Worries

Mom's sick. I called last night to check in with my parents and Dad answered the phone after a bunch of rings. We chatted for a bit, then he told me Mom has a bug of some kind. Not normally a big deal, but she was laying down, which isn't like her at all. I didn't get to talk to her, and now I'm a little worried...have that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Timmy's Trapped in the Well!

Okay, it was really Sam trapped in the elevator, but exciting none the less. I got to try out my rescue skills yesterday. Sam, our 15 year old after schooler, had some trouble with the freight elevator at work. It's old and getting cranky, so at first he couldn't get it to go down. Ardia rode down with him and showed him how to finesse it. The phone rang a bit later. It was Sam, Ardia didn't send the elevator back down so he couldn't get back. He gathers trash, then makes another trip downstairs. Then the phone rings again and I tease Sam that he's stuck in the elevator. Ardia goes over to help...then comes back saying she can't get it to budge. Of course the phone is ringing off the hook, so I set leave her to talk and head over to help Sam.

After telling him we were making a pillow for him so he would be comfortable spending the night in the lift I did manage to coax the pulley into doing it's thing. Sam was very happy. So was Ardia.

You can never find a slave when you need one...

The Slave and the Lion

A Fable by Aesop, paraphrased by me

A slave ran away from his master,who had treated him cruelly, and hid in the desert. He found an empty cave to rest in, but soon discovered it was actually a lion's den when the beast returned. The man figured he was a goner, but to his surprise the lion came up to him tamely and began to whimper and lifted his paw. It was swollen and the man saw that there was a large thorn embedded in the pad of the foot. He removed it and dressed the wound as well as he could, and in course of time it healed up completely.

The lion was so happy to be out of pain that the two became friends and they shared the cave for quite a while. But in time the slave began to miss human company, said goodbye to the lion then headed for town. Unfortunately he was recognized by his former master who resolved to make an example of him. The man was to be thrown to the beasts at the next public spectacle in the arena.

One of those beasts turned out to be a lion of huge bulk and ferocious aspect. To the amazement of the spectators the lion bounded up to him and lay down at his feet with every expression of affection and delight! It was his old friend from the cave! The audience clamored that the slave's life should be spared. And the governor of the town, marveling at such gratitude and fidelity in a beast, decreed that both should receive their liberty.

Why do I tell you this? Because I am a Leo and today I got a thorn stuck in my finger and had a heck of a time getting it out.

Owie

And here's why I didn't do a damn thing on Sunday...

Into the Breech

So after much waiting we were inside. First stop, the DC booth to find Tom's friend Rai. It's a big display, but sadly no Rai. This was also where we were meeting Cathy and her husband Chris. They weren't there either. After some phone calls we learned:

1. Rai wasn't going to be there until 4:30 or so, and then she would probably be too busy to talk.

2. Cathy and Chris were still in line.

So we headed upstairs to the Artists Alley to see who we could find. It was relatively sane the first time we wandered through. Tom got Colleen Doran to sign his trade of "Distant Soil" and she was telling us that the woman with her had written a story in one of her issues and would be signing her new book, The Privilege of the Sword. Since I haven't read any of DS this meant little to me and didn't seem to light any fires with Tom so we moved on.

Beyond the Alley was the gaming area and the autograph area. We found Peter Mayhew who was Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies and Tom got an autograph and a picture with him.

Of interest was Gary Coleman, who was at the opposite end of the table and charged more for his signature than Mr. Mayhew did. My best guess is that after losing the security guard position this is now his livelyhood. I felt no need to contribute, but others did.

I was hoping to find Mick Foley and get Bear Bear's picture with him for Dan, but alas the man was no where to be found. After a brief rest at a gaming table we headed downstairs to listen to a DC panel. In the atrium we came across Boba Fett, Darth Vader and a storm trooper. I decided this would be a good substitute for Mick so I approached them to see if they'd be up for the picture.

Boba Fett filled his body guard role admirably and he stopped me and demanded to know what I wanted. Faced with the mighty presence of Bear Bear I'm fairly certain there was a smirk under that helmet, but when I explained it was for a friend in the navy who was having surgery I was allowed to approach the dark lord who gamely held Bear Bear aloft for a picture. The guys were great sports about it. And I think Bear Bear looks scared...

Next was trying to get downstairs to the special events room. We could see the escalator, but we kept getting turned back by security. We stood in line for a wrist band which would allow us re-entry and still we were ushered away. Finally I decided to see if there was another way around and a helpful staff member told us to ignore security. We finally made it downstairs, but couldn't find the room we wanted. By the time we figured out where we needed to be the talk was about over and Cathy and Chris had made it into the show.

After introductions we ventured into the publishers area again. We lost Chris in the gaming area and soldiered on with Cathy. I think this game would be a perfect teaching tool for Jill...

