In A.C....

We're here in Atlantic City for a credit union seminar. Jack has some meetings scheduled for today - one this morning, another after lunch. We're at Harrah's, in the Waterfront Tower, and the rooms are quite nice. I'll take some photos and download them later this week, if time allows.
Forgot to take any photos in Alexandria last week, but had a beautiful mini-suite at the Sheraton in Old Town. My meetings went quite well, better than expected, actually. Although we didn't spend hours and hours at each, I think we came up with some good marketing ideas, ideas that if we really do implement them, will help some of my key accounts to build their business. And in this BO economy, I'll take whatever comes my way!

Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays. We were home Saturday night, but between the neighborhood we live in and the fact that our lights were off, we didn't have any trick-or-treaters. We had some candy ready, but will be donating it to the local food pantry at Thanksgiving, along with some other canned goods... I don't even remember liking Halloween all that much as a child. I guess I did, my mom never said I hated it or anything, but I can't even remember any costumes I wore... The holiday just never really stood out in my mind.

That said, I DO remember eating candy so I KNOW I went trick-or-treating, but my more vivid memories are of going to the circle on Route 23 in Riverdale (the circle is not there anymore) and buying a bag or a basket or a bushel of fresh-picked apples with my mom and dad, and sisters, once they came along. I can still smell the apples, and see their shiny red skins...

Happy Belated Halloween to all my ghoul-loving friends and family! Reving myself up for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!

P.S. Send congratulations to my sister P - she just got herself a NEW red Honda Element! She SO deserves it! (I'm just sorry she had to be in a car accident to get it! Thank God she's okay, but poor Percy (may her 1990 Civic rest in peace!) was totaled!

So far, so good...

I'm in Alexandria, VA, on a business trip with my boss. I have 2 meetings left; we've met with 3 of my accounts so far. Surprisingly, even though we didn't do any product presentations, even though we're not taking home orders for thousands of books, we've accomplished "some stuff."

We have an in now with an account that historically doesn't buy books from other vendors; they only resell their own publications. Well, they're involved with an education initiative that is directly related to one of our books - they're going to buy 500 copies!

And while following up on my emails, I got a lead on another potential order of 500 copies of another title, for another account.

Having a laptop and/or internet access is a HUGE help. Even though I can't accomplish everything, without access to our titlebase, I am able to stay on top of my emails and my voicemail aned that's BIG. This is the first time I've borrowed a company laptop, and I'll keep it as long as I can!

Heard some great things about my job performance and what people think of me, people who, by the way, I am not convinced I like... Her opinion of me surprised me; I didn't think that she was that observant... And another ex-co-worker had lunch with our CEO and told him she knew me and that I was an asset to the company... Thanks, Claudia!

It's been raining for, it seems, 40 days and 40 nights... Okay, seriously, it's been raining for about 4 days and 4 nights... Just seems like 40!!! Today the sun came out around lunchtime. I tell you, these days I'm convinced I suffer from some type of Seasonal Disorder. The sun came out after lunch today and all I wanted to do was raise my face to it and soak in the rays!

Mom's old friend Elaine called - all three of her children are (gasp!) married, AND there are three grandchildren!! OMG!!

Well, it's about 11:22pm and I sill have to take out my contacts, wash my face and go to bed. Last night I crashed about 11:20, fell asleep until 12:22am, then fell asleep again, woke up again at 5:04am, and then dozed on and off until 7am.

Toodles!

How many days 'til Christmas?

Okay, it's been almost 20 years that I've been with my husband, counting pre-marriage, and I've ALWAYS been the Christmas ringer-inner! The holiday had some not-so great memories for him during and immediately after his divorce.

But I've always been such a Christmas baby, totally unrelated, by the way, to the fact that my birthday is a week before Christmas! I decorate whatever stays still long enough to have tinsel attached!

But today, October 25th, TWO MONTHS BEFORE Christmas, my darling husband is outside hanging Christmas lights on our lakeside deck. We spent ten minutes deciding colored bulbs or white icicles. Although white lights are my favorite, I went with colored bulbs 'cause Jack likes them...

We just went outside to check them out - and except for a couple places where we have to clip them up closer to the railing, we're on our way to being decorated for Christmas! Well, we're on our way to starting our Christmas decorating...

My SIL and BIL are in Puerto Rico, relaxing in what I hope is much warmer weather than we're having here in NJ. They deserve a restful vacation - there's a lot of stress in their lives and I hope they have a GREAT few days!

I leave on Tuesday for Alexandria, VA, on business, not for fun. It's a nice town, one I always enjoy visiting. We're having at least two VERY important meetings, along with a few "meet and greet" ones, and for sure, I don't have busy 10 hour days planned. We'll have quite a bit of free time... I'm borrowing a laptop from work so I can stay on top of my emails, at least... although my message will clearly say I have "limited" access to email and I'll refer them all to Customer Service unless it can wait until Friday, when I return... It's just too hard to stay on top of everything when you don't have all you need at your fingertips...

I'll be staying in the Sheraton Suites in Alexandria; they have some beautiful hotel rooms, that's for sure! I'll post some pictures next week (or over the weekend).

I picked up some fabric scraps from my mom so I can practice my sewing. I also will be hemming an old sheer curtain for our 2nd floor bath so it doesn't have to hang down into the tub.

I've completed a page in my art journal - I had started it before but I didn't like it so I painted over it and started again. I even added some paint to some other pages, so that I'm not looking at a totally blank canvas - that can be intimidating. It was fun getting paint all over me!

Well, more while I'm away...

Photos - as promised!!!

In no particular order...


Sean, me, Maria, and Jack


Jack and me


Jack, Maria, Sean, and me

Darling daughter and dad!

Cutting the cake (practice makes perfect!)

The flower arrangements I made - 2 or 3 per table, on average

Artistic & Creative: I Am!!!

A few years ago I NEVER would have used the words "artistic" or "creative" to describe myself. And I'm still not comfortable with them. But today they apply a heck of a lot more than they did way back when.

I picked up scrapbooking several years ago, when I became unemployed. I wouldn't recommend this: no income? Scrapping stuff? They don't go together. One needs money to buy stuff...

And lo and behold, I really liked some of the pages I created. Not all of them, but some of them. And that's okay.

And I found Donna Downey. What a creative genius! And she makes it all look so easy.

So I tried.

I bought an art journal kit from her months ago. It required sewing. No one had a working sewing machine so I carried that kit from room to room, convinced some day I'd start on it.

And I did. Last weekend.

I'm STILL not happy with my first page, which admittedly is a work in progress: I put some color on the page, liked it, and fell into the old trap: if I like it now, I'll like it more with more paint! And I don't. So I'm going to re-create my first page this weekend, but for now, here's what I've created so far!

And THANK YOU, DONNA!!! For helping me find my creative and artistic self!!!

(I sewed this!! On my new sewing machine! I'm feeling so inspired!!!)

Sewing, Sewing, Gone!

I sew.

Doesn't that sound cool? I sew.

I took exactly one 4 week sewing class in, oh, 7th or 8th grade. Which for the record, was REALLY long time ago!!! I made a bodysuit (remember them?!?!) according to a pattern. The sleeves were too short and I had to put fake cuffs on them so I didn't have 3/4 sleeves (which was not what the pattern called for!).

Well, I bought an art journal kit from Donna Downey. Here's the link: art journal. Now, that's not the pattern I chose, but Donna's kits sell out really fast! Anyway, I've had it for a few months now, probably close to six months! This past week, not that I had anything else to do, what with the engagement party and all, this past week hubby and I went to Wal-Mart and bought a Singer Sewing Machine for me. I figured that, worst case scenario, I'd try to sew this journal, try to shorten the curtain for the bathroom window, and then, when I failed miserably, I could just return the machine, nothing lost.

My journal came out AWESOME!!! (I will be posting a picture of THAT, too, later this week!) I had to sew a piece of printed cotton, wrong side to wrong side, to a piece of canvas. I had to leave a 4" gap, turn it right-side-out, starch and iron it, sew the elastic loop closure into the gap, add the button, then bind the pages in with the ribbon Donna included in the kit.

