on it, but you know what the depreciation does in the first year. My guess is that the new price was probably more than my freaking house.

If I were to have my choice of any car I want, however, it would not be a Lexus. It wouldn't even be a new car – it would be a '68 Camaro. No doubt about it.



Like I said before...sex on wheels, baybee!

I could go on about this subject forever, but I'll leave you with this - a song by the Dead Milkmen that kicks ass:

Bitchin' Camaro!

Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
I ran over my neighbors
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Now I'm in all the papers

My folks bought me a bitchin' Camaro
With no insurance to match
So if I happen to run you down
Please don't leave a scratch

I ran over some old lady
One night at the county fair
And I didn't get arrested
Because my dad's the mayor

Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Donuts on your lawn
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Tony Orlando and Dawn

When I drive past the kids
They all spit and cuss
Cause I've got a bitchin' Camaro
And they have to ride the bus

So you'd better get out of my way
When I come through your yard
Cause I've got a bitchin' Camaro
And an Exxon credit card

Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
Hey man where ya headed?
Bitchin' Camaro, Bitchin' Camaro!
I'm drunk on unleaded!

Hotttt

I ask you...

Is this or is this not SEX ON WHEELS? Rrroowwrr!

City of the Dead

Come away, come away death
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away breath,
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
O, prepare it!
My part of death no one so true
Did share it.
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Just beneath Paris, the City of Light and joie de vivre, lies another city - dark, dead and seemingly as vast as Hades itself. Under the 14th Arrondissement are found the remains of over six million Parisians. They ended up in this subterranean region, which stretches out over an area equal to six or seven blocks, for a very simple reason: there was no other place for them.

Over the centuries, as Paris grew, its cemeteries became so overcrowded it was necessary to clear them out. In addition to the lack of space for more burials, many districts were suffering from contamination caused by poor burials and mass graves in the churchyard cemeteries that spread disease in the area.



Originally the caves were depleted limestone quarries, some from the Roman times dating back as far as 60 B.C. From those same underground tunnels and chambers had come the limestone used to build much of the city itself. Burial use was established by the order of the Lt. General of Police, and by the Inspector General of Quarries in 1786.

Remains from the Cemetery of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs and others were the first. Also bodies of the dead from the riots in the Place de Grève, from the Hotel de Brienne, and from Rue Mesleé, were put in the Catacombs in 1788.

Hundreds of cartloads of bones were hauled from burial grounds to their new resting place. Individual identities were lost, but it is likely many French luminaries are interred here, including the instigator of the Reign of Terror, Robespierre, his rival Danton who perished at the guillotine, and Madame de Pompadour, mistress to Louis XV.

The "Catacombs" represent only eight percent of all the galleries. The underground quarries spread, with about 300 kms of galleries, under the 5th, 6th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 20th districts. The most extended network, located under the 5th, 6th and 14th districts, is about one hundred kilometers long.



The chamber walls are full of graffiti from the 18th century onwards. In the 19th century, some families even lived there. Victor Hugo used his knowledge about the tunnel system in his novel Les Misérables. In 1871, communards killed a group of monarchists in one chamber and during World War II, some Parisian cells of the French Resistance used the tunnel system. Germans also established an underground bunker below the 14ème arrondissement for their own purposes.

You can find a pretty good on-line tour of the catacombs here.

I went to the catacombs several times while living in Paris and found them absolutely fascinating. The tunnels are lined with chambers, about 3 meters deep, that are filled with bones. Most of them have a wall built at the front of the chamber out of the skulls and femurs and the rest of the bones are thrown behind the wall. A lot of the walls are very intricate, the skulls arranged in patterns such as crosses, hearts or geometric shapes.



Throughout the tunnels, you'll find several memorial plaques documenting where certain groups of bones are from as well as several with sayings that can be a bit sarcastic or disconcerting. This is one of my favorites:



It reads: "Crazy as you are, why do you promise to live a long time, you who cannot count on a single day." Indeed!

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmmm....

If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one enjoys it?

If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

OK.... so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags" and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee Titans?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Three religious truths:
a. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
b. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith.
c. Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters.

Are Lipton Tea employees allowed to take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men? Do they put "bald"?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

Why do they make bathroom stalls so small that you have to straddle the damn toilet to open the door?

Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, and dry cleaners depressed?

Best Dog in the World

Once upon a time, a man found a little dog running around his jobsite. He was a bit skiddish, but seemed hungry and was friendly once the man fed him some of his poptart. The next day, the little dog was still there, looking for more poptart. The man took the little dog home. This was our Pugsley.

We are guessing that Pugsley was dumped. He had been through some trauma, and our vet thought it looked like he had been hit by a car. His back leg had been very badly broken so that one of the joints no longer moved, and one of his front paws was missing a couple of toes. He had scarring on his side consistent with a run-in with concrete. We watched for signs or ads looking for a lost dog and found none, so we adopted him as our own.



This sweet little dog, a Boston Terrier, stole our hearts. He was the biggest lover, and wanted nothing more than to be close to us, sitting on our laps or just leaning up against us when he could. He was, in my opinion, the perfect dog - he didn't bark, drool, chew on anything, get in the garbage - hell, he didn't even shed. He did, however, fart and snore. Once we figured out the right food to feed him, however, the flatulence problem subsided. Feed him the wrong thing, though, and that little dog can clear a room!

Anyway, a few years ago Pugsleys eye's started looking a little cloudy, and the vet said that he was forming cataracts. After a year or so, he was blind. He was still a happy boy, though, and figured out how to find his way around without bumping into too much. He became afraid of the stairs, though, so the pampered little pup got carried up and down the stairs when he went outside.

A while back I took Pugsley outside to go potty before bed time. I stepped back in the house for a moment, and when I went back out I knew immediately that something was wrong. I could see, in the moonlight, that Pugs was on his side laying in the yard. He was snorting in a funny way and shaking. I ran to his side and it because quickly apparent that he was having a seizure. I carried him inside and held him until it subsided. He was very disoriented and lost, and wandered around the house bumping into things, which stopped after a few minutes. It freaked me out!