Cathy found the Yaoi table she was looking for and was soon outfitted with a discrete pink bag. As Tom observed, now we know what Victoria's real secret is! We also stopped by the Dark Horse booth while Cathy was over at the DC area. Tom spotted one of her favorite writers and was off like a shot to get her, after handing me his program. He was already out of sight when I began to wonder why I had the program...would it have slowed him down that much? I felt oddly obligated to make sure the writer didn't go anywhere until they got back, but I'm not sure how I would have stopped him without be arrested.

While they were chatting and getting a signed comic I heard a "Hey! Don't I know you?" It was the guy we were chatting with in line. He and his wife had made the circuit of the booths and even got a picture of Stan Lee being escorted away by storm troopers.

We decided to venture upstairs to the Alley again, and it was infinitely more crowded. Still the one author Tom wanted to see was missing from his booth. I think he was actively hiding.

Back downstairs to find Mr. Chris. He had managed to accumulate a huge bag of freebie's and purchases and the first words out of his mouth were "I roll 20s!" Ah, but did you use this D20? Once reunited we finally found the booth for the author that Cathy really wanted to meet...ironically it was Ellen Kushner, the author of The Privilege of the Sword. You may remember her as the woman earlier that Tom and I gave a passing nod to. While Cathy and Chris stood in line we decided it was time for some sort of food and would meet them at the food court.

So downstairs we went and it was much more crowded now. We finally found a place to sit and enjoyed the non-movement for a bit. I decided to hobble in search of liquid refreshment...only to find that the vending machines were not taking paper money. There was nothing for it but to get in line. Returning with cheese burgers and drinks, we settled into lunch then checked on the others. They were in the food court too. We never found them. It turns out they were in the cafe above us. We decided to meet for the Kevin Smith talk, but once again could not find them. I did however spot a Princess Leia in the costume from the sand barge that would have launched both boys and girls into puberty.

This was much more aesthetically pleasing than the "out of work Skeletor." There comes a point in your life, and your waistband, when you shouldn't wear tights. He had passed him. And his BVDs had a hole in them. I doubt I will ever get that image out of my head. I think Tom was perminently scarred by the middle aged Aqua Lad.

We decided to head into the room without Cathy and Chris, but got seats in the balcony where we could see them walk in. It's amazing how many people look like Cathy and Chris. And how many guys looked a lot like Kevin Smith. Go figure. We did find them eventually, and the talk was hilarious if a little raunchier than I expected. The last questioner was a heavy young man with facial hair who wanted to know if Kevin would cast him...he said there was only room for one fat guy with a beard in his movies.

It was getting to be 5 o'clock so we popped back upstairs to see if Rai had arrived. Tom waved from a distance and pointed her out. Great hair, I have to say. Chris was sucked into the game area again and Cathy spotted another writer so while she and Tom stood in line I went in search of a bathroom. Oh that was fun. Aside from my legs be tired because they hadn't done this much walking in ages, I had a feeling there was also a nasty blister under my heel, so I was getting grumpy as I roamed for a potty. After making the complete circuit of the floor I found the ladies room opposite the DC booth where I started. Sigh.

I returned to Cathy and Tom and we gathered Chris. On our pass by the restrooms I noticed Public Enemy had it's table set up outside the lady's...and there was a line of white kids waiting to meet them. Too funny. It was nearing 6 now and we all needed to start moving toward our transportation: Train for Cathy and Chris, bus for us.

Initially I was voting for a cab ride to the terminal, but by the time we found one and got through traffic we would have missed our bus so we walked (see map). I am nothing if not stubborn, and Tom doesn't seem to mind slowing his pace for me. Once in the terminal we headed down the stairs to our gate. I took the stairs slower so Tom landed at the bottom and I watched him get approached by a slick looking guy wanting train fare. I heard him say "train" and then Tom say, "But this is a bus station..." I love this guy. Tired and wanting to sit, I just stepped between them, said no and we walked away. Our little friend yelled, "I see who wears the pants..." which we both found amusing.

The ride home was nice. It was good to be snuggled up and sitting. I dozed a little, we talked a bit and were generally happily exhausted. It was a great day, with great people and a lot of laughs. After unwinding a bit at Tom's I was in the car and headed home.

And I didn't do a damn thing Sunday!

I Walk the Line

Saturday was the NYC comic con. Now, I should say that I'm a veteran of sci-fi conventions, so obviously I'm a geek. I've also been to my share of comic conventions. Nothing prepares you for one in NYC though...except maybe LA or San Diego, neither of which have I experienced. It was chaos! But sit back and I shall spin you a tale...

Saturday morning I found myself running late. This was not good. I needed to be at Tom's at 8 and I was guessing I would get there at about 10 after at this rate. I was right. When I pulled up he was at the door and across the lawn before I hit the grass. After a big hug we decided to take my already warmed car to the bus stop. Arriving just before the bus we managed not to have to wait in the cold.

The ride up was nice, as we got to catch up on our weeks, talk about some lingering issues and then Tom explained a few odds and ends of the DC universe to me (I don't tend to read mainstream comics). Bear Bear came along as well, because he wanted his picture taken for Dan-Bear. Soon we were at the Port Authority and ready to find the Jacob Javits Center...let the fun begin!