It came out so well - I was shocked at how cool it was! I can't wait to create in it. I can't wait to show it off. I know, to those of you who make your own clothes or sew your own slipcovers, this is nothing. But to me?

WOW!!!

Post Party Wrap Up

The engagement party was lovely! Everything went smoothly, no great crisis, no collapsing tables or inter-family arguments!

My only problem: I was too busy playing "hostess with the mostest" to get pictures. So I'm waiting for my friends G&M to forward the photos they took to me - which came out beautifully, from what I saw on the little camera screen!

I took a couple, mostly of daughter and future son-in-law, but of course, being me, I remembered to bring the camera but forgot the USB cable so I can't download them right now.

I promise: photos in a day or two!!!

The food was delicious. And I didn't know this, but the staff wrapped it all up and sent the leftovers home with us! The party lives! I don't have to cook all week!!! (They must have heard me telling Sean's family that the closest thing to being a chef for me is my maiden name (Cook, for those of you who don't know!).

Everyone looked beautiful. Boy, do we all clean up well! And my niece? GORGEOUS!

The favors worked out well, and the flower arrangements were a real hit. They did come out nice, if I say so myself! (Maybe I can retire and work in a flower shop...)

Anyway, photos and more to come, I promise!

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize.

WHAT.A.JOKE.

What exactly has he done?

* Has he achieved peace in the Middle East? No. And he won't be able to. The only ones who can reach a peaceful end to the crisis in the Middle East are the people involved.

* Are we still at war in Iraq? Yes. I don't want to be at war, but I support the war.

* Are we still at war in Afghanistan? Yes. Ditto my comment above.

I HATE that we have lost thousands of young Americans in this war. But we have a VOLUNTEER army, people. Every person who joined the military knew there was a chance he or she would have to "man" up and fight. I don't care why they joined: free tuition after you serve? You deserve it. A job after you put in your time? You deserve it. But remember, just 'cause we're not at war today (September 10, 2001) doesn't mean we won't be at war tomorrow. Who knows what could happen tomorrow? If you join up today, you're going to be fighting the fight tomorrow, if it happens. Okay? Okay.

* Has he spent one thin dime to solve the problems the people of the US are suffering from? No. There are still starving children, homeless families. We are in the midst of a recession that was NOT caused by President Bush, even though BO supporters seem to blame Bush for everything. My grandchildren, and their grandchildren, and generations after that will be paying off the debt BO has created.

* Has he spent trillions of dimes to give money to big business? Yes. What has that accomplished? Are all those employees working again? A jobless recovery? What a joke. There's no recovery in sight. When every one of those people who have lost their jobs is employed and making what they were making before? THAT'S when there will be a recovery.

Do NOT mention all those foreclosures and bad debt, either. WE have to take responsibility for OURSELVES. It is absolutely possible to live the American Dream. Want to know how to do it? It's no big secret. Here it is: LIVE.WITHIN.YOUR.MEANS. If you have $200K to spend on a house, if you can afford a mortgage payment for a $200K home, SPEND $200K. Just because you "qualify" for $400K does NOT mean you have to buy the McMansion. JUST.SAY.NO. Buy a used car, you don't have to lease that Lexus. Buy your clothes at Walmart or Target, whichever suits you better. You do NOT have to wear a label that costs a ridiculous amount of money.

Oh, wait, no. This is America, people. Don't forget, you can be a "community organizer" in Chicago, become President, take 7 vacations in your first 9 months of office,... The American Dream!

The deadline for submission for the Nobel Peace Prize is FEBRUARY. Tell me what BO accomplished between his inauguration on January 20, 2009, and the cut-off. What a fix.

I find this so totally offensive that I just can't even write any more.

Arts and Crafts, and Loss (not a great segue)

So the engagement party is literally one week away (it's next Saturday) and I've decided, today, that I want favors and centerpieces.

And I've decided I want to make them.

It's official.

I'm certifiably nuts.

So I go online and I look up "wedding favors," "party favors," "engagement favors," and then I go back and add "homemade" to all of those. And I decide that I want something simple and easy and not expensive and not frilly and girly 'cause my daughter's not frilly and girly... Which, in retrospect, one might think would make this much easier.

But it doesn't.

So here are the final three contenders (and I'm sure there are MANY more easy favors out there, but I found these):

1. mini mason jars decorated with silver ribbon and a heart charm and the happy couple's initials, with a votive candle inside
2. Ghirardelli chocolates, those little individually wrapped ones, wrapped again in wedding/engagement paper, sealed with a "love" stamp from the post office, with their initials on the paper band
3. a small round tin filled with chocolates, with a solid piece of paper adhered to the lid, their initials on the paper, and a charm tied with a piece of tulle ribbon around the tin
4. cupcakes, individually wrapped in cellophane, tied with a ribbon, with a charm

Here's the final decision:

1. No - too complicated, to hard to transport, and who really wants another favor you don't really want to throw out 'cause "it's from M&S's engagement party..."
2. THE WINNER! Easy, quick, not frilly, chocolatey, and can be carried in a basket, and the basket can be decorated, and we can put the basket on the dessert table at the end of the night
3. No - I'd have to travel hither and yon to find the damn tins, and I'm just not in the mood!
4. This was my runner-up, but we're already having so much dessert there...

And then there are the centerpieces. The room is not huge and the tables are rectangular, so they're not very deep. A large centerpiece would just get in the way. There will be 5 tables of 6, and 3 small tables of 4 each, just with tablecloths, in case some people want to move to see the flat screens at either end of the room (is there a football game on Saturday night? Or a baseball game? If there is, the TVs will be on!). I figure I'll get small square glass block vases, a couple of bunches of assorted flowers from Costco, and I'll cut the flower stems down and just have a couple of small mini bouquets on each table. There's no need to go to a florist (sorry, John!). I suppose I'll make a vase for each of the small tables, too... And then anyone who wants to take one home can take one home, and I won't have to worry about getting them back to my house!

Tonight there's a wake for the father of a friend of ours; he's actually the head of the funeral home our families use. Jack knows him from growing up; I know him from all the people in my family who have died. Michael's dad started the business years ago, and has been living in Florida for a while now. He apparently had a brain tumor; we haven't seen Michael in a while, not since maybe the summer of 2008, so we didn't know his dad was ill. We'll go tonight to pay our respects. I said to hubby, even though we haven't seen Mike in a long time, he's helped us and our families get through so much, we need to go there for him.

Tomorrow there's a funeral mass for the dad of a friend of mine. I haven't see Mr. and Mrs. W. since they moved to Lakehurst, oh, 10 years ago or so, maybe even longer... We email political jokes back and forth, and they always sent me postcards from any and all of their trips around the world. When Mr. W. was still working (he retired a few years ago) he spent a lot of time in France. He brought me some Chanel No. 5, Chanel No. 19, Chanel No. 22 and Chanel Cristalle. When he went to an exhibit of Monet paintings at the Musée d'Orsay, he managed to take some video and even mentioned me in his home movies ("and here is Monet's Iris Gardens - just for you, Krys!"). He and the rest of his family made me feel so welcome - I used to stop by and say hi when they lived in Nutley.

I got an email a couple of weeks ago saying there would be a funeral mass for him this Saturday.

I was floored. I didn't know he was sick. I didn't know he had passed. I want to go tomorrow, but I don't know if I can. It's supposed to rain cats and dogs all day and hubby really doesn't want me to drive 2 hours each way in the pouring rain, and I can't honestly say I want to, either. I think I'm going to decide tomorrow.

We might not be going to the lake this weekend - which opens up a bunch of other stuff for me to do: shop for clothes to wear at the party, clean my house, shop for and make the favors, learn to use the sewing machine I'm going to buy tomorrow, start my art journal, work on my scrap projects (classes just finished), ...

Will post photos when I have them!

All better!