I called the vet the next morning and we scheduled an appt. to bring him in. The vet looked him over and advised that he appeared to be healthy (other than the seizure, of course) and to call him if he had another one. A couple of days later he did, so I called and the vet prescribed Phenobarbital. We started giving it to him, and it made him sick, throwing up his food. He still had seizures now and then, anyway. Scrap that idea, I guess.

So, we learned to deal with his seizures. He would have them every now and then, maybe 1 or 2 times per week. We would do what we could to help him through it. Since the vet said that it most likely was not painful and he didn’t appear to be in any kind of distress otherwise, it wasn’t a huge problem.

Pugs did, however, start having a little trouble with going potty in the house within the last few weeks. Up until the night before last, however, he had not had any seizures. Wednesday night he had a really bad one. It lasted a lot longer than usual, and he was very disoriented and freaked out when he came out of it. He would not settle down and, if we'd let go of him, he would run around smacking into things. We restrained him as best we could to keep him from hurting himself, but he just wouldn't calm down. He was panting so hard like he couldn't get his breath – it was very scary. We finally had to tie him to the table leg in the kitchen with his leash and he orbited the leg panting for at least 45 minutes. Finally he laid down and went to sleep, at which point I took him off his leash.

He woke up a while later, ate his dinner as usual, went out to potty and then went to bed, the night passing without incident. He seemed fine yesterday morning, but when I went home for lunch, I could see (from the drooly spots on the carpet) that he had had at least one seizure while I was gone. I found him in the bedroom, seizing.

These last couple of seizures had been especially bad, and he had lost control of his functions, pooping all over the bedroom floor. Gah! I moved him to the bathroom & closed the door so he couldn't hurt himself, and cleaned up the bedroom. During my hour lunch, he seized at least 4 times. A sick feeling in my stomach, I had to go back to work. I hated to leave him, but it couldn't be avoided.

I returned home from work, leaving a bit early in case I'd need to take him to the vet, who closes at 5:30. When I got there, I was horrified to find that he was still seizing. I called the vet and had to leave a message, so I wrapped him in a towel and held him as he seized. At 5:28, I called the vet back, panicking. He said to bring him on in. We only live about 6 blocks away, so to the vet we went.

Still seizing, the vet looked him over and advised that, judging by the way he's acting and considering his age, he most likely had a brain tumor. There really wasn't anything he could do, so I held him and petted him as the vet put him to sleep. I was relieved a bit to see that, when given the shot, the seizing stopped and he breathed normally for a few seconds before leaving us.

We buried Pugsley in the lilly of the valley bed last night, a beautiful large granite stone for his marker. Before I committed him to the earth, I sat in the swing and held him, all bundled up in a beautiful fabric I had found for him, and it began to rain.

I sure will miss my little wiggle-butt. He was the sweetest dog. I like to think that Pod is taking care of him now. They were good buddies. Of course, Pugsley was everyone's buddy.



Oh, and Happy Earth Day.

Celti, Celti, How Does Your Garden Grow?

There is a thunderstorm rolling in this morning, and I can feel the electricity in the air from it. I am excited to start this day. As I walk out into the back yard to go to work, the wind whips my silk skirt up and makes it billow and for a moment I feel like Marilyn Monroe. Weee! There are flower petals from those beautiful pink trees littering the ground, swirling around like little pink mini tornados, distracting me from watching where I'm walking. Looks like it’s going to be another day when my mind is elsewhere...

Have I told you before how much I love thunderstorms? Oh, yes...I have.

When I was growing up, we always had a garden. We focused more on vegetables, however...mom concentrated on that, being the logical, practical person that she is (I've often wondered if she is part Vulcan). As I got older, I persuaded her to build flower beds and such. I always loved helping put in the garden, tending it and, of course, enjoying it's bounty. I still run home for my mom's tomatoes all summer.

I tried to grow vegetables in the first year after buying my house. It was a no-go. I have four mighty oaks in my back yard that denied the garden of the bright sunlight needed to grow good veggies, and I came out with miniature versions of the originals, such as green peppers of about an inch in diameter. Pffft. I love my oaks, however, and wouldn't dream of harming them, despite all of the pollen they pee on me and acorns they drop.

So, the next year, I shifted gears to herbs and flowers. I use a lot of the herbs in my garden for cooking and to make potpourri, tinctures, potions & such. I created this:



This picture is from about 5 years ago, I would guess. The building in the background and the fence are now gone and there are a LOT more plants in the garden, but you get the idea.

After nearly giving myself a hernia getting the boulders into place, I did one of the smartest things I've ever done. I put down landscape cloth. This wonderful fabric allows the ground to breathe and get water, but it doesn't let weeks grow through it, so weeding is minimal. After hours of planning and sketching, I threw my desire for symmetry to the wind and went haywire, cutting little holes in the fabric and planting my new babies, surrounding them with mulch. I think it turned out rather nicely.

One of the things about my house that appealed to me was the fact that the yard was a clean slate – there was nothing – no bushes, no flowers or flower beds, nada. I subsequently built flower beds along the perimeter of the house and yard, filling just about every available space with something.

Now, many years later, you'll find some of the following:

Sage
Rue
Thyme
Creeping Thyme
Yellow Coreopsis
Purple Coreopsis
Seedum (2 varieties)
Echinacea (purple coneflower)
Hens & chicks
Wooly Lambs Ears
Greek Oregano
Regular Oregano
Wormwood
Mugwort
Coral Bells
Foxglove
Lilly of the Valley
Bleeding Hearts
Iris
Peonies
Gladiolas
Butterfly Bushes
Blackberries
Lemon Balm
Hostas
Roses
Lavender (2 varieties)
Yarrow
Chives
Mint
Tulips
Ferns

...hmmm. I'm sure I'm forgetting at least a few.