Well, as I had planned out taking the bus to the Javits or a taxi I wasn't really clear on how to walk there, and that is what we decided to do since the weather was okay and it wasn't far. But which way? Of course all the info booths were closed and we couldn't find anyone who could give directions...so I bought a map. Once I was spied with said map several other lost souls descended on the newsstand, pointed at me and wanted one too. It was quite funny.

The walk was less than a mile and here is how it panned out:

Considering I am still not as fast on my feet as I once was, I did pretty well.

So as you can see the line went across a few blocks and then headed for the water. Happily it moved fairly quickly. Soon we could actually see the Javits Center.

And here we knew we were in the correct line. Sucked for the woman who thought she was in line for the travel show though...

This is the couple ahead of us in line. Chatting with them made time go pretty fast. They were from Queens and ran a convention in Jersey. She worked in managed health care (poor thing) and he worked with a design firm. We actually chatted over vacuum form at one point, praised autocad, and shared convention stories. Soon the end was in sight...

Well, almost. This was the point where I spotted what seemed to be a pair of pants floating down the side of the building. Don't see them? Here's a closer shot:

We debated the pants/not pants conundrum for a bit but were distracted by a 40 something year old man telling a police officer that someone had cut in line. We were all impressed by the officer's restraint in not back handing the guy. But the line has it's own brand of justice:

We agreed this was probably some one else who decided to try to butt in line. But there was still a ways to go. The line went down another block, then back up and into the convention center:

Then finally we were inside! Yet still in line...and we had a view of those still in the cold:

But things zipped along at a nauseating pace from here on and we were soon in the middle of complete and utter geek chaos! To be continued....

We Interupt the Normal Blog...

Barbie...that sings...her lips move...how could it be worse? You can hook your IPod up to here...

Now I can't get Barbie singing "Bad Touch" from the Blood Hound Gang out of my head.

Or the Howard Stern podcast...

Or the horrible possibilities....

TGIF

Friday! Finally!

So lets see...I was right, by 5:30 my Thursday had changed considerably. My conversation with Tom was not what I expected, but happily so. Yesterday's weight watchers meeting was good...down another 1.8 lbs. Now if I can just keep this up. Monie came over after the meeting and we made a return at Sears then got some munchies at BK and then settled in to catch up on her trip to SF and my fun week. It's always good to be with the Monie. Plus she gave me this really awesome grilly thing. I made the best omelet tonight! Thank you!

Today was a busy work day, but it won't hold a candle to Monday. Hopefully the weather won't mess with my shipping and delivery schedule.

Tomorrow is the big trip to NYC with Tom. Stay tuned for stories...

Well Timed

My aunt sent this to me today...the timing was perfect. It is part of a poem (Maya Angelou I believe) and it served as a reminder that if this is a check list, I'm doing pretty darned well:

• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... a youth she's content to leave behind....
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..... a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
• A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .... a feeling of control over her destiny...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to fall in love without losing herself..
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to quite a job, break up with a lover and how to confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing...
• EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

Hm...just need to get that drill...

Days of the Week

Monday was pretty rough.
Tuesday was simply horrid.
Wednesday was numbingly absurd.
Thursday? Heavy hearted and anticipatory seem to describe it pretty well, but I have a feeling it will be a bit lighter by this evening.

But let us return to Wednesday...

Sadly I had an errand so I did not get to see Lydia or Monie. I spoke with Lydia on my way home and let her know I seemed to have a sympathetic ear ache. We managed to catch up a bit. Tonight I have Monie time after WW...happiness.

Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the night driving, or maybe it was because I needed a little ego boost, but I sent a note to a friend I hadn't spoken with in a few months just to check in. He called back and we chatted for a bit about last year, this year and life in general. It was oddly comforting in a way that you only get from someone who only knows one side of you...and that happens to be the side that is currently bruised. It isn't a baring of the soul, just a reminder of how someone sees you that gives you a little perspective.

My night was quiet, I decided just to head to bed after I got a few things squared away at home. Morning came and I wondered why I was so hungry...that's when it occured to me I hadn't had dinner last night. Ah well, that's what breakfast is for.

Life feels quiet today...and I don't think that is a bad thing at all.

Sadness

"If you love someone set them free..."

I don't know if it's love, but he's definitely very special to me. I'm watching him struggle with his feelings for me, and it breaks my heart. Do I end it to save him the worry and pain? Or do I let him continue to fret in his own mind? He's sweet, a good person and seems so innocent in some ways.

Is the kinder thing to tell him it's okay, we can be friends then walk away? Or to let him do it for himself?

One fear is he will come to the decision that he wants to work on "us" but before he gets a chance to tell me I'll be saying goodbye. Another is that if he does make that decision it won't be because he cares but because he wants to care, and though the thought is sweet, it isn't fair to either of us.

Sigh...at least this way I worry more about him than me I suppose.