Surprisingly I had no trouble with the tooth extraction and bone graft. No swelling. No pain. No bleeding. No misery. I like that kind of medical/dental procedure.

I went in for my 1 week follow-up visit yesterday and they asked me if I wanted to be the new poster child for tooth extractions! I said, "Sure, if I don't have to pay for the rest of this procedure." Stopped 'em dead in their tracks! They complimented me and said I was quick with a retort! Mmm-hmm, I am!

Well, we're less than two weeks away from DD's engagement party. Got some disappointing news today: some dear friends of ours won't be able to come from MA to join us (hi, Mrs. B!). The rest of the family, though, will be there. Except of course for my one sister, who has yet to RSVP. I asked her about it yesterday and her response was, "Er, I think we'll be there..." And your kids? My niece and nephew? "Oh, yeah, I sort of forgot about them!"

Now I know they've been giving my sister a hard time, but she just seems to me to want to forget she's a mom. Well, she can't. She brought them into this world, and like it or not, trouble and conflict or not, they are her kids. And I know one of these days I'm going to say something to her and she's not going to like it and we're going to be estranged while she's pissed as heck at me! But while the kids are 19 and 17 and hard to control, admittedly, I still think she's contributed to her own problems, and it doesn't help that she "forgets" about them. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that those two kids know she'd rather be with her boyfriend than with them. She's chosen more than once to do things for him and his kids, at the expense of her own family. She's chosen more than once to spend time doing for them, and not doing for her own kids. And I know they hold that against her sometimes. All the time in my nephew's case. And he's messed up enough with his feelings for his deadbeat dad (remind me to tell you about HIM sometime!).

Anyway, enough whining! Tomorrow is son-in-law-to-be's birthday and I bought him a Yankees doormat. We'll pick up a gift certificate to a local restaurant, too - they like to go out and this way they can have a little bit'o'fun on the ole' parental units...

Today I'm leaving work a bit early to go to a volunteer meeting at the primary school where my husband works. You may remember I read there during the school year, once a week, every other week. I've really missed it this summer! (Next summer I hope to do it with my little neighbor, when he's old enough to sit still and listen to a story!) The meeting is at 2:30; we're walking over there at around 2pm. The meeting will run until about 3:30 and we'll go upstairs with our assigned teachers to see their rooms and exchange phone/email information. I hope they kept me with the same teacher; she's moved from first grade to second this school year. (Yay! Just found out my former work neighbor has volunteered this year, too! We're going to walk over to the school together!)

My mom is recuperating. She's still bruised - really bruised - from her belly button down to the tops of her thighs, all around her entire body. I had no idea the stent surgery would be so traumatic to her body! But she came out with us last night and visited with my sister-in-law. It was the first time she was out, except for her one doctor's visit, since the surgery!

So J has been taking some pictures during After-School to hang in the gym. I'm sorry to say his pictures are better than the ones I take! It helps that he's taking photos of the kids in the schoolyard so there's great color and great lighting as they play on the swingset and the slide, etc. But J's shots all have an element of movement to them; he tilts the camera on an angle. I spend so much time lining things up and trying to make them centered and straight - I want to take a photography class! (Just thought I'd throw that in there for no good reason!)

Well, I think it's time I do a little work, before we leave for school! More soon!

My all time favorite Dooce blog post is...

One foot in front of the other.

For the record. So that I don't ever forget.

Piece of Cake!!!

WARNING: grossness below, in reference to my bone graft....

I had a lower molar extracted yesterday, and a bone graft done in its place.

Now, if you know me, you know that I rarely admit to any nervousness or fear; I usually plow right through, thinking positively, sure that all will be just fine.

The body, however, doesn't lie.

I guess, in response to the stress of my mom's surgery, and the impending extraction and graft, my body finally said, "Uh-uh. We're done. Take a rest."

Aside from some period-related symptoms that were a week early (sorry, guys!), on Saturday we drove up to the lake for the weekend. After a wonderful dinner Friday night, I woke up with a sore throat. And at the lake, I slept all day. Until 7pm. At night. From around 10:30am. In the morning. That is unheard of for me!!! Unless I'm really sick, I can't sleep during the day. And not 'cause I'm never tired - it's just that when it's light out, I can't sleep.

Well, I couldn't. Before. Obviously I can now. Because I did. For eight-and-a-half hours.

So we went home; Jack thought I'd recover better at home. We went to church Sunday morning, I spent a relatively quiet afternoon at home, did a little food shopping, made some Caribbean chicken for dinner, and we watched some TV and went to bed.

I got up yesterday morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, went to the oral surgeon's office, not nervous at all. Yeah, right. My blood pressure was 158/90. Not nervous. Sure, Krys... My usual BP is 120/80. BIG difference! Even the nurse said not to worry, that if they take it after the procedure, it'll most likely be back to normal.

And it went so smoothly. I can't believe it. I've had an extraction done before, by this same doctor and that one went well, too, but it wasn't followed up with a bone graft. Now I had to decide last week: synthetic, cow or cadaver. I lit up like a Christmas tree - "Synthetic!"

Until I looked at the doctor's face. He looked crestfallen. I just knew what he was going to tell me so I said, "Okay, just do what's best, but we'll never discuss it out loud again." And he smiled and proceeded to assure me that there was no risk of infection or disease, that my healing would be much easier and much faster... "That's okay - no discussion. Just do what you have to do."

So that's how I got "Fred" in my head. I had to name it, you know. Mom asked if I knew anything about the person... "NO! All bones are white and all blood is red! I don't want to know anything else!!"

I didn't know until this past Sunday (thanks, Bob!) that they use pulverized bone for the bone graft. I had visions of a piece of "Fred" just getting glued in place...

Okay, grossness over!

The whole procedure went so well. So far, so good. No swelling, virtually no pain or soreness. No bleeding. I LOVE Dr. V!!! If you're local here in the Passaic/Essex county area and you need a good oral surgeon, just contact me! I know a GREAT one!!!

Well, it's time to get back to work - I am, after all, at work... More soon, everyone!

RIP Patrick

Just heard Patrick Swayze died.

So sad.

He was sick for so long, fought the hard fight for so long.

But what hurts the most is what his poor wife will be going through. They were so obviously in love with each other - I can't imagine what she is feeling now.

I remember when my dad died, I was at the wake, talking to a work friend, and my mom walked over and reprimanded me for "socializing" at my father's wake. (Apparently I had been looking like I was enjoying myself a little too much.)

I admit I got a bit annoyed, but then Eric said something I'll never forget. He told me not to worry about my mom, not to be embarrassed - that her husband had died and of course she was upset.

So I jumped down his throat and said, "My FATHER died. I'M upset, too!"

But he said - wait for it, here it comes: "It's different for you, Krys. He was your dad. You didn't pick him. Your mom? She chose that man to spend the rest of her life with, to have a life with, to have children with. She chose him over all others. Of course you love your dad, but it's a different love than the love between your mom and your dad, and you have to understand that. If my wife died, as much as we fight like cats and dogs, I'd miss her with all my heart, there'd be a huge hole in my life that no one else could fill. It's different."

And I never forgot that. Such thought-provoking words, so simple though. And that was my first thought with the announcement that Patrick Swayze had died. "His poor wife." Of course, he's not suffering any more. But, oh, his poor wife...

Labor Day Weekend 2009 - A Recap

So nothing's ever easy...

I took the 11:20am train from Hoboken to Lake Hopatcong, with a transfer scheduled for 1pm in Dover. We got in to Dover at 12:47. The 1pm train never came. We waited and I checked the schedule and called Customer Service and guess what! The next train was 3:19pm! I called Jack and he came to pick me up - thanks for not making me wait, hon!!!

We spent Saturday and Sunday outside on the lake, cutting down trees and paddleboating and suntanning, and then had dinner at the Olive Garden (mmm!) on Sunday. We went back to the house, and laid down to watch some TV on our one channel. Jack fell asleep right away and I turned the TV off at 10:30pm and was out cold by 10:45! That's unheard of for me!!! I slept in 'til the ungodly hour of 8:10am on Monday and by then, of course, 1/2 the day was over! We came home, did 4 loads of laundry, went to Shop Rite, and had Mom over for dinner. Then we watched a little TV, and went to bed, ready to start this short (thank God!) week!