It's been a fabulous experience, learning about what spreads like wild fire and takes over (like wormwood and yarrow), what will grow with how much shade and which perennials won't survive winter in Iowa (like my favorite, Rosemary). Each Spring, I rake off the blanket of leaves that has insulated all the beds, add more mulch and put in a few new plantings, thin out some of the older ones, add rocks that I pick up wherever I go...it's always changing. Change is good. This year, I added about 50 Iris I got from my Grandma's house along with one of her peony bushes. I am so happy to have them there.

My back yard and my garden are my refuge - a place where I escape, study, ponder and relax. I love to lay on my bench and look up through the trees, watching the squirrels chase each other and the clouds roll by. That's what I did last night as I chatted on the phone with one of the most wonderful people I've ever known and D played in his sand box and on his swing. It was a wonderful, peaceful evening.

It has taken many years to make the yard and garden what it is, and I am proud of the way it has evolved. It is, however, and always will be a work in progress.

TMI

. age - 30 something
. height - 5'10"
. location - Cornpatch, Iowa
. hair color - blonde
. eye color - blue
. sexual preference - yes
. what do you think of cheerleading - did it just to prove that I could, thought it was moronic.
. what brand of deodorant do you use - Suave Aloe
. of the people you've kissed, who was the worst kisser - oh, my first - Daniel. All tongue - way too much tongue
. do you like pickles - indeed, I do
. do you watch porn - I have but not often
. Do you have any pets - Boston Terrier Dog, Pugsley; Maine Coon cat, Leonardo and the snake
. Do you have your own phone line - yes
. your thoughts on abortion - it should not be made illegal. it is, however, a priveledge that is abused - it's not right when it's done just for convenience sake.
. do you like Britney Spears - ug, no
. what do you want to do with your life - find unconditional love and never let it go
. ever been butt naked bangin' on the bathroom floor - um, no.
. would you ever get plastic surgery, if so, on what - probably tummy tuck.
. biggest redneck you know - East Side Dave
. do you think foreign accents are sexy - Some - Irish or Scottish, for example, make my toes curl.
. do you like hot dogs - not really.
. last time you went to the doctor - 2 months ago?
. ever taken ballet - no, but did take jazz dance lessons
. last time you used the restroom - an hour ago?
. most attractive person you know - hmmm...I plead the fifth, but I think he knows who I'm thinking of.
piercings = 5
tattoos = not yet, but considering it
shoe size = 10.5
favorite color = cobalt blue
siblings = my sister, Paula
underwear = most of the time.
coffee = love it! Iced Mocha is my fave.

The last...
cd you listened to = Sarah MacLachlan
person you called = Patty
person that has called you = Kim
person you emailed = Seamus
person who emailed you = Pup
person you kissed = my son
you have a crush on someone = most definitely
you wish you could live somewhere else = oh, yeah
you think about suicide = I have, but a long time ago
others find you attractive = I guess so *blush*
you smoke = not cigarettes
you like roller coasters = LOVE THEM
you write in cursive or print = cursive

for or against....
long distance relationships = mixed feelings
using someone = I certainly try not to.
suicide = Against. There is always a better alternative.
killing people = very rarely justified
doing drugs = depends on the drug - if it's destructive, no.
premarital sex = Teach safe sex!

do you....
like the taste of blood = not really
believe in love = oh, yes
believe in soul mates = yes
believe in love at first sight = I believe in lust at first sight
believe in god = I believe there is a higher power
ever cried over a boy = too many times
ever lied to someone = yes, but I try not to
ever been arrested = nope *knocks on wood*
ever dated anyone who's in your friends list/links = no
ever considered dating anyone else on your friends list/links = oh, yeah
kissed anyone on your friends list/links = no
ever been in a fist fight = once

what...
are you scared of = our government
what are you like in relationships = when I'm good, I'm very good and when I'm bad, I'm better.

number...
of times I have been in love? = 3
of times I have had my heart broken? = 2
of hearts I have broken? = 2
of boys I have kissed? = ? 30?
of girls I have kissed? = 1
of continents I have lived on? = 2. USA and Europe
of drugs taken illegally? = 3
of people I would classify as true, could trust with my life type friends? = hmmmm...3 or 4

What's the best gift you've ever received?: someone's heart
What's the best concert you've ever attended?: Lollapalooza 92
If you had to give up either music or sex for the rest of your life, which would you pick?: oh,that's not fair - they are both too important
What's your favorite bad-for-you food?: cheesecake
What movie star would you be a permanent slave for, no questions asked?: don't think I would
If you could lose (or get back to re-lose) your virginity to any person living or dead, who would it be?: my soul mate
Are you a dog person or a cat person?: I love them both
What's your favorite US city?: So far, I would say Chicago
Have you ever made out with more than one person in the same 24 hour period?: I don't think so.
Favorite curse word?: shit
Have you ever had a romantic/sexual encounter with a rock star?: Nope.
What's the craziest/stupidest thing you've ever done while drunk?: Peed on the hood of someone's car
What current trend do you think is ridiculous and wish would go away immediately?: Nothing comes to mind. I'm pretty tolerant.

HAVE YOU EVER...
Said "I love you" and meant it? - absolutely
Been to New York? yes, but just JFK airport
Been to Florida? No
California? Yes - San Diego
Hawaii? No.
Mexico? Yes - Tiajuana.
China? Japan? no.
Canada? yes - Ontario.
Danced nekkid? yes

EITHER OR...
Apples or bananas? - Bananas
Red or blue? - Blue
WalMart or Target? - Aren't there any other options?
Math or English? - English.
High school or college? - College, definitely.
do you want to get married? - again? If I find the right person
what do you want to do when you grow up? - I don't want to grow up. ;p

It's FINALLY here!