Sick

Breaking news...the sickbay report:

• Will was MIA this morning and he just got in touch to tell us he's achy and sleepy...and going to the doctor. I doubt we will be seeing him today. I told him it sounded like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, had he been playing with mice?
• The boy sent an e-mail to check on how I was because he had a slight fever and chills, with occasional dizziness when he stood up. He thinks he's coming down with a cold. (He made dinner last night and I was a little hesitant on the chicken because it was a bit pink, hopefully he didn't poison himself-or me)
• Both of our after school kids have the stomach flu
• Aly is hopefully recovered from said flu by now
• And Bear goes for surgery tomorrow.

Me? I'm fine, knock wood. I think the cockroach venom may have provided some sort of immunity...

I Hate Tuesdays...

...have I mentioned this? They hated me first. Yesterday fell somewhere between being nibbled to death by ants and having my bones stripped clean by cockroaches...closer to the roach end of the spectrum.

Aside from dating drama there was a crunch to get things done at work, which was when my printer decided it didn't want to play nice with my photo printing program...on the last page! At the same time the guys from the sprinkler company came to check out the fire system unannounced. It seems they made an appointment with the landlord, which he never feels the need to mention to us. They do the whole building, and of course couldn't get in next door because Gene is only in by appointment these days. And there were problems with the system so it made a short afternoon even more hectic (both Ardia and I were leaving at 3).

I had the fun of the gynecologist where I learned some interesting things about my anatomy. Don't worry, nothing additional, missing or misshapen, but annoying all the same. Then on to Bethlehem for that bit of fun. Sigh, you know things are bad when you find yourself quoting Monty to illustrate a point. On the sad side it's beginning to look like I won't be going to NYC this weekend, a bummer on many levels.

Happily it is now Wednesday and I get to see Lydia and Monie tonight. And it's going to be a multiple cup of coffee day. And I've freaked out a coworker because I'm listening to my Crash Test Dummies CD, "You actually OWN that?"

Hee hee

Yippeee

I made it up the 20 some stairs to work today without my cane!

Slightly less crappy today

Taxes

Done! Happiness! Now it's all in the hands of the mailman!

Other than that the week continues to be crappy, pthbbbb!

Pthbbbb

Great weekend...crap-tastic Monday

Fun with Fellow Shoppers

As I alluded to yesterday, I had some fun with contraception shopping Saturday. Here's my issue: Because of the blood clots I am now no longer a candidate for hormone based contraception. There are a lot of other options out there, so I was doing some investigating. I have an appointment with my gynecologist this week to discuss what is best, but I've been intrigued with the female condom (I like being in control of the protection, what can I say).

So I was in the Giant...I found the Trojan Elexa line which, aside for packaging, I don't see why it is designed for women. They are just regular condoms with a more feminine spin. Yipee. Next stop, CVS. Okay, I finally see contraceptive gel, but there is a very uncomfortable looking middle aged man standing in front of the condoms. Now, if it were a matter of "grab and go" I would have just excused myself, taken what I wanted and moved along. Sadly for him, I was reading labels. The closer I got to him the more fidgety he got. I didn't have all day to wait for him to make a choice, and it was looking like he was waiting for me to go before he did. Of course what I wanted to see was on the bottom shelf, so finally I just kneeled down and started reading the box, right next to him. This was apparently too much and he fled the "family planning" isle. Too funny. But once again, no female condoms.

On to Eckard where I know I've seen them...and once again was confronted by the Elexa line which was located in the feminine isle along with pads, pregnancy tests, menopause tests...and male fertility tests, go figure. I moved up the isle and found the lair of contraceptives. Literally like a cave of prophylactics! I even found the elusive "contraceptive film"-sort of like a fruit roll-up for sex (minus the flavor of course). When I was in college we discussed this particularly uncomfortable to use item and I'd never actually seen it marketed. I immediately looked around for the discontinued Today Sponge so I could judge just how old this stuff was. No sign of it, so I'm guessing it was fairly current. But still no female condom.

I've decided they are the plastic version of Big Foot, often talked about but rarely seen. I did find them on the internet (of course) and considering they look a lot like a pop up trash bag I have declared my curiosity extinguished.

Wheee! See? Contraception can be fun!

Grrr

You know, I don't expect a lot out of Saturdays, maybe to sleep in and have a little fun, but that's about it.

Ha ha ha ha...at least this Saturday.

Here is how it was supposed to go:

Sleep in
Arrange the den
Clean up a bit
Grab dinner and a movie with Bill

Here is what actually happened:

I knew it would be interesting when I read the notice that my complex would be without power from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. So I set my phone to forward to my cell and set my alarm for 8, I needed to do a few things while I still had power. Since I have electric heat this seemed like a good morning for running errands. I popped out to the new little Giant. Since the folks at the shelter had been asking to see me and I needed to drop off some papers I decided to head over and see the bunnies this morning. Oh there are two adorable new foster bunnies, one looks just like my Arthur. After getting pooped on by Briar because he was so happy to be out, I cleaned up and hit the road, managing to escape without a new bunny.