A few of the hightlights:

1. Jack was cutting down that tree I mentioned, and part of the trunk fell onto his toe. We're talking a major blood blister here!
2. Then I was walking of the house and tripped on the mat. It's a good thing the screen door doesn't latch closed too securely or I'd have been cut in half by the screen door frame as I went careening through it, arms and legs windmilling to catch my balance. Totally hurt my big toe - sympathy pains for Jack? Nope. Just clumsy!
3. Ordered invitations for the engagement party we're throwing for my daughter - ordered them online. They looked great in the photo - hope they come out as nice in person!
4. Read a new Kathy Reichs book: 206 Bones. It was a good one. I sort of strayed away from a couple of her more recent books but this one caught my attention and I did enjoy it. That television show Bones is based on the main character in the series.
5. Started Richard North Patterson's new book, The Spire. So far, it's great! Of course, I left it on the bed at the lake, and I'm halfway through it so I won't be able to finish it until next weekend at the earliest, possibly the weekend after that if we don't go to the lake next week!
6. Ordered our new dryer - yay! No more hanging clothes to dry. Which, by the way, totally worked over the summer while Jack was home to put them out during the day and take them down when they were dry. But with both of us now gone all day at work, we need that dryer! It's scheduled for delivery tomorrow, don't know what time yet. Will have to reschedule if it's not first thing in the morning, 'cause of Mom's surgery.
7. Packed up for my all day crop this weekend - 10am to 10pm on Saturday, all meals and snacks included. Will most likely leave soon after dinner... if Jack doesn't come to the lake but stays home to install the dryer, I'll have a 1/2 hour ride home at 10pm so I might leave a little earlier...
8. Dinner out on 09/18 with the Credit Union - we always go to a nice restaurant.
9. Possible dinner out on 10/8 with my old bosses and a couple of former coworkers - that will be fun so I hope the day works out for all of us!

Jack starts After-School on Wednesday, and my mom's having surgery that same day. She's having 2 stents put into arteries in her legs and hopefully staying in the hospital only one day or so - she's hoping to come home but I have a funny feeling she's going to be in there at least overnight... She's been 39 years old for a while now, so they might be a bit leery of her bouncing back from major surgery quite as easily as she used to...

We're going to meet one of the new fiance's parental units on Thursday - we're going to go to the Cheesecake factory for dessert. YUM! Have to plan a VERY light lunch and dinner that day!

Well, will be downloading some photos sometime this week, hopefully - will post a few here if they turn out okay...

More soon...

Friends we've never met

Just wanted to post a little something here about two people I've never met, but consider good friends. I'm not going to name any names but they know who they are: H & F.

Now H has a blog that I read every day (well, every day she posts something!). I can't even remember how I found her blog, but I'm so glad I did. She and her husband F are wonderful people. They love God, their family, their friends and their country. They have values, wonderful values that permeate their lives and they are raising their children to have the same values and morals. Together they make up a family I would be proud to be a part of and they are a family I am so happy to know, even though we've never met.

But we have blogged, and texted, and IM'd and telephoned. Even though I haven't met them, I've tried to support them any way I can, with words and thoughts and prayers. I sent them a selection of books when they had to deal with something new, books I thought might help them help their son. And being the kind of people they are, they passed those books along to other families dealing with the same issues - paying it forward, so to speak.

Well, F is retiring after many years in the Navy. Their family is in the midst of some (thank God!) relatively minor health issues. F is looking for a new job, they will have to relocate who-knows-where (well, by now they might know!) and they will have to uproot their family and start again somewhere new. And we'll be there, at the other end of the Internet, cheering and clapping and supporting them and hoping it's a little closer to NJ!!!

So what made me start this post? Guess what I got in the mail the other day? An invitation to F's retirement ceremony. They don't know us! But they know us enough and care enough about us to invite us to join them on what is a very special day in their lives and I just wanted to share that with the world.

I want to tell them both, you are two very special people and we, Jack and I, are proud and happy to call you friends, and we really can't wait to meet you both! (Even though it might be a while 'cause we're unfortunately not going to be able to make it to GA for the party!)

I'll be thinking of you, F, on September 18th. And I'll be clapping wildly as you're recognized for your service to this country and for your dedication to this country, and I'll be cheering you and your family on as you start this new part of your lives! I know everything will be just wonderful - you deserve it!!!

$40 - back and forth

So we have some dear friends who live in Hoboken. Jack and G have worked together on Special Olympics for oh, I don't know, 20 years or so! We grew closer still when Jack was nominated for the position on the Credit Union's Board of Directors and G's husband M is the treasurer.

We love going out to dinner together and when the check arrives, it's always a toss-up as to who's going to grab it first. So we try to alternate paying for dinner; it seems the fairest thing to do and avoids fisticuffs and tug-of-war at the table!

Well, Jack's been spending some time at their house this summer, helping M remodel his bathroom. (A story for another time - suffice it to say they paid for a new bathroom less than two years ago but M had to tear it out and start from scratch 'cause of leaking behind the walls and in the shower floor, to say nothing of the popping floor tiles...) There were a couple of nights here and there where we went out to eat after I got off work. The usual check fights took place. One night they ordered in, paid for it all, and sent leftovers home with us, enough for three days (!) 'cause "M doesn't do Chinese leftovers." They wouldn't take any money.

Well, a couple of weeks ago we got take out again. I tried to pay and was, of course, beaten to a pulp and told my money wasn't any good there! So before we left, I put $40 and a note reading "Dinner's on us!" under someone's car keys on the end table in the parlor. And Jack and I giggled like schoolchildren all the way home 'cause we got one over on G&M!

We got home and the phone rang around midnight. G cussed us out something fierce! How dare we leave money?! She's going to get even!! Jack helped M so much feeding us is the least they can do!! Blah, blah, blah. Let her rant. Who cares? I left them $40 so all was well in our world!

A week or so later she sent home a newspaper with Jack, the local rag I don't usually get a chance to read, but G knows I'm nosy and I like to keep up with what's going on in town. Well, I carried it around for another week, 4 days at least, and almost threw it out more than once.

You know where I'm going with this, don't you, you smart readers, you?

I finally decided to skim the paper here at work before I tossed it. And what was stapled to page 6, with a note that read, "Love you guys!"

Yes.

$40.

Two twenties.

So now it's up to me to get that $40 back to them without being caught. I'm planning feverishly. Perhaps I hide it under her pillow. Or in the fridge when I get another iced tea the next time I'm there. Or I mail it to her anonymously. I thought about asking them to deposit it in her checking account at the credit union but aside from that being illegal (I think!), I'd go nuts if I couldn't balance my checkbook and I wouldn't want to do that to anyone, so I gave up on that one... Maybe I could tape it to the inside of their new shower stall, or on the toilet tank in the bathroom on the first floor, the one she doesn't use unless she goes in to clean it...

The mind is just humming away, trying to come up with something clever and funny.

Any ideas?

Less than two hours and counting...

I'm leaving work early today to take a long weekend with my hubby.

Next week is his last week of summer vacation. For the first time in 36 years he's starting school in August! August 31st, to be exact, but that's still August! AND they've taken away his winter break, so now he only has a November break, a Christmas break, and a spring break - no week off in February. Boo hoo!

Now personally I LIKED it when he had off 'cause we got to go away every other year or so with the Credit Union for a work seminar - work for him, play for me!

And I succumbed to my addiction and bought another pocketbook online. It's bad. I really do have to win the Megamillions lottery tonight! $207 million dollars. Can you even imagine??? $207 million! That number seems almost incomprehensible to me, although I'd give it my best shot comprehending it first hand!!!

So what would I do if I won???