It's Friiiiidaaaaay! Wow, this has been a long week. Work and other things (ahem) have been keeping me too busy to gather up much this week, dern it. No wonder I have a
SHORT ATTENTION SPAN!

Bailey's Irish Creme is sex in a bottle. Just thought I'd mention that...

Paris & the Scary One
After "the Simple Life" with Paris & Nicole came out, I heard people referring to Nicole as "the fat one." The girl was not fat! Sheesh! Compared to bony Paris, she had more meat on her bones, but come on... Anyway, look at her now:

Jeebus, girl! Eat some food! Reminds me of Callista Flockhart. I think, if you hugged her, she'd break! Way to promote that healthy body image for young girls in the US, Nicole. pffft.

Worth Watching
This made me giggle like an idiot. I think my favorite part is the French woman "but I am le tired!". bwaaahahaha!

Glutton for Punishment?
WOODBRIDGE — A Brooklyn man unhappy with the sentence he received for masturbating in public, repeated the crime before the assistant municipal court clerk on closed circuit TV last week, police said.

Reggie Frank, 34, had just been sentenced over closed circuit television on April 4 to six months in the Middlesex County Detention Center for masturbating in the women’s lingerie section of the Lord & Taylor at Woodbridge Center Mall, when he decided to begin doing what landed him in jail in the first place, police said.

“The way the system works with closed circuit TV is they can see and talk to him up here at Woodbridge,” Capt. Charles Rowinski said. “If they plead guilty, the judge can sentence him over TV, if they plead not guilty, they have to come before the judge.” (nice choice of words, lol!)

Frank, who was being held at the Middlesex County Detention Center, had pleaded guilty to the lewdness charge and was being sentenced by Municipal Court Judge Emery Z. Toth over closed circuit TV, he said. The court clerk alleged Frank had been acting agitated and was using profanity during the process, according to the police report. “The judge sentenced him to six months and apparently the defendant thought it should be less,” Rowinski said.

After sentencing, Toth left the conference room and Frank moved off camera, police said. Moments later, Frank reappeared on camera while exposing his genitals and masturbating, police said. A criminal complaint was signed by the clerk against Frank, whose bail was set at $75,000 with no 10-percent option.

Britney Schmitney
Britney Spears is pregnant. No one cares except the media. pfffft!

For the Guys:
25 Things Men Should Know about Women
All the stuff we expect you to know without our telling you:
1. When we ask you how we look, "fine" is not an appropriate answer.
2. Saying "I love you" before, during or after sex doesn't count.
3. We obsess over whether you'll call from the moment we give you our number.
4. We fantasize and it's usually about you.
5. We love it when you e-mail us at work.
6. No matter how cool we seem about it, if you did something bad, we're pissed off.
7. Don't patronize us by asking if our bad mood is because of PMS.
8. Don't ever tell us what to do, even when we ask you to. (?)
9. We will leave you if you lie to us.
10. We're unimpressed by men who don't take the lead. Be a man, dammit!
11. We love when you hold our hands.
12. We need to hear how you feel about us. Tell us right now...and again in ten minutes.
13. We want to be the best thing that ever happened to you - and for you to know it.
14. If we don't feel loved, we'll start looking elsewhere.
15. Don't talk about your ex.
16. We like porn, too.
17. We remember everything about our relationships. Yes, everything.
18. We like it when you fix things.
19. You're sexiest when you're: sweating, driving, shaving, or holding a baby.
20. We've faked it.
21. Groping and foreplay are not the same thing.
22. While we're on the subject: more foreplay!
23. If we're not having sex it's because: we feel fat; we don't feel very close to you, or we are punishing you for not doing something our way.
24. We're afraid to meet your mother.
25. We think you should have already known all this stuff.



Have a wonderful weekend, peeps!

Afterglow and A Duty to Do

I am still walking around with a silly grin on my face, feeling happy and loved from what some wonderful people did for me yesterday. My office smells so nice, and I shake my head in wonder when I look around. I just can't believe what wonderful people blogger has brought to my life. *sigh* Amazing. As my sweet nanner peach pointed out yesterday, it's like finding a room where all of your best friends have been hiding all this time.

Unfortunately, my day is going to be touched with sadness. Pod's funeral is today. I'm relieved that it isn't scheduled for Saturday - I was afraid they'd have it on my birthday, which would just stink, not that the whole thing doesn't stink enough already.

Pod was a veteran of the Navy, so we're hoping that there will be a military presence there to bury him with honors. I learned, from his obituary, that he was only 47. So young...

It was mentioned that I might be asked to speak at his funeral. I will - I have plenty of things to say about Pod as he was very special to me, a lot like the big brother I never had. I'm afraid that I'll lose it, though. It will be really hard to keep the water works from starting up. I know that Pod would not want me to be sad, though, and maybe that will help.

In a week or so, I'll be planting a peony bush on his grave. He always brought me peonys from his yard.

It is a beautiful, dazzling morning this morning. I was nearly tingling with anticipation last night as Derrick and I swung on the swings, him in my lap, looking around at my yard knowing that this weekend I'll be taking off the winter blanket that has insulated my babies (read perrenials) for the last 6 months. They are all poking their little heads up through the leaves. I also have about 50 Iris to plant - wee ones that I took from my grandmother's garden last weekend. What a wonderful way to remember her each spring. I got two peony bushes from her, too - one for Pod and one for me.

Peeps, I know I've said this before, but this weeks events are prompting me to say it again - tell all your friends and loved ones how much you care about them, and be true to them and to yourself. You never know what tomorrow will bring, and being able to move foreward with no regrets is more comforting and valuable than you can imagine.

*hugs*

Holy Frickin' WOO is Right!

OH.MY.GAWD!

A little while ago, I heard an overhead page bidding me get my happy ass up to the front office. We have this reception area with a big counter, and as I round the bend on my approach, I see the counter covered with flowers. Since my birthday is Saturday, I asked "Is one of these for me!" Yeeee! The grinning receptionist and much of the other office staff informed me that they were ALL for me!

Wha wha whaaa????

Holy cow! I opened each card to discover that they were from some of my dearest blogger friends. I am completely blown away!

Check this out:

I'm surrounded!

They're all big, but this is the smallest of the three (my lucky number, even):

Carnations, roses, mums & a few others. The little bowl they're in is adorable - round, frosted glass with birthday candles on it.


Lovely Calla Lillies - they're huge!


Yellow Lillies, Tulips, Iris and something that looks like Heather. They smell SO good! ...and so many of my favorite flowers, you sneaky dawgs!

I am walking around the office now with this silly, perma-cheese grin on my face. You guys have made my week! Hell, my month! I can't believe it.

Seamus, Varla, Aimee, CooterAng, Michael, & Inanna - I love you guys so much! You are simply the cats pajamas! *HUGE SMOOCH*

The Amazing Power of Woo

Inspired by Cooter's affection for the word yoyo, I have been pondering a word that I like very much.

WOO

Is Woo actually a word? Indeed!

1. To solicit in love; to court.
Each, like the Grecian artist, wooes The image he himself has wrought. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
2. To court solicitously; to invite with importunity. [1913 Webster]
Thee, chantress, oft the woods among I woo, to hear thy even song. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
I woo the wind That still delays his coming. --Bryant. [1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44
Woo \Woo\, v. i. To court; to make love. --Dryden.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Woo \Woo\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Wooed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wooing.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

My goodness! I didn't realize that the definition was so direct...after all, woo can be used in several ways.

Of course, per the definition, you can woo someone or be wooed until your knees shake and your head swims.

Then there is the expression WOO!, meant to convey a sense of excitement, enthusiasm.

Oh, this is just getting silly. I sound like some overly serious professor trying to explain the term "squiggly" to his English class. I am feeling very silly today - a bit giddy, in fact. Silly girl, unable to wipe the silly grin from her face...the cat that ate the canary, perhaps, or just delicious thoughts...

Let's just say that I really like the word WOO and all it's meanings. ...and I really like the Milton quote.

Woo hoo!

Pod Person Watching from Above

It is a sad day in my neighborhood, peeps. My sweet, silly Pod is gone. He died in his sleep the night before last.



Many of you might remember my stories about Mark (Pod was his knickname) from past posts – the first time I talked about him, the time he mowed down my flowers, or the time that he fell off the porch and broke his crown...

Pod was my neighbor, but more importantly my friend. He was always telling me how beautiful I am, making me blush, and telling Chris what a lucky man he is. He watched over our house during the day, and was always willing to help. I’ll never forget our many trips to the grocery store, going out to lunch on veterans day, or helping him build shelves in his new room that finally allowed him proper shelter. He was always wanting a hug. Hell, he’s making kissy-faces at me in that damn picture above, taken last summer. I sure will miss that.

Pod was not very old, perhaps late 50s, but he had a hard life. A few weeks ago, he learned that he had contracted hepatitis C. He asked me if I would help him write a will and get his legal papers into order. I told him I’d be happy to, and to bring over all of the necessary info and we’d get it done. We never had the chance.

Pod wasn’t nearly sick enough from the hepatitis for that to be what took him (in my opinion). We’ll see what the results from the autopsy say, I guess. I’m guessing that he had an aneurysm. Shirl, the lady he was living with, said that they had had a very good night, and that he was in good spirits and at peace with himself. He went to bed happy and never woke up. I take a lot of comfort in that. Pod had a lot of hard times and emotionally painful times, so I am so glad that he was happy at the end. I am so glad that his illness never had the chance to drag him down and make him horribly sick.

I got the call yesterday at noon telling me that he had left us. I put my head down on my desk and sobbed for about ½ hour, and then asked my boss if I could take the afternoon off. He kindly obliged, so I went to Shirl’s house to see what I could do, went to his church to inform them, and did a fair amount of wandering around aimlessly in the rain. It always rains when I lose someone I love, and yesterday it poured all day.

Chris is devastated. They were very close, and loved each other like brothers. It was very quiet around our house last night as friends gathered to share memories of him. I had to tell Johnny the news when he arrived, and he looked like I punched him in the gut when I told him.

I sat there, at the computer, last night trying to start this post. All it seemed I could do was stare at the blank screen, now knowing where to start. As I listened to the rain, I heard an owl hooting, and he told me to let it go for tonight.

I miss you already, Mark. You take care and keep watching over us, buddy.

The Wheels Never Stop Turning under the Big Sky

Spent this past weekend with my parents. Although my childhood home is no longer my home, it feels safe and welcoming, a place where I never have to worry about being confronted with nastiness.

D and I drove down Friday night and spent both nights under quilts made by my grandmother, gone since I was 8 months pregnant. She knew I was going to be a mother and was so happy about that, couldn't fight long enough, though, to be here to greet him. She's with Grandpa now, and for that I am glad.

Few temptations as Mom & Dad are watching carbs as well, I ate good food made by my little mama and didn't have to feel guilty about it.

I got to see my 93 year old Grandpa for the first time in 16 months. I know he won't be around for much longer, so I had to make the trip. He live in Missouri and it's quite a long haul. D travels so much better now, the trip was painless. Grandpa was pleased to see us, marveling at how much D has grown. A tough critic, I was thrilled when he commented on the weight I have lost and how much better I look. He noticed despite his sight which is failing from macular degeneration. Compliments from Grandpa are rare and precious - it's hard to be optimistic about things when you're so old that all your friends have left you, your wife is gone and everything hurts, but you have nothing to send you along. He's so ready to go. He told me, as we hugged me goodbye, that the next time I see him might be in heaven. I said that would be ok, I'd miss him until I get there.