Next stop, Greg and Aly to return the shower bench. By the time I got there Greg and Julia were out at BJs and Aly was home alone. She apparently has a highly contagious stomach virus and refused to let me in. I left the bench on their porch then left Greg a message about his wife quarantining herself.

I stopped at CVS, deftly avoiding girl scouts both coming and going. I was on a quest for contraceptives that deserves a post of its own. I also stopped at the Eckerd on the way home. I managed to make a middle aged man feel very uncomfortable as I read labels in the "family planning" isle.

Finally I was home, unpacked the groceries and got some cleaning done. All good. It was getting close to 4 and I was expecting Bill around 4:30 so I was finishing getting myself ready when the phone rang. It was my mother.

I love my mom. She's an interesting and intelligent creature. Years ago (I was in college) she found a loop hole in a coupon for Chicklets gum and a store promotion. I think I finally finished the last of it last year. But that's mom, what early gunslingers could do with firearms she can do with coupons. This has garnered her a lot of respect from me and my friends over the years. So when Dad told me earlier this week that she managed to get a massive amount of cheese for very little money due to an ad misprint I thought it was great. He went on to tell me that before the cashier would ring her up he called the store manager to verify the sale. He let my mom get her cheese, then put up a sign about the misprint. I then made the mistake of making a joke about mom spoiling it for everyone else...

So back to today when Mom calls. She's mad, either at Dad or me, she hasn't decided. She called to "set the record straight about the cheese". I had no idea what she was talking about. She finally jogged my memory and now it was my turn to be indignant. I told her that I was making a joke, and didn't mean any insult, but I also didn't feel I had any reason to apologize or that she had any reason to be mad. We worked it out, but I realized later that it was the first time I've ever calmly stood up to my mother and told her she was wrong. And she backed down. Very interesting.

But then Bill arrived and we had a lovely dinner followed by seeing "Hannibal Rising." You know, it saved my Saturday. And the movie? Very interesting.

Celebration!

Jill and I both got our 10 pound ribbons at WW last night. Go us!

I see Stupid People

So driving in this morning I witnessed some really dumb things. It started when I was in the turning lane heading for the light and a woman in her SUV shot out of a side street and cut me off, blocking my lane because she couldn't fit into the space for the lane she wanted. The insulting part is she was stopped at a stop sign, saw I was less than a car length away and still decided to go. She's lucky the road was clear and I have good breaks.

So after wishing her inconvenient, explosive diarrhea I continued on my way to work. I passed a Norristown snow plow. The plow blade actually said "snow". It was a little faded so I'm hoping it didn't really say "Snow Here" or "This end out for snow".

Then I came to the intersection of Haws and Airy Streets. Airy is one way here, but as I sat at the light I once again wondered why there was a light facing the oncoming traffic. Just so if you are going the wrong way down a one way street you too can stop?

And finally I watched a man try to free his truck from ice and snow by jamming a crow bar into the mess around his front tire. This can't end well. I'm glad I have no where to be until 3:30.

Taxes

Sigh...I don't mind paying taxes. They pay for things I like...such as police, roads, the salaries for my friends in the military. But this year is threatening to be the end of my patience. I have a handle on everything except the taxes involved in selling the house, which of course is complicated by Steve and I splitting the profit. I refuse to have my taxes done by someone else because I am convinced I can do this myself.

Or go nuts trying...

Painting

I finished painting the den...the "willow white" is a very very very very light green. It seems to work...

Weekend in Review

It was quite the busy weekend.

Friday, after saying goodbye to Jewel, Tom came over and we headed to Red Lobster to meet Dan and Jill. A double date, and the first time Tom had met any of my friends. Dinner was wonderful, as was the company. It's always interesting to see a new friend in the light of your others. After dinner we headed back to my place, played a round of Chez Geek then said good night to Clan Wentzel.

Saturday was a bit of sleeping in then I was off to Bethlehem to see Tom. A lazy day of watching videos and dinner was very much appreciated. It was an early night for me, as I had to make sure I was well rested for playing with the Smooshie Sunday.

Sunday was cleaning up/clearing out the den. I've decided to paint it, since I'm not a fan of matte wall paint and that is what my apartment has. I figure if I tackle it one room at a time it won't seem too daunting. Just have to decide on a color. After a few hours of puttering I'd collected a good bit of trash and a few things that needed to go into storage. Fortunately Clan Wentzel was running early.

Jill and Dan sweetly helped me get things out of the apartment then we headed to Willow Grove. A lovely evening of laughter, baby watching and even video games for the boys. I still don't understand why they had to play the first few rounds with naked characters. Chuck's theory was that if they were lighter they could carry more loot. My argument was if they had no clothes then where would they put stuff? Jill suggested a magic anal bag of holding, then we all decided not to think about it anymore.