I'd have to figure out what's better, a lump sum payout or a payout over the next 20 years. God willing, I'll still be around for the next 20 years, so it's not like I'm 95 and might not live to collect. Although we all know I could get hit by a speeding police car just stepping out my front door!! (Long story...)

I'd first of all cash the first check. Then I'd spend some of my money fixing up my mom's house, giving both my sisters some money to help with their bills and so that they have some to put away for a rainy day, and then I'd book a vacation to Disney World.

After that I'd sit down, do some digging to find a good, reliable financial advisor, and then I'd buy some furniture! Oh, almost forgot! I'd give a little bit to a dear friend to help her pay off some debt she's struggling with, and I'd hire a maid.

Oh! And I'd quit my job, or turn it into part time, if they'd be willing, and I'd CLEAN.MY.HOUSE.

And I'd buy a laptop.

That's all. Then Jack and I would just live our lives. Together. As usual.

Hmmm... So much going on, so little time to catch you up...

Wedding plans.
Wedding conflicts.
Wedding expenses.
Wedding headaches.
Lovin' it all!

My daughter is planning her wedding. Her description of her perfect day? "A beautiful wedding with a Halloween twist!" My stomach is in knots, picturing pumpkins and spider webs and candy, instead of flowers and pretty dresses and happy people... But it's her day, not mine, I know. No need to remind me!

But seriously, so far here's what's going on...

The wedding will be in her mom's backyard.
Outside.
On Halloween, 2010.
That's October 31st, for those of you who don't know.
I can't remember the last Halloween day we had that wasn't cold and miserable.

Her original thought was no jackets for the guys. On October 31st.
What could be next? Spaghetti straps for the girls? With no jackets?!

Now it's orange and purple lights, with jack-o-lanterns and invitations that are Halloween-themed. But still wedding invitations.

And a dress. Not a gown. 'Cause she's "not a foo-foo sort of person."

And her friend was taking photos for her. Nope. We told her we're getting a photographer for her.

And we'd like to pay for her gown.

And we'll pay for her wedding cake.

Her mom is paying for the tents and the catering, last I heard. Which I interpret to mean we don't stand a chance getting the extra guests we want - we have 13 out of 130. Yes, I feel a bit penalized 'cause we have a smallish family... Something else to deal with...

I'll keep you posted!

A Tragic Accident on the Hudson River

I'm really glad I wasn't in the office on Saturday. My office windows look right out onto the Hudson River, exactly in the spot that helicopter and plane collided just before noon on Saturday. 9 people died in this crash. Such a tragically different outcome than just 7 months ago when that jet crash-landed in the river and all survived.

I've been glued to news reports. The older I get, the more I watch the news, and the less I watch for entertainment (although I will admit to a couple of sitcom and drama addictions). As I post this entry, I can see several police boats and divers going in and coming out of the water, searching for the last two bodies and the mangled wreckage of the Piper.

My heart goes out to the families of those who died. What a sad, sad thing.

Someone needs your prayers

I have been keeping up with The Vedra Family these past two years. Their beautiful baby Ellie was born in 2007 with a rare, unknown neurological disorder. This beautiful family has simply gone on, blessed by God with a strength born of love, to care for this extremely disabled baby.

She is absolutely beautiful.

Her mama got pregnant again. They asked for prayers that their new baby would be healthy.

Hannah Grace was born at 12:06 this morning. It appears she suffers from the same debilitating disorder that her older sister does. She was rushed into the NICU immediately.

I don't know Emily and Adam, or their older sons, Noah and Seth. But what I do know from reading their blog is that this family, in the face of such extreme disappointment and worry - this family is consumed by love and patience and grace. This young couple has made a wonderful home for their children, for all four of them, and I pray, and ask you to pray also, that God continues to help them through whatever it is that faces them.

Take a few moments and browse through their blog: The Vedra Family. You will come away with a new appreciation for your own health and your family's, as well as a broken heart, that two such beautiful little angels face this long road. They are lucky to have the family they have.

Still fuming...

Took the train in to work this morning. As I was boarding, my phone rang and it was my friend G. We started talking and since we were talking about my daughter and potential wedding plans/issues/problems, I was specifically talking in a lower voice 'cause I was referring to people by name, and you never know who's sitting behind/next/in front of you...

We went through the 3rd stop and some guy walked over to me, leaned in and asked me, really nastily, if I was intending to keep talking on the phone all the way to Hoboken.

My response? "As a matter of fact, yes. You're just not as entertaining as I'd hoped so I'm going to stay on the phone!"

Now, had I been speaking or laughing loudly, I'd have apologized and lowered my voice to be a bit quieter, but G was repeatedly asking me, "What did you say? I couldn't hear you!" I was consciously being careful not to talk very loudly so I know for a fact that I wasn't one of those rude people who just scream into the phone with no consideration for their surroundings...

What nerve! I'm still ticked at that guy!

Vacation Photos...

A pretty sunset - but please don't ask me what night this was taken or where we were - I have no idea!

Jack en route back to our ship after a rainy morning on Grand Turk.

Leaving the city - one of the most beautiful sights I'll ever see. It never fails to move me to tears. We were standing next to a man who was with his 15- or 16-old daughter. As we passed Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, he told her that her grandmother had come through Ellis Island in 1895. She kept asking him questions like, "Was the Statue of Liberty there then? How old was Grandma? Does she remember what it was like going through immigration on Ellis Island?" I was so moved that he knew enough about his family history that he could teach it to his daughter and that she was so interested...

My first lunch on the ship, before we even left! Mozzarella, roasted peppers and tomato on an Italian roll, with pesto. Mmmm!!!

Waiting in the terminal in NYC to board the ship - SO impatient to get our vacation started!

The last towel animal our cabin steward left for us (and my favorite!).

Can't go anywhere without stopping into a bookstore!

This photo was taken from the tender returning us to our ship; we'd spent the morning and early afternoon on Half Moon Cay, Carnival's private island in the Bahamas.

What beautiful shades of blue! They really, really looked this wonderful! (the beach at Half Moon Cay)

Sitting by the pool on board the ship - not our best photo, but we were having fun!

The pool at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, on Grand Turk. All cruiseship passengers were allowed to use the pool at no charge. It's the largest pool on the island (it totals three pools, each this size, connected at the far end, to make one giant pool).

Our first Cruise Elegant night; another passenger offered to take a photo of the two of us. (I look thinner when my legs are showing!)

"To your muster station!!!" (lifeboat drill before we left NYC)

A hallway off one of the bars on deck 3, I believe. That's Jack in the red shirt, off in the distance.

Darling Daughter Is Engaged!!!

It just happened last night!!!
A romantic proposal, Mr. Right-for-Her, and the rest is history!
Suffice it to say that his proposal made her forget they had to leave the Mets game - her first at CitiField! - early!
He faked being sick, took her to a hotel on the NJ waterfront, overlooking the Manhattan skyline, had arranged for a a table-for-two to be set up on an outside terrace, complete with 2 dozen roses and a bunch of candles - and the ring!
A beautiful diamond solitaire, set in platinum.
We're very happy for our girl, but I must say, here where it's only you and me, that Dad is having a bit of a hard time dealing with his baby girl getting - gulp! married!

More about the engagement (and our vacation!) later this week!

A picture is worth...

Mom and me at the wedding reception...

My darling daughter and her beau...

Hubby and me, enjoying ourselves immensely! (this was at the end of the evening, so tie is askew, hair is a bit flat... sorry!)The GORGEOUS bride and groom - what a lovely couple!

At church, after the wedding, before the reception...

The wedding is here and gone...

And MAN-O-MAN, was the bride gorgeous! (I will download some photos later on - I'm at work with no access to my photos on my home PC...)

My daughter described it perfectly: "She looks like she's wearing a cupcake!" And if you know my niece, that's an incredibly apt description! The gown was strapless, the softest, whitest white you could imagine, with crystals on the body of the dress, a basic A-line but with a crinoline underneath that just ballooned it out, gathered with fabric roses scattered across the skirt. It bustled up underneath so the look of the skirt wasn't compromised once it was danceable! She had a removable cathedral length veil, edged in crystals and a shorter one that stayed attached to her tiara. Her hair was just GORGEOUS! Curls on top of softer curls...