That night, at midnight, I stepped out onto Mom & Dad's deck, greeted by a peaceful and crystal clear night. They live out in the country, where there are no lights to obscure the view, the entire milky way and stellar monster sky pulling me in a way that the force of gravity seemed to lessen. After several minutes of my head thrown back, I laid down down on the floor of the deck, taking it all in. The stars were amazing, and I picked out each constellation I could name, searching for the ones that were escaping me.

As I lay there, I pondered a million topics, from aliens to heaven, from my shrinking shape to my marriage and the strife I deal with all too often, from the possibilities opened up by newfound independence to the fears and the battle with denial and temptations, from San Francisco to Burning Man. It was tremendously cleansing as I whittled away at some of the mysteries and conundrums that I face, we all face. I have to be honest with and true to myself.

What a breathtakingly beautiful sky it is. I've been told that it is much like that when out in the desert. How far does it go? Who else is exploring the same view at this moment? It was so quiet, too...the only thing I could here was the chirping of the bugs and the sound of my own heart. I had forgotten how different it was from the city, where noise is a constant you drown out, and the stars are masked behind a haze of light and who-knows-what.

We went to Grandpa's empty house, and picked up all of the 1000 limbs (no exageration, I would guess) that had fallen from the trees. D took great joy in gathering the biggest limbs he could carry or drag. I took a picture of the house, and noticed that my sandbox, the one made out of an old metal washtub, was still there next to the stoop. How many years, and it isn't rusted much. I think I'll ask mom to bring it home so I can bring it up here and put in in my garden.

We poked through some of Grandma's things and made sure that there wasn't much valuable left since some neighbors had had break-ins and they had seen a strange car here. I got some beautiful beads, a particular 3 teared number swathes the neck in crystals, making me feel like Mae West in the mirror. Grandma's mother's name was Mae West - short for Anna Mae, but I felt like the one who was famous outside of Schuyler County. Next time dad comes down with his truck, I'll be getting a beautiful wardrobe and dresser from Grandma's room. They'll be treasured.

I got a picture of my grandma, at I would guess around 14 years of age, sitting on an old milk cow with her little brother, Harvey, in front of her, and her sister Lelah on the back. They're all grinning like silly kids. How I love to feel the way those grins say they do.

Short Attention Span Friday!

Berry Horny
Exclusive: Scientists identify fruits to get you in the mood.
SCIENTISTS have discovered a fruity way to halt Scotland's population slump.

They found that strawberries and raspberries boost your sex drive and increase fertility. The secret of the berries' success is the high level of zinc in the seeds. Zinc governs testosterone and increased levels can put both men and women in the mood for love.

The benefits of berries are that the seeds are eaten rather than removed as in other fruits. Researcher Patrick Holford said yesterday: 'My message is simple. Every time you have sex, or simply want to ready yourself or your partner for sex, you should consume a handful of raspberries or strawberries.'

Hmmmph. Maybe that's my problem - I LOVE strawberries! *snicker*

Where the Blogging Happens
Lovisa suggested, over at Mike’s place, that we all share a picture of our desk area where we do our blogging.

This is my desk at work, where most of my blogging is done (shhhh!). We have, of course, the PC – "Gateway to Hell", pictures, ginormous tea mug, teas, phone, fan (for when I get all hot & bothered. lol) water bottle, fat CD wallet, cell phone, obligatory crap taped on the wall, said tape, wooden snake, evil goose, doggie angel, old glory, candles, lysol, blotter, a plethora of pens & crap, and work – Yes, I do some of that here. Take special note of the green door with the LOCK ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE KNOB so they can lock me in here! GAH!

Personal Victory
Today, I am proud to report that I am wearing pants that are 6 sizes smaller than I was wearing last fall. Weeeee!

Fun Links:
From my buddy Archmage:

Freaky Botany
Check out the botanical freak!. It's a maroon bat plant. Funky!

Strange Stuff
The Art and Figure Work of Joseph Seigenthaler. This is some wild stuff! Be sure to check out the 3d-Cg page, where you'll find goodies like this:


Interesting Searches that Led the Seeker to My Blog (mostly google):
"Quizzy things" (I don't do that many!)
"Outercourse sister story" (WTF?)
"Celtic boars & dogs" (damned Pig Post!)
"Varla vixen" (Who was that?)
"Killing because of seeking money" (Wha? I've never done that OR suggested it!)
"Breast tattoos" (Um...not yet, anyway)
"Contortionist" (I can put my feet behind my head, does that count?)

Audio Toy
This is really fun to play with if you're looking for entertainment: Audio Toy. Thanks, Ang!

Honorable Mention
Go Fug Yourself! A blog where they do little but make fun of unfortunate celebrity clothing incidents. Such fun!

Is it just Me?

or does the young man in this picture have disproportionately large hands?


Last but Certainly Not Least!
You MUST read this! It's vulgar, but so funny I nearly peed my pants! LMAO

Have a great weekend, everyone!

What's on Your Nightstand

Well...a clock radio (evil device, circa 1984), some blistex, earplugs, little jewelry dish, a vib Oh! BOOKS! Yeah, I'm with you...

This ought to be interesting, considering that 99% of my repertoire at the time consists of Pooh bear and other toddler tomes... It's been a while since I had time to read an adult (not that kind of adult! whap!) book. Someday I'll have time to really read again...


You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (don't panic!)

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

Pffft! Too many times! First that comes to mind? Legolas. Rowr!

The last book you bought:

A bag full of kids books at the consignment shop.

The last book you read:

"Snapping Turtle's All Wrong Day"

Five books you would take to a deserted island…and why?

How to Escape from a Deserted Island........for obvious reasons!
Some kind of Botanical Field Guide..........so I can eat and not poisin myself.
The Tao of Pooh.............................to remind me to chill when I get worked up.
the Lord of the Rings set (including the Hobbit)...Endless entertainment in reading them over and over (Is that cheating since it's more than one book?)
The latter choice makes this more than five.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
I'll be nice and say whomever would like to grab it.

Any generous souls who wish to help me expand my horizons beyond Pooh, Elmo & friends can browse my Amazon wish list. *snicker*

I'm working on a nice, big, fat, juicy SAS post for tomorrow, cheeeldren!

Whoop Ass

I think I'm going to open a serious can of whoop-ass tonight.

I've had enough. I have the patience of a saint, but my one last nerve is seriously frazzled and it's time. BRING IT!

Bad Moon Rising

When Animals Attack

I couldn't help but notice that many of the subjects listed in my pig post involve a violent encounter with animals. Yet, I have always been and I remain an animal lover...hmmm. These are mostly little bits and pieces of memories:

Dog Bit my Lip
When I was a little girl, probably about 3 or 4, I loved dogs. A dog wandered into our yard, and squealing "puppy!" I ran right up to it to lavish it in love and affection. Unfortunately, this is not what the dog had in mind and he bit me – right on the face. He got me by the bottom lip. I still have several little scars to show for it right under my lip. It was my first lesson in the dangers of strange dogs.

Dog Bit my Ass
A little older and a little wiser, I knew that it was best to give strange dogs a wide berth. Sometimes, however, an encounter can’t be avoided despite your best efforts.

One fine sunny day, I was riding my bike around the neighborhood. There was this house up on the corner that had this big, mean collie. He would always run out to the end of his chain and bark and growl at you like he wanted to bite your head off. As I approached his house, I quickly became aware of the fact that he was NOT on his chain! Yipes! I picked up my speed and here he came, ready for the chase. Despite the fact that I was riding like the wind, he bit me square in the ass. Two punctures, nothing too serious, but I screamed like a banshee and I think I broke the sound barrier on the way home. To this day, I do not care for collies.

Dog Killed My Kitten
In high school, my sister's cat had kittens. I was allowed to adopt one of them as my own, and I chose a beautiful little blue eyed baby. She was wonderful. Living in the country, all of our cats were allowed to roam around outside. One morning, as I was leaving for school, my kitten was attacked by our neighbor's dog. This little shit picked her up, shook her like a rag doll and broke her back – all in about 3 seconds. He dropped her in a heap on our driveway, and looked at me as if he was proud of his accomplishment. I kicked the shit out of that dog. It is one of the only times I've ever done anything that could be considered cruel to an animal, but he had it coming, damnit.

Dog Ate my Coat
Years ago, I was dating a guy who had a little Sheltie. The dog was nice enough, but a little wary of strangers. It seems that he was a bit jealous of the attention that his owner was lavishing on me, however. One night, while we were upstairs in his room, the dog took his jealousy out on my leather jacket – my favorite jacket which I had bought in France. Yeah. He ate about half of the sleeve, and thoroughly chewed the bottom hem. Bastard.

It's a wonder I still love dogs, eh?

Goosed up a Tree
Growing up, I spent a lot of time on my friend Yvonne's farm. We would poke around and find fun things to do throughout the day, often co-mingling with the animals. ...but not the geese. Geese can be damned mean! Those suckers are pretty big, too, especially when you are a little kid. One day, this big white goose was particularly pissed off that we were messing around "her" pond, so she came after us. Snapping at my heels as I ran, it's fury was terrifying and I was convinced that it would rip my throat out if it caught me. Our nearest escape? ...a big tree by the pond. I climbed that tree like nobody's business with Yvonne right behind me. Unfortunately, we spent the rest of the damned afternoon up that tree because the goose wouldn't leave! She camped out under the tree waiting for us, evil bird. Finally, Yvonne's dad came out looking for us and shooed the goose away so we could come down.

Stories Yet to Come:
Bull Gored my Aunt
Cannibalistic Gerbils
Snakes & my Mom
Savannah Monitor/Baby Dinosaur
Mr Bean the Bunny

Completely Off Topic
A few people mentioned, in comments, that they didn't know what a cache is or what Geocaching is all about. I posted about it a few weeks ago (where were YOU? LOL) but you can find out all about it by clicking the little "let's go geocaching" icon in my sidebar or clicking here. It is SO much fun!

What does it feel like when you have low blood sugar? I think I had a bit of a bout with it this morning. I've been very, very good about my diet the last couple of days, and have consumed VERY few carbs or sugars. This morning, I woke up feeling swimmy, kind of dizzy and weak. I ate my usual scrambled eggs for breakfast and came to work, still feeling swimmy and kind of woozy. I fixed up a cup of cappuccino with real sugar (mmmmm…Irish Crème!), drank it, and now I am feeling much better. I wonder if my blood sugar was too low. Whacky.

Train Wreck

It was a VERY nice weekend. The weather was absolutley beautiful, so we spent nearly the entire time outside.

Saturday, Derrick and I went geocaching. We started with my cache, and had to replace the container - there was a hole in the lid and a crack in the side, so we replaced it. I was shocked by the amount of trash that we saw down there. Next time, we're taking trash bags with us. April is "cache in trash out" month, so we'll take bags with us each time we go, but didn't have any Sat. We found a couple more of the local park caches, with mandatory long stops on the play equipment in each park in between. I don't know how many times I went down the curly slide. LOL! The monkey bars weren't particularly kind to my shoulders, either. Damn, it sucks getting old.

We saw lots of wonderful spring flowers on our outing, and Derrick picked a little bouquet of wildflowers for me. He is such a wonderful, thoughtful boy. He wants to be an astronaut, and told me last night that he wants to take me to the moon. He doesn't know that he already does.

I cleaned out my planters getting ready for planting flowers. I can't wait! There are babies popping up from under the leaves all over the place - I had to fight to resist the urge to rake off their winter blanket. It is still getting down into the 30s at night, and I would hate for them to get frosted. I made myself commit to two more weeks...

We smoked some ribs and beef jerky in the smoker yesterday. Derrick and I cleaned up the yard, picked up trash in the alley, rolled around in the grass, played frisbee, played with the neighbors' psycho dog Mika, drew chalk drawings all over the driveway and sidewalk, and came inside at dusk very, very dirty. Boy, what a ring around the tub. *snicker*

I slept like a rock last night, but had the most wonderful dream. I'm still buzzing from it. Let's just say it involved a corporate jet, and a rainy night in a limousine. Very, very nice...

I made a wonderful CD yesterday evening, full of Sarah MacLachlan music, and my dream was full of it. Train Wreck, one of my absolute favorites, is song #1.

"Your eyes like midnight fireflys
Light up the trenches where love lies
Until I can see again
Find my way back again

'Cause I'm a train wreck
Waiting to happen
Waiting for someone to come pick me up off the tracks
A wild fire born of frustration
Born of the one love that gets me so high"

Puppy Love

Up until a year or so ago, I was quite active in dog rescue. I have been thinking a lot about it lately and want to get myself back into it.

I quit doing rescue because of a few factors. Firstly, I had serious car troubles (resulting in nearly $2000 worth of work being done to it. Ouch!) and a lot of my activity involved transport. We would arrange for a dog to be transported from foster care or a shelter to a foster home or it’s new forever home by car, each volunteer taking a leg of the trip which was usually around 100 miles. Obviously, without a reliable car, I could not volunteer to do this.

There was also a lot of animosity and unpleasantness going on between rescue groups. They would back-stab each other, compete for dogs, homes and fosters and just generally act like fools. This is why I never dedicated myself to a particular group – I didn't want to be categorized or discriminated against because of an affiliation like that. I just volunteered for whomever needed me when I could.

The "straw that broke the camel's back" was my own adoption gone awry. We had decided to adopt another Boston, and after being approved we finally found one. Her name was angel and she came all the way from Alabama to live with us. Angel, like a lot of rescue dogs, had issues but we liked her and were willing to work with her. After only having her for a week or so, the coordinator of this particular rescue group gave her away! I kid you not – she promised Angel to another family that she thought she'd be perfect for, a family that had lost their Boston to disease. After much begging and groveling on her part, I let her send Angel on to this other family with the promise that she would find us another Boston – never happened. So much for promises...

I have done a lot of transports and have fostered a few dogs. That can be a big adventure. One that we fostered, Tia, was a funny little Chihuahua/Boston mix and she was such a sweetheart. She must have been mistreated, though, because every time you would so much as raise your voice, she would squat right there, pee and shake like a leaf. We found her a great home and she is a happy little girl now.

Another foster we had kind of freaked me out. She was really demanding of attention and would become very jealous if I were holding Pugsley or Derrick. She would lunge and bark at them, as if they were in her spot! Pffft. Get over yourself, dog!

As I've been writing this, I've been surfing through the listings on Petfinder just to see who's out there looking for a home. I think I'm in trouble – check this little baby out:

Just look at that face! She needs a home and she's only 25 miles away. Her name is Nora, which was my Grandma's name. Isn't she pretty? She is young and is described as very loving and playful, great with kids & other dogs. They think she's a boxer/terrier mix, but she looks Corgi to me. Hmmmm...looks like I need to make a phone call.

Anyway, I'm going to be dipping my toes back into the rescue world, so you will probably start seeing related links popping up on here.

Oh, and thanks to all of you guys talking about doggies for giving me the fever again. LOL

Almost Forgot!

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Thanks!

April Fool

Since my birthday is in April, I've always joked that I'm an April Fool. Heh.

I know, I know...it's Friday. I hate to disappoint, but I just don't have a short attention span post in me today. This has been a very, very long week. Parts of it have been wonderful (mostly Wednesday), but other parts have been sheer hell.

too distracted
too preoccupied
too frustrated
too conflicted

I just can't concentrate.

As I was driving in to work this morning, there were beautiful blue and silver sunbeams poking down through the cumulus. It felt like they carried a message of hope.

It is so hard to stay positive, focus on good or funny things when I seem to be bombarded by the opposite. Last night, I was reprimanded for being on-line when someone was trying to call from the pharmacy, unable to choose a suitable cold medicine despite the fact that I had told him very specifically what he should get. After about 20 minutes of getting my ass chewed, I simply got up and went to bed. Thankfully, I was dead tired and able to go right to sleep to what I was hoping would be a blissful dream world.

This morning, same thing. This time, it seems I spent to much time sitting on the commode. Excuse me! Then, I got ripped up one side and down the other for my selfishness and thoughtlessness – I had a Red Bull to drink with my breakfast and didn’t have one for him. I finally asked exactly what it is that I had done to make him so pissed off at me. The response – nothing.

Yeah, nothing is right.

"What ravages of spirit
conjured this temptuous rage,
created you a monster,
broken by the rule of love?
And fate has led you through it.
You do what you have to do.

And I have the sense to recognize
that I don't know how to let you go."


***

When I struggle to deal with my problems, I try to think about how it could be worse. I ponder the situation of so many others in this world and the suffering that my little "issues" pale in comparison to.

As I was stewing in my own juices this morning, staring at the wood grain of my desk with thoughts swirling around in my mind, this song came on. Honestly - follow the link. I've posted it before, quite a long time ago, but it brought things into perspective once again.

I really have things pretty good. I have a good job, a decent car, a nice house, a wonderful child, food in my kitchen, and friends who love me.

Sarah is just so awesome. I'm going to see her live for the very first time on the 30th of this month, although I've loved her for years and years. I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

I'll focus on that and the positive influence of certain individuals who care and who mean so much to me. Don't know what I'd do without them - you know who you are. *smooch*


UPDATE
4:20 pm
Now I've gone from sad to indignant & determined. Pissed off because I let someone get to me like that. Why should I let someone else's pissiness control the destiny of my day? How DARE he hijack my good mood? Pissed because he's acting like everything is just dandy. NEWSFLASH - it's not. *stomps foot* I refuse to allow anyone to bring me down. I may be an April baby, but I'm no fool!

I'm going to have a good weekend, dag nabbit. You all have one too!