Fun new Smooshie facts:

• She claps
• She does "So big"
• She whistles (this apparently happened once by accident so now she tends to keep her lips in the whistle position in case it happens again, which it did and was soooo cute. For a visual think of Derek Zoolander's "Blue Steel").
• We can keep her from crying if I shake my hair into my face. The only drawback is that it makes me very dizzy.
• She has 3 teeth and one on the way
• And she finally has enough hair that she has a little cowlick in the back.

After a fun afternoon/evening of making Jill laugh so hard she cried we headed home where I watched the grammys and fell asleep with the TV on. Not necessarily the most exciting weekend ever, but a very, very good one.

Saying Goodbye

It's never easy to say goodbye, even harder when you are the one causing the passing.

Yesterday I took my Jewel for her final vet visit, and she was not happy about it. I didn't have the heart to put her in the carrier, she likes riding in the car too much. So she sat in the seat next to me for the ride. I was surprised she managed to climb up there, but then she's a tough old girl.

She was 11 years old, I got her when she was 6. Before I met her she had survived a cat attack, needed to have her front teeth trimmed every 2 weeks because her uppers had shattered long ago, her owners moved to Hawaii and left her with a family member who ended up needing a heart transplant and then she came to the shelter. At 6 they figured she'd never leave the shelter, but she had such a great personality, almost like a puppy. She would follow me around while I worked, tug at my pant leg for attention and pets...how could I not take her home?

For her I learned to trim teeth and pet on demand. As time went on her front leg began to splay, but this didn't seem to slow her down and all tests showed it wasn't hurting her. Eventually both legs went out from under her, but she still moved at a good clip. I started calling her my little swimmer because she always looked like she was doing the butterfly stroke.

Over the past month she lost a lot of weight, needed help to get food and had a series of colds. Her vision began to fail and her attitude rapidly spiraled downward. She stopped eating. For rabbits this means stasis is not far behind, one of the most excruciating ways to die. So I took her to Dr. Liz.

After some Valium to calm her down Dr. Liz shaved her paw and administered the euthanasia. It was over quickly. In moments she went from the spunky little girl who kept the 4 boys in line to a rag doll. I held her until her little heart stopped beating and hoped Arthur was there to meet her when she went over the bridge.

11 years is a long time for a rabbit, but much to short for me. I miss you baby.

Idioms and Icons

I like Doonesbury...I find the commentary interesting and I like the humor. I've been enjoying the current story line very much, but today it occurred to me that some younger readers might not get the more subtle secondary reference:

I know that I use the phrase "drank the cool-aid" a lot, I find it illustrates the consequences of following blindly quite poignantly. But I recently found that my younger friends had no idea what I was talking about. So I related what I knew of the Jonestown cult and their leader Jim Jones...and the death of the cult members after knowingly drinking the poisoned cool-aid.

But this is one of those incidents in history that I've held on to, a lot of my generation has. I'm tempted to file some of these moments away along with teenagers not understanding how to use a rotary phone, but unlike the phone there is an important lesson to be remembered here. Sadly it seems to be one we keep having to learn. Following blindly may be easier, but it isn't necessarily right. "Just following orders" is no longer supposed to be an excuse, yet we hear it still, usually associated with accounting scandel or military action like Abu Ghraib .

And for the record I make a distinction between that disgrace and some of the horrible stories we are now hearing about the military out in the field. While I cannot condone those murders (outside of active combat), I can understand the fear and the anger that push people into committing them. But there is a difference between the heat of battle and working in a prison where the "enemy" is locked away and you humiliate them. Do you think by walking someone around on a leash that you are actually going to get valuable information? I'm not condoning torture, but please...I don't think that would even work in a bad comedy.

So those are my thoughts for the morning. See what a little cool-aid can lead to?

Sprite, Tea and Good Conversation

So yesterday I was so tired I actually offered Will $5 to knock me unconscious, giving me an excuse to nap at work. I still have my five. By quitting time I wasn't sure I had the energy to have dinner with Don, but I've canceled on him twice and I just couldn't bring myself to do it again.

So I dashed home, fed the troops, got changed and headed back out the door. Round trip: 15 minutes, perhaps a personal best. I got to his place about 10 minutes early so he was finishing up a WoW thing when I called to announce my arrival. Very addictive, have I mentioned this? Soon a bundle of down and complaints about the cold dropped into my passenger seat and I was happy to see Don's head emerge from the layers. We were off to Hinge.

Along the way he confirmed my theory that his insane WoW playing of late could be blamed on the new expansion coming out. He also told me his grandmother had passed away last week, which was very sad but not unexpected. As I puttered along down 95 then off Girard I could tell my passenger was getting a little nervous. This is a pretty desolate area, just trolley tracks and rats for the most part. I assured him I knew where I was going and that seemed to help. Parking was a bit of a challenged and I proved I was definitely not a city girl. I think it was on my 3rd reverse into the parking space that I told him to let me know when he started getting motion sick. But I made it/gave up.

On the trek across the street to the cafe, between grumbling about the cold, we had the conversation that I was walking well. I told him the cane was used only as a defensive weapon...or when I encounter more than 5 steps. After a slight tangle over who was opening the door we made a successful entry.