To backtrack a bit... awesome appetizers at Gianna's, where the rehearsal dinner was held.

Wedding cocktail hour? O.M.G. A recap: fajita bar, grilled vegetables bar, antipasto bar, salad bar, fruit and cheese bar, pasta station (cheese or lobster-filled ravioli, with your choice of red seafood sauce or alfredo), carving station (turkey, lamb, pork, prime rib), raw bar, seafood bar, sushi bar, hot appetizers (shrimp scampi, shrimp w/ peppers, steak tips, stuff I never even looked at 'cause I was stuffed to the gills!), mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes served in footed sundae glasses, waiters circulating with mini stuffed pizza appetizers and bruschetta, and there was a martini bar, too.

Entree choices: stuffed chicken breast, chilean sea bass, chateaubriand.

Open bar.

Wedding cake and Venetian table, with chocolate fountain, ice cream sundae bar, Italian pastries, fresh zeppolis and canolis, espresso and cappucino bar, and coffee bar with your choice of liqueurs.

I starved myself to fit into my gown and I must have really outdone myself 'cause everyone told me how beautiful I looked. What? I look like a dog every other day of the year??? My hair looked so nice that even Jack offered to try to help me blow it out like that more often - when I told him it took my hairdresser 1/2 an hour to blow it out and my hair isn't even shoulder length, well, he didn't withdraw the offer but he stopped mentioning it....

Come back tomorrow or the next day to see some photos...

Win an Elisa Lou bag!!!

Melissa at The Inspired Room is giving away an Elisa Lou bag!
OMG! The colors! The design! The bag!
Go leave her a comment - maybe you'll win!!!
(But if you don't, I hope I do!!!)

Oops, I missed it!

I missed 04:05:06 on 07/08/09.
And there were two of them, AM and PM.
And I missed them both.
I also missed 07/08/09 @ 10:11:12.
Again, missed 'em both, AM and PM.
Oh, well.
Saw a challenge on Liz Kartchner's blog Just Us and thought, "Cool! I can do that!"
But I didn't.
Par for the course.

Michael Jackson Memorial

I thought it was tasteful and a lovely couple of hours.

EXCEPT for the couple of speakers who insisted on politicizing the event. When Al Sharpton walked on stage, I took my earphones out, and went back to work, only checking every few moments to see if he was done yet. I refused to watch him. But unfortunately I did turn back in time to hear him tell those beautiful, grieving children (paraphrasing here) that they shouldn't believe every awful thing they hear about their daddy.

WTF???

This was their father's memorial service! Don't you think that with all the trouble MJ took to protect his children from the public and from the media that perhaps they might not know all the gory details of his life??? So you bring it up at his memorial service??? AS is an ASS.

I'm not a huge fan of Michael Jackson. But as is almost always the case, I can certainly go back and appreciate his work post-mortem, which is a real shame. I knew he was talented while he was still alive, but admittedly I sometimes got distracted by what others called his odd persona. Brooke Shields' eulogy was lovely - she briefly mentioned that others might have called him "odd" but to him he was just her friend. She truly humanized him in a way no one else did, until his beautiful daughter got up on stage, took a deep breath, and told the world just how much she loved her daddy.

And that's when I cried. That's when the loss of his great talent, this man who really did mean so much to so many - that's when it hit me. And that's when I cried.

Better Late Than Never

I was sans computer for the whole weekend (definitely need to buy a laptop post cruise!)...

Happy 4th of July!! And a special thanks to the military, active and retired!

Had a lovely weekend - for a change, the bulk of the long weekend was without rain. It seems as though it's been raining here in NJ for months; actually it's only been one month...

Here's the story of the weekend: Daughter and her boyfriend and a girlfriend came up on Saturday, and I picked Mom up so she could celebrate the 4th with us. We sunbathed, ate, sunbathed some more.

In between sunbathing and eating, hubby and daughter's boyfriend decided to take the paddleboat out into the lake. A little while later, my daughter asked me where they were. We looked up and saw them waaaaay out on the other side of the lake. "Oh," she said, "there they are." I looked up a minute or two later and saw a cabin cruiser passing in the general area where the men were, then I kept reading my book.

All of a sudden daughter says, "Hey, what are they doing? Are they standing up?"

It turns out they were standing up, to put on their life jackets! That cabin cruiser swamped the little paddleboat and they were submerged for a moment, then they were really low in the water! And they started bailing with their hands! Several boats passed them; the one that caused it didn't even stop! Eventually a party boat stopped, offered them a cup to bail with, then offered to tow them home!

So they got towed home by three young 20-somethings, each drinking a beer, and 4 dogs!

It was better than TV!!!

Thank goodness of course that no one was drowned or panicked out there in the water, but from shore? How funny!!!!

My answer is...

"Yes, and what's wrong with that???!!!"

Click on this link to see what I'm talking about!!!

http://www.snotr.com/video/2630

Finally Scrap Creative!

So finally, I created some cards and I'm posting them here! I took a class with the very talented Lisa T (her blog is called Stamp with Lisa T). There were only two of us there with her; our 3rd classmate took sick (feel better, Jo'Anne!).

Lisa cut and scored all the paper for us, so we were able to jump right in! She's a great instructor - she had a finished set there for reference and is a big help when you get stuck! The great thing is that this project will make an awesome gift for someone! And I almost always need an awesome gift for someone, and I never have one home! [So I suppose I should take this home and not leave it on my desk at work...]

The colors are so soft and complement each other so well. And I got to practice my blender pen technique, and I used some SU Crystal Effects (which I've bought but never used! Now I'm hooked!), and I like the 3-D effect of cutting out and raising some of the flowers...

I know this isn't the best picture, but... no one ever said photography was my thang!!!

Rest in peace, Michael

Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest yesterday.

This shocked me. He was 50. He would have turned 51 in August.

This man, this boy, I'm almost at a loss for words.

He was not one of my favorites, but I did admire his talent. He was bigger than life, he created that image for himself, and he created, in my humble opinion, all of the bad press he got, too.

I don't know if he really did all of the terrible things that hit the newspapers, but I can say I did sympathize with him, to a degree.

I went to college at age 16-1/2, after my junior year in high school. It was a Freshman Honors Program at the University of Delaware, and the group of us, 133 in all (I think) were housed on the campus of Wesley College, a small nursing college in Dover, DE. We were a group of strange children, some of us very bright, some of us bright enough, some of us struggling to find out who we were, some of us convinced we were "different." Some of us were on the straight and narrow path, some strayed and experimented with drugs and alcohol. Some of us tried suicide, some of us quit the program, some of us stayed and succeeded and moved through the rest of our college years.

I liken us to the kids in The Breakfast Club, a small group of misfits, all of us very different, each in their own way. And we had to learn, about ourselves, about each other, about life.

Michael Jackson reminded me almost of an amalgamation of a bunch of my classmates. You could describe him as shy, retiring, reclusive, smart, bright, a genius, talented, kind-hearted, big-hearted, generous, easy to take advantage of, unaware of the real world, protected, sheltered...

I don't know if I believe he did those horrible things; I wouldn't be surprised to find that he just didn't think things could be misinterpreted, that his intentions were not criminal or sick, that he just had a big heart and couldn't say no to children.

I could be wrong: he could have been all of those terrible things of which he was accused.

I just don't know.

I do know that he was very talented, whether I personally liked his style or not, and there's just no one around to take his place. I did like some of his work, and always admired his abilities.

If it turns out he was abusing drugs, with or without the enabling of his family and friends and medical staff, well then, I'm sorry for that. Ultimately it's always our own responsibility. But that won't take away from his legacy.

Rest in peace, Farrah

How very sad. Farrah Fawcett passed away today.

Cancer sucks.

No one is safe.