Dinner was wonderful as always. I wasn't paying attention when Don ordered so I couldn't warn him about the size of the appetizer he'd chosen. When the huge plate piled with mussels arrived he peered over the mountain, "You are going to eat some of these...right?" While I was steering away from seafood since I know I'm having it on Friday, I do like mussels so it wasn't too hard a sell.

Over dinner were the usual odd conversations we have: Star Trek, WoW, City of Heroes, work war stories, family and of course politics. I love it. Dinner came before the mussels had been defeated to we embraced the roundness of the table and rearranged food and drinks. It worked out well.

Simone (one of the owners and a friend of Monika's) was literally running back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room but I did manage to catch her long enough to give her Monie's love and rave about the food. Don has been thoroughly impressed, as I knew he would be.

Per normal there was the "Dance of the Check." He's sweet and thinks the guy should pick up the check, I feel fair is better so when I can I snatch the bill. And he pouts. He's good at it too. I have even caved once or twice. Last night I compromised and let him take care of the tip.

The trip home was fun because I took some of the back ways Monie showed me. My favorite line, "Are you sure this is a street?" But I dropped him home safe and sound, got back to my place and collapsed. Oh it was so good to sleep!

Unfortunately tonight is WW and I have had a terrible diet week. I've promised myself not to cry...

Old...

This morning I learned that after age 28 you really shouldn't eat breakfast on the turnpike. But I've gotten ahead of myself.

Last week Tom and I made plans for me to come over this past Tuesday so he could make dinner and I could get an idea of what the heck he does when he's online gaming. Yes, he's another casualty of WoW, but Tuesdays are a standing date with friends from college and beyond to play City of Heroes. Aside from the geeky context, it is a nice way to blow off steam with people you like but who don't live near you. They kill things and chat about this and that...I have no idea how because things move rather quickly and I can see why epileptics may not want to be involved in this stuff. There was talk of me joining them, but lets face it, I'd be the retarded little sister. There is no way I could keep up. More fun to watch.*

So I watched for a few hours. Well...the TV was on too so I alternated between screens, I'm only human. Soon it was 11 and I was tired so it was decided I'd sleep over. I forget how unaccustomed I am at having another human body in a bed with me. Sure, I have my side and the cat has hers, but as long as I don't kick her in the head she's pretty flexible. After declaring "No hanky-panky" (I love this guy) we went to bed. It's been even longer for him since sharing a bed, so neither of us got much sleep. Plus he didn't take me seriously when I warned him I put out a lot of heat. Now he knows better.

After weird dreams and tossing and turning there was no real trouble waking up at 5:30, though I was correct in my guess that Tom is very snuggly...just not nappy snuggly. I looked out the window to find a nice layer of snow on the road, making me happy I was starting the morning early. Though I'm a big fan of sleep, I love early morning driving. Just watching the rest of the world wake up...the road stretching fairly empty in front of you...your tummy growling...realizing you don't have anything to eat for lunch...

And so I found myself at Roy Rogers in the Allentown Service Plaza buying a turkey sandwich, sausage-egg-cheese croissant, chocolate milk and coffee from a man with 3 teeth who I'm pretty sure was "special". Then I hit the road again.

16 miles later my tummy was growley again, but not because it was hungry. There just comes a time in your life when you can't eat that much grease at 6 AM. I have reached mine...and will feel vaguely nauseous every time I think about it.




*I'm an avid video game watcher. It started when I was little watching Dad play Super Breakout and was honed in college watching the guys play Mortal Combat. What can I say? It's a pretty good skill if you aren't into playing.

Sales Strategies

Slowly but surely I am getting through my list of annoying calls and changes that I have to make. Always a fun task. Last night I tackled my phone service.

I like having a land line...I guess I'm just not ready to cut the cord...but Verizon charges an arm and a leg for very little. If they had DSL in my area I'd stay, but they don't so I decided to check out Cavalier. Of course that has proven more difficult than necessary as well.

So last night I was opening my credit card statement and there was a little add from Vonage. I decided to take it as a sign and, since the first month is free, if I don't like it I can always cancel.

I spent about 20 minutes on the phone setting things up (I have never needed to repeat my address that many times!) and the gentleman helping me was quite nice with only a slight accent. After all was said and done he thanked me for calling then asked to ask me a question...how old was I? I told him and he complimented my voice. It was very odd. I kept thinking, boy if you are flirting for a sale you need to do that before the end of the call!

But it gave me a chuckle and now my phone bill will be about $26 less a month and I can call Mom and Dad for free. Not too shabby.

Pictures and Words

My friend Don spent a week touring around Cali in January and shared some great pictures. Coincidentally I am reading Christopher Moore's "A Dirty Job" which is set in San Fran. This description of Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill and one character's house situated below it stuck in my head, so I'll leave it to you to decide how accurate it was:

"Although it's said to have been designed with a fire-hose nozzle in mind, almost no one who sees the tower can resist the urge to comment on its resemblance to a giant penis. Madeline Alby's house, a flat-roofed white rectangle with ornate scrolling trim and a crowning cornice of carved cherubs, looked like a wedding cake balanced on the tower's scrotum."

A picture is worth 1,000 words but I'm not sure those few were among the intended thousand. But man it conjures a mental image!

Movie Madness

Friday was also movie night with Monie, with a bonus fashion show. The snow started befor she arrived so we had a fun little ride down 309 to the cycle shop. Gotta love 4 wheel drive. Monie is in search of a new bike jacket and their were plenty to choose from...even some pink ones!

I got to use her as my personal Barbie and say, "That one! Try that one!" She looked like a superhero in a lot of them. Nascar driver in others. There was a nice grey one that looked great, and a European model that she looked fantastic in. For fun she tried on a pink one for me...yeah, she looked like she should be hanging out with Pinky Tuscadero.

From the shop we made a quick stop at BK to feed the Monie then headed to the theater to see "Smokin' Aces". I'd expected it to be good, more fun than anything else. I was pleasantly surprised to find that while it was funny in parts, it also had an interesting twist and some really spectacular action.

Nice counts

So I have to have blood work done every week to monitor my INR levels (it's a clotting protein). This tends to be inconvenient because my doctor's office has declared blood work will only be done in the morning, so I have to take time off of work. I can have it done on Saturday, but the office is only open every other weekend. Now, if I make an evening appointment to see my doctor he will do a blood draw for me, but I feel bad taking his time for this. When I asked the scheduling person why I couldn't come in and have this done in the evening all she would say was "because we don't." A frustrating answer, but there wasn't much I could do about it.

Luckily this was one of the weekends they were open, so I headed over to do the deed. Barb was the nurse that worked on me. I feel sorry for the folks who have to poke me because I have small, rolling uncooperative veins. I'm up front about this and usually have a vein suggestion. Barb took my blood last week so we chose a vein together and chatted a bit over the tube. I was wearing my "I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every moment" shirt, my choice for mornings I'm not awake and don't feel like primping. She liked it and we talked a little bit about her morning.

It seems she got some grief from one of the doctors at the practice (not mine, and I'm not a fan of this guy either) and a patient was extra grumpy. Now, Barb reminds me of a grandma. The cookie baking, always ready with a hug kind. I can't imagine someone yelling at her. So we commiserated about the day, and how it shouldn't be so hard so early. She wished me a good day, and I said I hoped hers got better then headed to the front desk.

I'll need to come back a week from Monday and was hoping I could grab the 8 AM appointment because it would be the least disruptive for work. Barb came up front and asked if it wouldn't be easier for me to come at night. I agreed, but since I was told they don't do that anymore for blood draws. Well, Barb is the night nurse and she said she'd do my draw on the QT. I made sure it wouldn't be a problem or get her in trouble and she assured me it was fine. Something she'd do for "nice people" like me.

See? Nice counts, not that I was any different with her than I'd have been with any of the other nurses. Sometimes it's just nice to know you brightened someone's day a little, and Barb certainly brightened mine!

Brownie Bloopers

So I decided to make brownies for various events this weekend. Friday I went to the store for brownie makings and also picked up "No Pudge" brownie mix in an effort to be good. The only thing you add to that mix is vanilla yogurt. I popped over to the dairy isle and grabbed some then headed to the check out.

Once home I set about making goodies only to discover I'd made a boo boo. I did not grab vanilla yogurt, it was pina colada! Oh this would be interesting, as these were chocolate raspberry brownies. Out of time and patience I decided to forge ahead and use the odd yogurt. Know what? Aside from the odd pineapple chunk they came out just fine.

Who knew?

Do you know where your children are?

I like my job, and now it seems even the neighborhood is becoming amusing. There is a gated parking lot at one end of our building, it has the standard high chain link fence. Our office folks don't normally park there because they lock the gate around 4 and then you can't get your car out.

A woman just stopped into the office. She and her family had just moved here. She wanted us to know that last night her kids didn't come home...she found them locked in our parking lot! While we all tried not to laugh she told us she has instructed her children not to play there anymore, but we might want to check for children at the end of the day. Unfortunately we aren't the ones who control the gate, so we sent her downstairs to the guys who do.

The part of the story where we lost it was when she started explaining that they had a hell of a time getting the kids out. They got ladders and chairs...but one kid was really fat and they nearly killed themselves trying to hoist him over the fence. This is the sort of thing that makes me wish we had security cameras.

But here's the only question I have: Why didn't the kids climb the fence? We did it all the time when I was younger. Kids can't be that lazy these days, can they?

Groundhog's Day!

Well, Phil didn't see his shadow this morning so in theory we'll have an early spring, which I wouldn't complain about at all. Just make it a long one, holding summer off until the last possible moment.

The week has flown by, but not a whole lot to report. I get to see my Monie tonight for a movie and the boy tomorrow, and then Sunday I'm kidnapping Connie and we are heading into the city to play board games before the super bowl. All in all a nice, well rounded weekend.

Movie reviews to follow...