Every time I hear about another loss, it brings it all home again. I suffer all over again. I feel the pain all over again. I feel the loss all over again.

I didn't know her. But I truly feel a loss with her passing. Seems a bit strange, even to me, but over the past few years, since she announced that she was suffering from anal cancer, she did what she could to raise awareness. She released a video she filmed while taking treatments, while suffering. She did this to help others. She proved herself to be a strong, wonderful, passionate fighter.

She was more than just Jill Munroe from Charlie's Angels.

Rest in peace, Farrah.

Whatever happened to polite?

I found this blog entry at Ordinary Courage. All I can say is "thank you" to Brene! Thank you for speaking so eloquently to this very real lack of respect that is permeating society today.

Is it really so hard to be polite? To say "thanks" or "you're welcome" or "excuse me"??? She was prompted to write about the rudeness of people on cell phones, how self-absorbed some of these people are, how they ignore everyone around them, how they ignore others and treat them as if they're not even there, how rude and ignorant they are to those who are working for them or doing something for them...

One of my pet peeves, and, yes, it's one of many and it's not going to save the world... one of my pet peeves is when I drive through a tollbooth and I hand that person my hard-earned money (we don't have an EZ-Pass), 9 times out of 10 they don't say thank you. Now I know they're getting paid to be there, and I know that I'm not giving them money out of the kindness of my heart (I sort of have to, if I want to go any further on the road!), but would it kill them to say "thanks" or "have a nice day" - especially when I say (and I don't know why I do this!) thanks to them (for taking my money????)? This will ALWAYS prompt me to make a nasty little comment like, "How RUDE!" as I drive off to finish my trip.

I hope I remember to always be polite and considerate and not take anyone for granted. And please, remind me I said this if you see me treat someone like the dirt on the bottom of my shoe!!!

I'm worried about what's going on here...

If you're concerned about the US, read The Man on the Edge today.
I like the way he thinks.

Books.

Books.

I love them.

I love reading them.

I love being surrounded by them.

I love the smell and the feel of them.

I would rather read than do almost anything else in the world, and that includes eat. (Yes, believe it or not!)

Books are part of my life, part of my home, part of me.

I am always reading one, sometimes several at a time.

I learn from books. I teach with books. I decorate with books. I buy books. I share books. I borrow books.

I collect books. Signed books. Unsigned books. Books by certain authors. First editions. Reprints. Old copies, damaged copies, annotated copies. Books about certain subjects. Books about books.

I have become recently obsessed with the idea of creating a book. Designing it. Writing it. Binding it. Making a book that is "me." I've been crawling through the crafting sections of a few B&Ns, looking for a specific book that was recommended to me: How to Make Books, by Esther Smith. Two stores said they had it in stock, but it was nowhere on the shelves. I'm thinking of ordering it online, sight unseen, even though I'm a bit leery about doing so. I'd really rather see it, touch it, know that I want it because I see it and love it.

I've browsed through other books in the store, other books about the same topic, but I wasn't thrilled with them. What if I don't like this one? Just because someone recommended it to me doesn't mean I won't be disappointed in it.

Lord knows I've bought other books sight unseen. What makes this one different? What makes me hesitate about buying this one? I've spent $80+ on a book about libraries, sight unseen. Why am I so uncertain about buying this one? It almost makes me think I should buy it, just because I have no real reason not to... (Sorry about that ending preposition...)

But I'll try a few other stores first. There's a Borders at the lake that I'll be passing en route to the beauty supply store, which is the only place I can now find my favorite hairspray. Which is another story, for another day...

Three Good Deeds and a Wildlife Suicide...

Intriguing blog post title, don't you think?

So here's the kind of weekend I had...

On Saturday we had our annual family picnic. In the rain. 'Cause we've been doing everything in the rain lately 'cause it hasn't stopped raining for it seems like three weeks! But anyway, the picnic was at the home of one of Jack's cousins, and we hadn't seen the house yet. They bought it about a year and a half ago and were able to take advantage of the housing market before the official slump began... It's a $1.4 million dollar home that they got for the bargain price of around $750K! Anyway, they have an absolute dream of a master suite, a beautiful kitchen, and absolutely gorgeous landscaping (including a screened in porch and a multi-tiered koi pond!). Of course, I didn't have my camera with me...

After the picnic we went on to the lake, only to find that thanks to the conversion from analog to digital, we have ABSOLUTELY.NO.RECEPTION.AT.ALL.AT.THE.LAKE. And I refuse to pay for cable for a home we spend 1-2 nights in each week, so we will either watch movies, or find some other way to entertain ourselves.

On Sunday morning, we got up, went to church, went for breakfast at Bagels on the Hill, and then drove back home. Surprisingly, the sun, that big warm yellow orb in the sky we haven't seen in years (okay, I'm exaggerating!) was out. So Jack fiddled around outside while I went upstairs and started some more cleaning/purging of my scrapping room. At 10:30 we left for a rally at Kabob's. It was a rally for the Lake Hopatcong Alliance. The lake isn't in too good a shape this season - there are a lot of businesses failing 'cause there are very few tourists 'cause the lake is almost 2' below normal. This is and will continue to seriously impact the environment and the economy in the lake communities. The state is apparently letting 4.2 million gallons of water out of the lake a day, to feed the rivers and streams. After releasing 1.26 billion gallons too much water in December alone! The weeds are a problem, the town's budget was cut so the weed harvester operators were let go, there's no funding to operate the harvesters and the weeds are already high. With the water low, you can just imagine...

Anyway, off my soapbox...

We went to the rally and I went inside to buy a sticker for my car. They asked for a $5 donation so I paid with a $20 bill. As we turned to walk out, Jack asked how I paid for the sticker. I said, "With a $20 bill." "Well, they gave you $100 in change!"

????????????????????????????

I quickly turned around and gave them the money back - I hadn't even looked at the change and probably wouldn't have noticed 'til I got outside... I told the girls at the table what happened and they were so grateful; that was probably a 1/4 of their take for the whole rally! I got the correct change and we left. [Good deed #1]

We got back in the car and drove home. It wasn't far but it was up and down a couple of very steep hills so we drove. We turned onto our street and as I came around the first bend, there was a turtle crossing the road! I stopped the car and Jack got out, grabbed his gloves from the back of the truck and picked up the turtle to move him off the street. [Good deed #2] He needed gloves 'cause we have snapping turtles in the lake; better safe than sorry! Of course, being a scrapper, I wanted pictures so Jack walked over to the side of the car so I could take a picture or two. All of a sudden we heard a "tick, tick, tick, tick" from my engine. Our eyes met - I'm married to a part-time certified mechanic - my car just doesn't make strange noises for no reason!!! He thought perhaps there was a stick or something caught in the fan.

We drove home and I parked the car and went inside. I went back upstairs to work a bit and after 20 minutes or so, Jack shouted up at me, "Come down here now!"

Now, those of you who know me, well you know I took my sweet time 'cause I could tell he wasn't injured and I'm not one to come when called like the family pet... I got downstairs a minute or so later and went outside. He asked me to guess what was stuck in the car.

I immediately freaked out - "It had better not be a bird 'cause I've already had a bird stuck in my grill and that grossed me out!" "It's not a bird. Go look at the fan."

So I walked to the front of the car and looked down at the fan, but couldn't see anything. Jack said to just pull the shroud forward and peek down in there, so I did but I couldn't see anything.

As I bent closer to see if I could see, he said, "It's a snake."

Well, I must have jumped and screamed 'cause he started laughing and I started getting completely grossed out. I demanded (not my usual persona!) that he get that effin' snake out of my car 'cause I'm not effin' driving home with a snake wrapped around my fan and he'd better get the front end of my car off 'cause he's a mechanic and he can effin' do it....

Who knew Hyundai Santa Fes were so well-made? The pieces he needed to remove to get the snake out were all welded together! He called KD, our friend and the most awesome body shop guy on earth, and KD told him that all he could think of, if Jack couldn't get the front end off, was for Jack to take a knife and...

YUK! I told Jack to wash up for lunch, even though I was totally skeeved out! I told him to sterilize himselg - "I didn't touch the snake, Krys!" - but I wasn't buying it and said he'd better wash up the best he ever did...

We had lunch, then Jack took a wire hanger outside while I sat in the dining room and enjoyed some Roasted Pineapple and Poblano salsa with some chips and read Dean Koontz's Relentless. All of a sudden Jack called me outside again.

He had managed to hook it with the end of the hanger and get it out of the car.

IT.WAS.TWENTY-NINE.INCHES.LONG.

WITHOUT.ITS.HEAD.

YUK! [Wildlife Suicide referred to in blog post title.]

After we went home, I took Mom to Shop Rite and while I was waiting for her, I noticed that a woman was shopping in the same aisle as I was, with her twins in a double stroller and a toddler in the oversized shopping cart with the plastic car on the front end which is supposed to entertain your child but really only serves to get in the way of every other shopper in the store... She had her husband along to help but I heard one of the babies crying and I heard something fall out of the cart and she was looking but couldn't see what it was. I told the lady that the baby had dropped his rattle. She thanked me and said that the rattle wasn't really a problem but that he had lost his blankie somewhere and he was never going to go to sleep again 'cause he couldn't sleep without it.

"Was it small and green?" I asked. YES! I had seen another customer pick it up off the floor in the last aisle but I didn't know if she'd put it on the shelf or taken it to Customer Service... It didn't matter - that lady took off so fast! Mom and I moved on, but then I realized the mother hadn't come back in a while and the father was standing there with the three kids, one still crying. I walked over and asked if she'd found it, and he said not yet, so I went to the other aisle to look for it. (I realized I hadn't told her where we were standing when the other lady found it...) I saw it on the shelf, and returned it to the dad then went to find the mom who was still searching aisle by aisle. [Good deed #3]

And after that sunny day, three good deeds, and a wildlife suicide (who'd have thought a snake would crawl up into my car?!?), it's been raining ever since and nothing outstandingly good has happened since - except that I haven't had a pressure headache all week (and I probably just jinxed myself good!).

BO, Stephen Colbert, and the Troops

Please visit Jessica at It's My Life. She has a clip from Stephen Colbert's show, where he shaved his head in support of the troops in Iraq, and at the order of BO!!! This is a fun clip and for once, I have to say I enjoyed BO's appearance via satellite!

She should be so embarrassed!!!

This is a blog entry that my sister posted after she clicked on the link below. Please read her blog entry, then click on the link, then read my comments below...

"June 10
Federal promise to keep the rich - well, rich!
http://dailybail.com/home/there-are-no-words-to-describe-the-following-part-ii.html

Had to paste this link here Krys, I may have to send it out to a more global audience! While I have been all for change, I was against bailouts before the election & still am. This is a disgrace. If this interview took place at one of my corporate meetings, her pink slip would be on her desk by Monday. Imagine her resume?

"Hi, I'm responsible for overseeing the Federal Reserve. I do so by reviewing on a general basis that does not include specifics that say where the money has gone to. It is highly efficient, as I prevent all kinds of scandals from being disclosed, I make sure the wealthy have the capability to remain wealthy by whatever anonymous means necessary. I waste no money, as I take it & do not pour it into actual work. All money that comes my way ends there. My office does review non-specific uses of federal money without actually learning anything. We hesitate to "investigate" as the connotations that term implies may not be favorable to our clients. Oh, excuse me while the young intern behind me tells me what to say -- err, I what Imeant to say, my advisor is informing me of another trillion from our balance sheet that is accounted for by a number of non-specific transactions that are under review but we do not have to actually identify specifically, as this office is not obligated to do so.""


Okay - it's Krys again. Oh.My.God.

Are you kidding me?????

Now my sister voted for B.O. She had numerous reasons for doing so, some political and some, in my humble opinion, not so political. While I disagreed with her and her reasons, this is America and she had every right to vote for the candidate of her choice. (As did I.)

And I am encouraged by a couple of her sentences: "While I have been all for change, I was against bailouts before the election and still am. This is a disgrace."

Who's bailing YOU out? Who's paying off your credit card debt? Who's paying your mortgage or rent when you can't afford it? Who's giving you a pass on paying college tuition? While, I might add, you spend all your money on parties and clothes and travel! Is someone giving you a big chunk'o'cash so you don't have to worry about paying your bills? Bills that you incurred by your own actions?

Trillions of dollars. More money than ALL PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS HAVE SPENT COLLECTIVELY. Did you hear that? MORE MONEY THAN ALL PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS HAVE SPENT COLLECTIVELY. In his first 100 days!

You're right, that is a historic accomplishment! Not one I'm all that happy about, though!

This video is just atrocious. It made me literally feel nauseated to watch that woman sit there and avoid answering the question. She basically said she can't answer because they're investigating but they haven't found anything out about what they're investigating while they're investigating and she can't answer the question she doesn't really understand (can you repeat the question?) because the investigation is ongoing and they haven't investigated that yet.

C - you're right. I'd certainly have gotten fired for answering our previous boss like that. In fact, I'd get fired now for answering my current boss like that.

That woman should be ashamed of herself.

As should this country.

Please read this and think about it.

I just read a blog entry on one of my favorite blogs, The Man on the Edge. Fred is a Navy man, on the cusp of retirement. He is a family man who loves his wife and children, and loves and honors his country. He has served his country, happily, voluntarily, despite the sacrifices he had to make to do so.

He has a remarkable way with words and created this blog a while ago, in response, I suppose to what he saw coming down the pike here in America. He loves America. He doesn't love what he sees happening in and to this great country.

And I agree with him. Wholeheartedly.

His post yesterday scares me. Please read it; click on the link at the beginning of this post.

This is America, people. Land of the free, remember? With the right to assemble, where we've been promised freedom of religion?

Tag, I'm It!!!

I've been tagged by Shazza at Shazza's Craft Connection. Here you go, Shazza!

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. Retirement
2. Lunch
3. Going home
4. My niece's wedding
5. Our 10 year anniversary cruise! (Just booked it this weekend!)
6. Reading
7. Scrapping - don't know when I'm going to get around to this again - so busy!
8. A quiet weekend at the lake

8 Things I Did Yesterday
1. Went for our weekly cake and coffee at my sister-in-law's house
2. Bought some lemonade from our little neighbor's lemonade stand
3. Cooked a couple of hamburgers on the George Forman grill
4. Bought a pair of orange striped flip flops off the Land's End website
5. Balanced my checkbook
6. Made Mrs. K's salad
7. Sorted through the clean laundry
8. Caught up on my email and blog reading

8 Things I Wish I Could Do
1. Play the piano
2. Sing well
3. Dance well
4. Swim
5. Teach
6. Take a trip each year to one of my dream destinations
7. Write well
8. Cry pretty

8 Things or Shows I've Watched Lately
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2. Footloose
3. CSI Miami
4. Star Trek, the Movie
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
6. Extreme Home Makeover
7. America's Funniest Home Videos (I could watch this every day!)
8. Without a Trace

Now I'm supposed to tag 8 other bloggers; I can't do this - my friendly bloggers are all so busy these days, what with summer vacation almost in full swing, impending moves and job changes rapidly approaching, a combination of all of the above... How about if you want to participate, just leave me a message that you've made your list of 8s on your blog and I'll come and visit!

Things I Have Done - or Not Done, depending on where you're standing...

Okay, I was reading Miss Stephanie's blog, Pike's Pickles, and I saw this - so here you go:

Things I have done, or not done, depending on how you read this and what you're more interested in... I've bold-faced the ones I HAVE done...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris - does the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas count???
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - duh! Who wants to waste a sick day on being sick???
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - again, I ask, does it count if I did it in Vegas???
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - not on purpose!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous: Ann Margaret, Sarah Ferguson, Nancy Reagan, Vanna White, Richard Simmons, Danielle Steel, Stephen King, to name just a few...
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one - too many of them.
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee