Breezy's Bluster

100 yrs. ago this week.

2007-08-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Two incredible women were born this week in 1907. The first was my Aunt Emma. The second was my paternal grandother. They were separated by only two days and half a state and came together when my mother and father got married when they were in their late fifties. They were two very different women and so important to me.

I'll try to gather my thoughts and post some more about these ladies this week.

Okay, I have some news!

2007-08-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

A dear friend just phoned. An indie movie is being filmed at her house. She's been talking Mark's Aussie accent up and has just called to ask him to stop by. One of their actors didn't work out, and they'd like him for a smalll part.

He's working only a couple of miles away from their house on a job site, so he's stopping by as soon as he's done.

Purty nifty!

I'm SO bad about updating!

2007-08-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Not much has changed in my life, which hasn't made for exciting posts. Sorry!

But i was told tonight that I apparently AMUSE some people with my nonsensical ramblings *waves and hair strokes* so I shall rise again. You decide f I rise like a phoenix or a cockroach LOL!

So...Hi :)

80 pounds!

2007-06-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

In the last six years, I've now officially lost 80 pounds. Well, actually, 82 pounds, but who is counting!! Oh yeah, ME!

Back in 2001, I was at my highest weight ever, closer to 300 pounds than 250. I wince when I say this, but it is part of my history, so I have to own it. then, I met Mark and caught a nasty intestinal bug, which seems to have kickstarted my sluggish metabolism. Six years later I've yo-yoed a little but seem to constantly be losing.

With my Italian and French genes, I was never a teeny tiny child, but when I hit puberty, I had two terrible accidents that laid me up for a grand total of nine months, and the weight piled on. And it stayed on. It seemed I'd gain a dozen pounds every couple of years, no matter what I did.

When I was in my early twenties, I went on a crash diet that nearly killed me. All to please a man, I kid you not. I was the ULTIMATE people pleaser and nearly lost my liver as a result.

I pretty much resigned myself to being a plus-sized girl for life, so it is so incredible to be shopping in the regular section of stores.

I don't see it myself. I don't FEEL like a success story, but the scale doesn't lie!

Only 30 more pounds to my goal weight! I'm at the same weight I was in high school now :)

Lovesac incoming!!!

2007-05-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

My new Lovesac will be here any day now! A Lovesac (is a little old place where... Whoooops! '80s moment there!) Anyway, A Lovesac is a bean bag type chair filled with durafoam. It is quite comfy and you can sink right into it. It is going to go into my sanctuary.

Yes, I FINALLY have a sanctuary! Since I work in the living room, I don't really have any quiet place to go. Some days I need to decompress into a quiet place where I can be alone. We're making our spare bedroom into my special place, since Mark has the downstairs rec room as his office.

Here's a pic of a Lovesac. We got "the big one", which is one size up and can double as a single bed.
http://www.shawndnelson.com/rebelShawn/images/rebel/Joe.JPG

The Lovesac, some bookshelves and a boom box will take up the room, which has been a storage/junk/spare room since we moved in. I'm so thrilled to have "my" space :)

Proofreading

2007-05-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Why would a business NOT utilize a proofreader for their signs and displays. In the last week, I've seen the following:

Furrciletie (instead of facility) on a sign at a local mall.

Japonncheese/Japonayze instead of Japanese on the menu of a steak place.

Raizonne beggel at a deli.

Why why WHY?? In this day and age, it would have been so easy to have had these words spelled correctly. It boggles my mind!

Citizenship?

2007-05-01T03:55:00.000-07:00

My husband shared a bombshell with me yesterday. He intends to apply for US Citizenship quite soon. To say that I"M STUNNED (and touched!) by this is an understatement.

Before we met, Mark had been to America once, about ten years ago. He found it to be very beautiful but he didn't really care for our rush rush rush culture.

When we initially met, it was online. We were friends for so long before it even had an inkling of becoming romantic, and when it did, things went so quickly. Within six months, we were engaged (sight unseen, we spent two entire months together, spent a few months apart, then all of a sudden 9/11 changed our whole perspective. We were at a crossroads about where to live.

Mark had his children in Australia, but jobs were few and far between. My family was here, yes, but I didn't have children or the ties that Mark retained. Still, the job picture looked MUCH better over here.

In the wake of 9/11, Mark came over for a visit, and never left. Getting married and spending our lives together as a married couple was more important than the details. And it took a while, but it worked out for his career path.

Even so, it is incredibly hard for both of us for him to be so far away from his children. One of his sons is in England, but the rest of his children are in Australia, 10,000 miles away.

Given that, I was a bit surprised that he wants to attain US citizenship. It will help his job, allowing his company to open up to a bigger market. And I'm touched that he wants to attain US citizenship. He will get to retain his Aussie citizenship and be a dual citizen and I guess that is the best of all worlds :)

How time flies!

2007-04-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Between my father's 64th B-day yesterday, the 25th anniversary of my granfdfather's death, and my birthday looming, it has been a time of reflection. I always thought I'd dread my thirties, but they have been the time of my life.

Since turning 30, I have...
Gotten engaged and married
Become a step-mom
Begun my *real* career, the one I always knew I was born to do
Re-connected with some friends I dearly missed
Worked in two industries that allowed me to really shine
Moved out of an apartment and into a townhouse
Became a property owner
Lost 75 pounds

Not too shabby for nearly six years of living!

Many congrats!

2007-03-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to offer my deepest congrats to my colleague and good friend, Heather Osborn. If you haven't heard yet, Heather will be leaving EC to run the paranormal line at Tor. Ec's loss is Tor's gain.

Congrats, H.!

Buh Bye Pathfinder!

2007-03-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

After six years of service, our little Pathfinder is finally being sold or donated to a charity (we're not sure yet). It died the last time two years ago and has been in a repair shop for amost a year. Unfortunately, the owner of said shop went under, disappeared, needless to say it has been an absolute nightmare, but it is almost over.

That car served us sooo well. When Mark couldn't find other work, he drove a courier route for six months and put about ten thousand miles on it. Mark first drove in snow (THREE FEET) during the blizzard in '02. It served us well and we have a wonderful nearly new car, but the SUV will always hold a place in my heart.

Mom update. She is out of the hospital and seems to be doing really well. She's having some stomach issues though, so is going through all sorts of wonderful tests at the moment. But her breathing is great and the last I knew, she hadn't smoked a cigarette since she became ill!

Good times...bad times

2007-02-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

This last month or so has been a time of both good and bad times. As I mentioned, we went up to RI to see my elderly aunt. She's a social butterly and LOVES her new nursing home.

Additionally, we just got some news that Mark may be able to travel to both London AND Hong Kong on a job. If so, I'm going along to London. Dave and Erin (oldest step-son, DIL) live there and there is a good possibility that Andrew (younger step-son) may be moving there as well.

And Hong Kong isn't too terribly far from Australia, all things considered. If we could swing it and I could come along, it'd be a great time to make a quick hop over to see the girls in Australia, especially since Deb might have had her baby by then! This is all in earliest stages so we don't know what will happen yet

But in the "bad times" portion of all of this, my mom is very ill in the hospital at the moment. A cold turned to bronchitis, and bronchitis turned to viral bronchitis, which has triggered her lungs (she has severe lung damage from her lifetime of smoking). They rushed her in last Friday and she was on oxygen all weekend and into the middle of this week. She finally is starting to sound better, so we're all optimistic that this is a wake up call and not a downward slide to emphysema and oxygen dependency.

Please keep her in your thoughts.

UPDATE

I just learned that her doctor isn't happy about her progress and is putting her on IV antibiotics despite the fact that she has viral bronchitis. She'll be in the hospital for the next few days.

what are people thinking??!??!

2007-01-16T00:09:00.000-08:00

Earlier this evening, we went to CVS pharmacy. A woman pulled in beside us, looked in the back seat, and walked inside.

Mark and I discussed this about fifteen minutes later and we walked out to look. Lo and behold there was a BABY in an UNLOCKED car. He thought it was just a baby seat.

We took down the lisence number and we went back into CVS looking for the mother. After she paid for her perscription (Mark found her in line and asked was that her car--she lied and said no), I found her looking at makeup and asked if it was her car. Ashmed, she scuttled out and I followed her.

Yes, while her baby SCREAMED in an unlocked car with NO supervision, adult or child she was LOOKING AT MAKEUP.

I wanted to call the police, Mark didn't want to. Coincidentally, we found a policeman in the 7-11 next door where we stopped next, and the cop was of the opinion that it was probably a one-time thing and it would be a pity to involve CPS etc.

Well, I see his point BUT it only takes one time for a child to be kidnapped, or choke or...my god, the possibilities send a chill up my spine.

Oh, did I mention that the CVS has a drive up perscription service??

The child wasn't a newborn but was definitely an infant (I'd say 3-6 months old).

Tell me, is this something most parents do? Common sense says hell no, but I also frown at kids eating dinner after eight on a school night, kids dressed inappropriately for the weather, or far too old for their chronological age, etc.

And I still feel saddened thinking of the kids who went to Manassas in a cab and shopped then went to dinner and waited for their mother. The girl wasn't older than ten and her brother couldn't have been more than six. Childhood is so fleeting...

Don't these people understand that children are our most precious gifts and it only takes one minute (not to mention 15-20) for something tragic to happen. Thinking of that baby alone in an unlocked car is horrifying!

18 years ago today

2007-01-02T07:05:00.000-08:00

On Jan 2, 1989 my father passed away after waging a six month battle against multi-systemic cancer. He met this battle with grace and courage that showed me the true measure of the man he was. I will always admire him for the way he met and waged that battle.

My father was a complex man who never seemed to wholly get beyond his time in Vietnam. I don't know what he did over there, since his mission was classified then, but I do know that whatever it was defined the rest of his life.

In many ways, my dad was an overgrown kid. I was a solemn child raised by women in their sixties, and my weekly visits with my father were the times I was carefree and was a typical kid. I needed those times more than anyone knew.

My father was the one person who understood me wholly. I was an enigma to a lot of people when I was young, but my father was able to easily see who I was and what I was about. I loved and admired him more than words can say.

He was a scrappy fighter, never reaching his potential. He had many different jobs in his life, from retail manager, to insurance salesman, to owner of a jewelry company. He was brilliant, quick witted, moody, full of life. He was the most genuine person I'd known.

My father's legacy lives in me. I have a very lighthearted and teasing side that comes out occassionally. He fostered my love for music and took me to my first concerts. Many of the "fun" activities of my childhood revolved around him, from concerts, to amusement parks, to Sunday afternoons playing Pac Man.

He was taken away from us far too young. But in those moments, as his body failed him, I saw the purest form of who he was and he will forever have my admiration for his courage. I know he tried to shield me from some of the horrors of his illness, though I could see him starving to death.

One story that perfectly illustrates my father is this. When he was so sick, he often became nauseous. He convinced one of his friends (also his nurse) to bring him in something to smoke that would help his nausea. He was absolutely unrepentant, saying that he deserved a little peace.

I hope he has it now. Rest in Peace, Dad. I wish I could have just one more moment with you.

Happy 2007!

2007-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

I hope your celebration was just as wonderful as mine :) I have a new computer now and it is soooo much faster than my seven year old one. Last night at midnight, I was relaxing with Mark and some friends in a quiet but nonetheless ideal way to spend a NYE. Today, there will probably be more of the same. I may *gasp* even do a little work. We'll see ;)

Resolutions

2006-12-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

The last week of the year is often a time of reflection for me. My resultions last year were to continue to lose weight and to expose myself to more classics of fiction and movies.

I didn't do very well on the second one, but I succeeded with the first resolution.

I've lost another 20 pounds this year, almost 75 pounds lost overall. I'm thrilled by my contiuing weight loss and hope to continue to lose in '07. My goal weight (a dream for more than fifteen years) is almost within my grasp. I have another 30 pounds to lose and I'll be there. It is possible for me and I'm thrilled to be moving down in weight after so many years of staying steady/gaining.

So, my resultions and goals for '07 are...
To lose another 15+ pounds in the next 12 months.
To take time doing what gives me my biggest joy every day.
To read more classic books and to watch more classic movies.
To continue to be there for my friends and to make a difference. Yes, this is directed toward *you* A.B. Where's my email .
To love wholly, to live fully, to give my heart to my work, to laugh heartily every single day.
To enjoy the small daily miracles of life.

That sounds like a pretty good list to me!

8 years ago...

2006-12-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

Eight years ago, my very beloved paternal grandmother died in her mid-nineties. She was a heck of a woman, one of the earliest women to graduate with a teaching degree in my state in the late 1920s and taught all of her professional life. She taught me a love of learning and a love of reading that is still a very important part of my life. She was a remedial reading tutor and used to take me along sometimes when she had tutoring sessions. I learned reading at four years old through those lessons, but more importantly, I learned compassion for children who had learning problems.

Through her holiday gifts of dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses, my love of reading (and writing) helped to get me through some hard times when I was growing up.

More than that, she taught me that friendship transcends years. She was my best friend, my mentor, and in most things my confidante. She was the one who told me my first engagement was a mistake. She was the one who gently suggested that my then-fiance may not have been *the one* for me. She was the one who always maintained that I needed to work in the publishing industry. She was my champion when illness forced me to stop working in my then-chosen career. She was the one, the ONLY one, who told me I would do great things in my life throughout my childhood and into my twenties. She took my battered self-esteem and quietly but resolutely built me up when I'd fallen.

Up until her death, she was one of the smartest women I have ever known. Her nimble mind and interest in public affairs and current events was unparalleled, even as her body broke down under the stress of her many years. I cried tears along with her when her eyesight went, and I held her hand after a broken hip and osteoporosis weakened her system.

And she taught me that a mother's grief can be so profound, a blow from which some never truly recover. She was never the same after we lost my father to cancer. He had spent his last days craving certain foods and she never ate any of those again. It was just too painful. My grief was extreme, but hers was paralyzing. She spent the rest of her days being another parent to me, and I know she did it as much for herself as she did to help me.

Through two marriages, she nursed her husbands through illnesses, and sent them off in dignity. In fact, she married her second husband after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She took that burden on with grace and dignity and made the last few months of his life as fulfilling as she could.

Her death hit me VERY hard, since she was the last remaining member of my father's family (My father had died 9 yrs. and 361 days before her). I maintain that my father (who died Jan 2, ten years previously) and my grandfather (who died Jan 1 twenty years previously) were there to bring her to her afterlife. It is a comforting thought that stays with me.

As I sit here, surrounded by books, working in the publishing industry, married to the *perfect* man for me, my grandmother's influence surrounds me and has shaped my life.

I miss her a lot (I SO wish she could have met Mark!) but I know she's always looking out for me.

Thanks for reading this!

RIP, President Ford

2006-12-27T02:55:00.000-08:00

President Gerald R. Ford is the first president I clearly remember, though I do recall asking my mother why Nixon was resigning. I was too young to comprehend much about his presidency, but I definitely recognized him as a very important person in the world. RIP, President Ford.

Happy holidays!

2006-12-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a very happy holiday!

More exciting family news!

2006-12-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

My eldest step-daughter is expecting a baby! This means that come June, Mark will be a grandpa :)

Yet another post on family

2006-12-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

I was so surprised to find that Will replied to my post about "Cousin Luke". It was so interesting to read his recollections :)

I guess I'm stuck on the family topic of late, and most especially how patterns repeat themselves in mine. There are some very serious issues concerning my elderly aunt and the burden of strain on my mother in particular. We were chatting on the phone today and as we spoke, it really became clear that patterns repeat themselves. Not with my mother, but with another member of the family.

The older this person gets, the more they remind me of my maternal grandmother. Sarcastic quips are just the beginning. Sigh. I wish people could look themselves in the mirror and see how they're patterning themselves in ways that are NOT admirable!

Things could be different in my family but everyone has to want to be committed to it, and that isn't happening. Its too bad. Things were so wonderful down here on Thanksgiving when my folks and Mark's son and DIL were here. It saddens me that we can't have that with the rest of my mom's family.

Ah, their loss!

Giving thanks

2006-11-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day in over two weeks that we haven't spent with extended family, and it feels a bit TOO quiet! David and Erin flew back to the UK yesterday after spending two weeks in America, and my mother and step-dad went home on Friday. They all had a wonderful time and we enjoyed having them.

Our Las Vegas trip took a couple of surprising twists and turns and lo and behold, we now own a property on the Vegas Strip! I can't wait to start taking advantage of all the plusses this timeshare offers us, most importantly the opportunity to go to Australia every couple of years or so.

Spending time with Dave and Erin was fabulous. I've only met both of them once, and Erin had onlt met Mark a couple of times. To say I was nervous and worried is an understatement, but from the moment we met them in JFK airport to them leaving yesterday, it was almost TOO ideal. They're wonderful people and we had a fabulous time!

And Vegas...WOW! I hadn't been tp Vegas in ten year and my how it has changed! We stayed mid-strip at the Treasure Island, and spent much of our time around there. The Mirage, the Wynn,Ceasar's Palace and the Fashion Show Mall were close by and it was a short tram ride to the MGM Grand, Luxor and Excalibur.m We did the strip from top to bottom and also took a day trip to the Hoover Dam, and even saw Britney Spears at the Palms.

In fact, we saw a TON of celebs, from Howie Mandel and the Deal or No Deal girls, to Britney, Jorge Garcia from Lost, The folks from the A&E show Inked (their tatoo parlor is in the Palms), Paul Stanley from the band Kiss, Pete Rose, Haylie Duff, Paris and Nicole, and a lot of people that we vaguely recognized but couldn't put a name to.

The buffets were all they were promised to be and more. We especially liked the Bellagio breakfast buffet and the Wynn dinner buffet. After all we ate, I was stunned to see that I'd actually LOST a pound there, but then again we did a LOT of walking!

We didn't get to many shows, but I'm really hoping to see one of the Cirque Du Soleil ones whenever we go back.

We did Thanksgiving in Northern VA. at a really great buffet and the kids dragged us out to after Thanksgiving sales. 3.99 DVds are SO in my budget :)

Since Dave and Erin are working in England through early 2008, we're not going to go to Australia until they're back there, but are very likely to go to England next year sometime.

All in all, the trip couldn't have been more ideal from start to finish and I have to give thanks to my wonderful family for that :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

This year especially, I have a great deal to be thankful for. My step-son and daughter in law came over from England to celebrate with us. And my parents came down from Rhode Island to meet "offspring" and "wife of offspring". We've had an absolutely brilliant time!

The meaning of the season is found in the banter and chat, in the games we've played and the laughs we've shared. Throughout, we've all been very thankful for all that we have.

I hope you've shared love and laughter, good times, good food and family with your loved ones today and always.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Bree

Five years ago tomorrow...

2006-11-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Five years ago, on November 8, 2001, Mark and I got married.

We first met on the Internet in 1999, after a friend pulled me into a chat room to meet a married guy she was interested in.

Mark was telecommuting that day, something he never does. He and his then-wife and I struck up a conversation and I had to wrench myself away at four in the morning. When I signed off, I knew Mark was going to be a significant presence in my life.

We became very close friends over the next year, as his marriage dissolved and he began living as a single man for the first time since his teens. We talked every day, and I grew to care deeply for him, but never admitted it to him, for myriad reasons.

In early April, 2001, he began to start dating, and I had to face how emotionally draining it was on me. On my 30th birthday, I decided that I had to let his friendship go, because it could never work for us and I was way too emotionally involved. I avoided him for a few days, unable to sever the bond we had. Then, he called me and asked what the problem was. I explained all my insecurities and things I'd kept from him. There was a long pause, broken only by static. Then, he said the words that forever changed both of our lives "I only have one question to ask. Will you marry me?"

I still remember my reaction, a combination of shock and hope. I said yes, stunned that he'd even consider marrying me when he hadn't even see a recent pic of me. But that was what made Mark so special...he'd fallen in love with my heart, my soul
and my mind. We first met two weeks later when I flew to Australia. It was the trip of a lifetime, made all the more sweet by the man who was beside me, through the Outback, in big cities and small. We got to know each other personally then and forged a bond that transcended romance or friendship.

In November, he came over for a visit, and while he was here and we were investigating the hoops we'd have to go through to get him a spousal visa in the wake of 9/11, we were told that if we got married spontaneously, he would be able to adjust his status with Immigration at a later date. We debated this for a few days then decided to go for it.

Forty-eight hours later, we'd lined up a lawyer who would officiate,purchased our wedding rings, I had an non-traditional wedding outfit, and he had a new suit. None of our families could make it--all of his were in Australia and mine in Rhode Island.

Two very good friends were our witnesses and the ceremony was done in five minutes. It was the beginning of a new phase in both of our lives.

Five years later, our bond has only strengthened and firmed. We barely resemble the people we were that day, love and support and companionship has changed both of us in so many ways.

Next week, we'll be celebrating and renewing our vows in Las Vegas, with Mark's eldest son and new daughter-in-law by our sides. Seeing the kids is the best present either of us could give the other.

Today, Mark apologized for not having gotten me a present. We're forgoing presents this anniversary to celebrate with our family next week, though I cheated and got Mark a book from his favorite author. And regarding presents, ah, but he has given
me one incredible present. I have a constant companion in him, a best friend who shows me the woman I can be. He gave me himself five years ago and that is the most precious gift any two people can share.

Happy anniversary, Schmoopie Bear! Here's to the future!

Oct TBR

2006-11-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

A little late here, but I finished this book last night in between the cutest little trick or treaters :)

Dark Dream by Christine Feehan and Marjorie Liu was a library rental. I'd already read Christine Feehan's story I'd already read, but Marjorie's was a new one.

This story captivated me from the first few words and I really enjoyed it!

Things I learned this week

2006-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

When deer are directly spoken to, some will wag their tails.

Deer loved to be scratched behind their ears and around their antlers.

Alpaca really don't smell very nice.

Baby white tigers are beyond cute :)

The MD State Attny.Gen's office are incredible!

My cousin worked on a movie set recently.

Reading three heavy nonfiction titles in a row pretty much grinds my reading to a halt.

When Mark is working in NY, spectacular events happen. This is the third time in as many months...

I answer work email MUCH more quickly than personal email (Sorry AJ, Ange, Mandy and Erin!)

Mark is obviously stalked by the anti-snow fairy. Honey, deal with it and get over it! You may NEVER see snow again.

That's all for now! More later :)

Belated Sept TBR post

2006-10-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Tangent here....why do Blogger and my cookies hate each other?? I haven't been able to get on here all weekend because they can't find my cookies, which ARE there... Bleh!

Anyway, here's my review of a book in a series.

Title: The Family Trade

Author: Charles Stross

Year published: 2004

Book Description: (Via Amazon)
Reporter Miriam Beckstein, recently fired for exposing a money laundering scheme and threatened by the criminals involved, finds that staring at her mother's antique brooch can move her from contemporary America to a Viking-settled parallel universe, where she discovers her true heritage as a countess among the world-walking, goods-smuggling Clan. Struggling to master the mores and politics of her new family, Miriam discovers trust to be the rarest commodity in which they deal. Earl Roland, her new love, may be too loyal to her uncle, Duke Angbard, while Roland's intended, the Baroness Olga, is much more than a silly heiress waiting to be married off. Miriam schemes to update the Clan's ancient business and make herself invaluable to their interests, before one of the many assassins after her succeeds.

Why did you get this book? I picked it up ages ago, and when rearraging my living room, pulled it from the back of a bookshelf.

Did you enjoy the book? I really enjoyed it a lot! Miriam had me rooting for her from the first pages of the book. I really enjoyed the world-buildin. There were a few small niggles that kept working at me, but overall it was a very solid read.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? I've seen his books before, but this is the first oneI've purchased. I'll be reading the next books in the series as soon as i can get my hands on them.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Keeping for now!

ubook reader

2006-09-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

I love this piece of software for my Pocket Pc (the Palm version is terrible) but I just wish it would behave. I loaded some zipped html books onto my memory card and it sees the zip files but nothing inside them. Bleh!

Guess I'll spend part of this relaxing morning troubleshooting it!

I love weekend mornings :)

2006-09-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

Lately, my work life has been so packed that I've not been able to take a breath in over a week. This morning it was so nice to get up and relax. I actually watched some TV.

I really have come to enjoy quiet weekend mornings. Typically, Mark gets up and chats with his kids. I usually listen and do paperwork or read a magazine or just relax. It is the equivalent of family time around a kitchen table.

My Mom's family is Italian, and when we all lived in the same small town, everyone would gravitate to my grandparents' house on a Saturday morning and sit around the kitchen table. When I was really young, my grandfather and I would go for walks (Usually to the library LOL!) or just hang out watching TV or kick a soccer ball around. My grandmother would have danishes and the coffeepot would always be on. We're a pretty small family. At that point in time, I was the only grandchild and my mother has two brothers (one deceased) and only one sister. We'd spend mornings and early afternoons just visiting. It was really nice :)

Sunday mornings, on the other hand were frenetic. My dad lived about fifty miles away and Sunday was our visiting day. I'd have to be up and freshly scrubbed and waiting for him to arrive any time between eight and nine, depending on the traffic. When he'd arrive, we drive down to his mother's house, where she'd feed and coddle us for hours. On the way home, we'd often stop some place and just hang out, the two of us. For the longest time, we stopped at a small place and played Ms. Pac Man. Gosh, am I dating myself or what!

Since I moved away from home, weekend haven't usually been a fun time. I spent too long in retail management and would usually have to be at my job early on both Saturday and Sunday. Later on in other jobs, weekends were usually the MOST important time. Then, when Mark came into my live, we did courier routes on Sturdays and sometimes Sundays.

Then I started working from home. My computer is in the living room, so fully escaping work on the weekends didn't work for me at our old place. Only in the last year have I tried to take weekends off, only working if Mark has to work as well. I've recaptured the weekends in a big way.

Now, on Saturdays I'm chiming in on the voice conferences with the kids, or, if they're not around, we're either reading books on the couch or playing a board or card game at the table. This relaxation is a very nice thing to have recaptured!

Erm....Hi guys!

2006-09-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Mark just told my two step-sons about this blog...so...erm...hey guys :)

Update:He's threatened me with dismemberment if I don't remove it. Mark? Shmoopie Bear, dear? You're the greatest ;)

Crazy few days

2006-09-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy few days here! Late Saturday morning, a car plowed into the house across the street!

About 11 Am on Saturday, I heard a huge bang. I called down to my husband, who was in our rec room, but he couldn't see anything and neither could I. It sounded to me like someone had slammed a moving truck door closed loudly. To Mark, it sounded like metal falling. About ten minutes later, ambulances and firetrucks started to arrive.

Some poor person smashed their car into the end unit across the street. The person was either able to get out of the car themselves or was helped out and was rushed to the hospital.

There was a gaping hole in the house that the firemen and then a contractor reinforced with huge wooden beams. The car was pretty much stopped by the brick foundation, which reaches to about waist level, but the upper part of whatever room that was is destroyed :( Thankfully, it seems that nobody else was hurt, though I imagine if anyone was home, they had the fright of their lives!

Lots of excitement here!

Sunday, we went to Borders to try to escape the heat. We were lucky enough to come in on the last day of a sale where all cafe items were 75% off, including Republic of Tea cylinders. These are gourmet teas and the best I've ever tasted. I was able to get a couple of cylinders of my favorite (Blackberry Sage) and try a few other favorites (Spring Cherry, Ginger Peach, Pomegranate). I'm going to have some very tasty iced tea in my future.

We just hung out at the Borders for a couple of hours and I forgot how fun that was. I pulled a half dozen fantasy books off the shelf and read first chapters. I did limit myself to buying only two books, though ;) Since I burned through my birthday gift certificate in four months, I'm having to limit myself, which is always a good way to test my willpower.

Our air conditioning was fixed yesterday, so all is well in our place :)

Instead of the average 9/11 post, I'm trying to do something

2006-09-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

a little more positive. 9/11 hit incredibly close to home for me, since I'd been on Flight 76 (the LAX to IAD--Washington Dulles) flight the night before and at the time, I lived within spitting distance of the Pentagon. Anyway...I thought I'd do a 5 years on post with maybe a little positivity.

5 year changes. What has changed in my life since Sept. 2001

I got married!

Mark and I married in Nov,2001. I've learned so much about love and commitment, about the good times and the bad, of sacrifice and breaking the habit of self-sabotage in these last 5 years. Moreover, Mark emphasizes to me every day that I am a desirable woman. After all the *second best* I'd been, you have no idea how valuable my partership and marriage are. We have most DEFINITELY had our share of the good and the bad, and I've finally found a man who is a real man of character and commmitment.

I have a wonderful sister in law!

My brother got married in 2004! His wife, Jen, is as as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I always wanted a sister and now I have one! If you weren't so sweet, Jen, the green-eyed monster could take hold ;)

I "found" my career.

This was HUGE! I'd been working doing things that I wasn't passionate about for far too damn long! In '02, I started editing and in early '03 joined my present company. I also had the pleasure to be involved with some charity work, which was immensely informative.

My second female cousin was born.

Meg was born in 2004! I have yet to meet her, but she looks adorable from her pictures.

I became a stepmom!

This goes along with the whole marriage thing! It hasn't always been perfect or ideal, but I care deeply for my 4 step-children and can't wait until November when David, the eldest, and his wife Erin come to visit.

My household grew by leaps and bounds.

I went from 2 cats to 7 cats in 5 years, including two who were imported from Australia.

I'm down almost 70 pounds from my highest weight in 2001.

I was looking at some pictures of my Australia trip in June 2001 yesterday, and I never really comprehended just how large I was then! It was a real eye-opening moment yesterday when the veil came off and I truly saw myself for who I was then physically. Since puberty (which began at the ripe old age of 8), I've had weight issues. I have never been successful at losing weight before but now I lose at least a pound a week on average.

I live in a house now.

Don't laugh! Since I went away to college until 2004, I had lived in apartments. In '04 a flood messed up our apartment and we moved to a wondeful townhouse. That didn't work out but by some miracle we were able to find this townhouse, same floor plan and same development, just two streets away from the first townhome. We've been here almost 2 years and have extended our lease by 3 more years. We're seriously considering buying this place at the end of the lease.

I've faced down my biggest fear this year.

In the last six months, I've had two cancer scares,melanoma on the back of my eye, and breast cancer. My dad died in 1989 of multi-systemic cancer at the age of 45 and my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer when she was barely over 40. So many members of my family have died of cancer that it is shocking...very rarely does a family member die at an advanced age. And something I've worried about for many years. 5 generations on my maternal side have battled breast cancer and for all except Mom, the cancer has won.

I made peace with myself some time ago and always sort of wondered how I'd cope with a cancer scare. Two in the same year seemedincomprehensible. But it happened and I'm living proof that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I had to radically change a few of my habits, as per eye doc's orders, but I'm okay and I coped a lot better than I ever thought I could.

I got to share something very special with Mark.

No not that LOL! This past year, I've gotten to share one of my old passions with Mark and he got to meet some friends from that period of my life.

I've reconnected with old friends!

Getting back in touch with Ange and Cris has been incredible :) You guys knew the old me and I'm so glad to show you the new me! And Cris, if you're reading, do I EVER have some pictures for you!

And how can I forget reconnecting with my guys. You held my hand through the darkness and taught me SO much!

Giving thanks

As well as reconnecting with old friends, I had the chance to give thanks to some VERY significant people in my life. When we're wrapped up in our 'stuff', it is so easy to lose what brings you together. David and Karen in particular were my lifeline when my Dad was dying. Funnily enough, David used to date my mother many years ago. I had always appreciated their friendship and support in those dark days, but I'd never told them just how much their friendship meant to me. I was able to write a letter a few years ago and get it delivered to them. They're still so close to my heart.

In the last five years, I've also been able to thank C., K. G. and R. They'll never know just how much they meant to me. Or maybe they will...it has been a great many years since our paths have crossed, but age has deepened the sweetness of our friendship.

And Paula...I can't WAIT to see you again, my friend!

And Denise (and Dave!) thank you for your nearly instant friendship. You offered support when I was at my most worried.

And C. ...who went from an actor on a tv show to a friend. I was so happy to have been involved in your F.C. You made my "non-honeymoon" full of laughter and fun. May the light always show you and your beautiful wife the way. Mark and I couldn't think of a better way to spend our honeymoon weeken...errr...scratch that!

And with that, thanks to A. for being the trailblazer. Girl, success will greet you at every turn. I am so happy for you!

And I can't forget J. and S. Twenty-five years I had to wait for it but it was so wonderful and so sweet.Thank you! Thank you so much for making it happen! You were VERY missed! J. when you met my eyes for the first time in 13 yrs. it was like old times....with a difference...Mark. I'm so glad you two were in the same space.

I have two happily married step-children!

David and Erin were married earlier this year and Deborah and HER David (yes, we have a wealth of Davids in the family. There's my dad, my step-dad, my brother, my step-son and my step-son-in law. All new Davids have to change their name at the door ;) were married in 2004.

Life is good. Physically, I've never felt better. Emotionally, I have never felt more grounded. As September 10th fades into September 11th, I feel so blessed to be here typing this post. Not everyone has that luxury.

In the spirit of spreading the positivity and honoring those we lost, I challenge you to do a positive post about your life, 5 years after the event that changed all of our lives.

Thanks for reading!
Briana

Semi health update

2006-09-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

My aunt's S.O. did NOT have a stroke, thank goodness They're still determining what the problem is, but so far it doesn't look too serious.

Update:Today's tests say he had a veryMILD stroke...so that is the latest news.

family stresses

2006-09-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

It never rains when it can pour!

My uncle was admitted to the hospital last week for a suspected heart attack. Thankfully, his heart is okay, and the chest pain was due to an excess of caffeine. YIKES!

Then, yesterday, I learned that my aunt's S.O. had a stroke yesterday and it probably wasn't his first. He's very young (50) for this sort of thing, so it is a big concern!

catching up

2006-09-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I got on a cleaning jag this weekend. Saturday, I completely rearranged my living room, moving furniture and getting rid of some junk.

Yesterday, it was time for me to go through my clothes. Since we were in Chicago for a good chunk of late fall/early winter last year, I just gathered up a half dozen tops and pairs of pants, a couple of pairs of shoes, and that was that. I haven't actually gone through winter clothes or weeded them out for two years.

It was VERY necessary to do this, since, depending on the age of the clothes, they were either 1, 2, or *3*(!!!) sizes too big. Even the few things I bought last year were purchased 25 pounds ago, and were a bit baggy.

So, I took 2 hours and did a HUGGGE purge. I have 3 garbage bags full of everything from semi dressy pants, holiday shirts, and comfy pajamas ready to go to Freecyclers.Unfortunately, due to the cut of most of these outfits, taking them in doesn't make sense. Ahh...my loss is someone else's gain.

And I have very few things that actually fit well. Who knew this losing weight thing would result in a new wardrobe?? Well, okay I KNEW it but knowing it is one thing and having it happen is another thing ENTIRELY.

I'm in this middle area where some plus sizes fit but yet others are huge on me, but many fitted regular size tops are a bit too tight in the shoulders/bust, so shopping will be interesting until I'm down another 20 pounds or so. I did have a HUGGGGE victory Friday when I fit comfortably into a size large top. The last time that happened was...um...never!

Of course, I did do a little shopping last Friday...got a gorgeous suede blazer for 20.00 (Gotta love outlets!) and have picked up a few pairs of jeans in passing, but I'm up for some new dressy clothes (at least one pair of pants and a dressy top).

And a friend of mine sent me to a 'virtual model' website where I could plug in my measurements and then see what I'd look like at my goal weight. WOW, was THAT inspiration!

Speaking of friends, another thing I did this weekend was reconnect with some old friends. It was great to chat on the phone at length and find out how these two incredible ladies are doing :)

RIP Steve Irwin

2006-09-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Cat (my room mate) has always been a huge fan of Animal Planet. Some...gosh about 10 years ago, she dragged me over to the tv and had me watch the Croc Hunter show. I was very amused. Here was this very handsome guy acting as excited as a little child about animals. There was something very appealing about him, though it was easy to mock his over-the-top enthusiasm.

When I went to Australia in 2001 to meet Mark, we found ourselves driving through Queensland, on the way to visit his brother in Mackay. Cat asked us to stop at the Australia Zoo and pick up some sort of souvenir for her.

We waffled a bit, since it was some 60 mile detour and time was really tight. Finally, we decided to spend a morning there. When we arrived in the town, on a Saturday night, we were surprised at how small it was. We ended up in a motel (if it could be called that!) and headed out to the zoo early Sunday morning.

I remember that there was just brilliant sunlight and the weather was perfect! Almost as soon as we went through the gate, it became clear that this wasn't just a tourist trap. The staff was absolutely wonderful, answering questions and engaging us in dialogue.

I had been hoping to pet a kangaroo, and had been denied again and again. A week earlier, we had been at an outdoor nature park and a kangaroo mercilessly teased me. He'd let me get close (yep, they did allow you to pet the kangas) then playfully hop away.

A few days earlier, we'd gone to a Koala reserve, and I'd gotten to cuddle with a koala (which was just a wonderful experience) so kangas were the only animals I really wanted to pet, if possible.

We approached the kanga pens, and lo and behold, they allowed patrons to roam around the pens. We had a great chat with a staff member about albino kangas, and yes, I got to pet a few.

The zoo was laid out wonderfully, and we had an absolutely wonderful time there. The highlight of the day was seeing Steve's wife, Terri, feeding some wombats. Sadly, Steve wasn't out and about that day.

That day, I really became aware of Steve as more than an outrageous Tv personality. The love he had for animals was evident in every square inch of his home zoo.

Steve will definitely be missed. He packed a lot of living and passion into his 44 years on this earth. I hope his family continues his legacy.

Here are some links to some pix of our day at the Aussie Zoo

Front gate

Albino kanga

Mark petting a kanga

I finally get to pet a kanga

Feeding some dingoes

August TBR complete!

2006-08-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Title: A Fistful Of Charms

Author: Kim Harrison

Year published: 2006

Book Description: Witch Rachel Morgan must leave The Hollows to find her ex-boyfriend, Nick, who has spirited her partner's son away and is engaging in illegal activities. Young Jax, a pixie, could be in danger from the cool weather. When Rachel learns that her ex-boyfriend has stolen a priceless were artifact, things get much more tense. To further complicate things, she and Jenks had a major falling out when she withheld some information from him, fearing that he'd share it with others. They have to learn to regain their professional relationship if Jax and Nick are to be saved.

Why did you get this book? Because I own the entire series, though I cheated and read this as a library book.

Did you enjoy the book? I did! I loved the fact that Jenks was a large part of the story and I enjoyed see Nick's true colors finally emerge. The book was different from what I expected, and isn't my favorite of the series, but I did enjoy it!

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? she's not new to me and I absolutely will read more of her books.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? It is on my keeper shelf :)

huuge stress off my shoulders

2006-08-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

The lease on our townhome will expire at the end of Sept. We REALLY didn't want to move again., esp. since we moved into our first townhome and the owners sold it after we'd been there only 4.5 mos. BY some miracle we found this place, two streets away and virtually the same floor plan.

Anyway...we heard back from the landlord, who is going to extend our lease by three years, with an option to buy. I'm absolutely THRILLED!

Watch out world, my BIL has the Internet!

2006-07-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law is a shameless rogue! He's an absolute sweetheart but is such a flirt. Stephen has just gotten the Internet at his house and the funny emails are already flowing. And to make it even better, he types the same way he speaks...I can almost hear his voice as I read his emails.

I've only been able to meet Stephen once, but I know we'll have an...err..lively (yeah...lively, that's a safe word!) email relationship in the future.

July TBR challenge complete

2006-07-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Title: Hide In Plain Sight

Author: Michele Albert

Year published: 2006

Why did you get this book? It grabbed my attention at the library.

Do you like the cover? It was very eye catching.

Did you enjoy the book? I did. I was in the mood for this sort of romantic suspense. I love romantic thrillers that have a DaVinci Code feel and this reminded me favorably of Rachel Lee's Crimson Code.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?
Apparently this is third in a series...oops! So I'll be reading the others
Are you keeping it or passing it on? It is going back to the library but I'll get a copy of my own.

I'll try to add some more details later :)

How quickly time flies!

2006-07-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in nearly a month--Ack!

What's new? Mark has been away for much of the month, in New York working on a huge project. He'll be home this Friday. It'll be nice to see him again LOL! I haven't minded the time away, since I've been keeping quite busy, but even so...it isn't the same around here without him!

Biiig family news. We'll be entertaining one of Mark's offspring this fall. David (eldest son) and his wife, Erin, are coming over to the States for a couple of weeks. We're all going on a trip together and will probably renew our wedding vows then.

It'll be absolutely brilliant to see David and Erin again!!!

The family comedy show!

2006-07-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Due to the wonders of the Internet, my DH and I currently chatting with my step-son (in London), my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law (In Australia) at the same time. This conference has been going on maybe fifteen minutes and we've been roaring with laughter at least ten of those minutes. It is great fun :)

I love this program we use to chat...it is called Skype and is really wonderful :) Mark speaks with both his sons every Saturday. One is in Australia and one is in England and of course, we're in America. For calls over the Internet it is totally free, and when you call from the Internet to people who have land line or mobile phones, the price is a fraction of a cent per minute.

What a fab way to start the weekend :)

RIP Jim Baen

2006-06-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

On a visit to Baen's Bar this evening, I learned that Jim Baen has passed away, as a result of a terrible stroke he suffered earlier this month.

Mr. Baen, the founder of Baen Books, was a visionary on so many levels. He had quite the eye for talent and he made a little publisher grow into a highly respected science fiction/fantasy press. So many of the Baen books have found their way onto my electronic and physical bookshelves.

Yes...electronic shelves as well. Back in '99 there were only a few electronic publishers in town. I'd been aware of Dreams Unlimited (now defunct) NCP and Hard Shell Word Factory, but I had always hoped for more...

Then, I discovered Baen's "Webscriptions", where electronic versions of their paper books were made for sale, in a grouping of 4 a month for the bargain price of 10.00. 10.00 for *FOUR* books (This was later raised to five books)? I was so excited! I could purchase the books, download them in html, rtf, Palm or Rocket format. I had just purchased my first PDA, a Handspring Visor model, and the fact that they had the Palm format made loading the books onto my machine a one click operation.

The books I bought the first month were Change Of Command, Rules Of Engagement, and Once a Hero by Elizabeth Moon and Minds, Machines and Evolution by James P. Hogan. By the second and third months, books from SF/Fantasy greats like David Weber,S.M. Stirling, Eric Flint, Losi McMaster Bujold, Roberta Gellis, and Mercedes Lackey resided on my PDA and computer.

I had always been a casual science fiction and fantasy fan, but the ease of reading these ebooks helped my interest grow.

I'd often take advantage of the gradual release of Webscription books. Baen released parts of each book a couple of months before the book's release, so someone who had sbscribed to the month's books could have 2/3 or so read before the book released.

Then, the Baen free library became active. Here was a place where the publisher was releasing FREE coopies of books, in the hopes that it would entice the reader to purchase an entire series. And it seems to have worked!

More recently, Baen created electronic ARCs for purchase. Releasing months before the actual book released, these EARCs were for sale for a predetermined time. They're a great way for die-hards to read an unproofed copy of the book.

They also enclosed CD roms in first edition hardcovers of some of their books. These Cd roms contained Baen Ebooks and were, for many, their first introduction to electronic books.

Just this month, Baen's Universe, a short story magazine debuted. This electronic magazine features stories from a "who's who" of the greats of science fiction and fantasy as well as many new authors.

I may have found a love for science fiction and fantasy without Baen and I may have found my way into electronic publishing without discovering Baen and devouring the Webscription books...who can tell? But I do know that Baen Books helped nurture my love of ebooks, of science fiction and fantasy among many other things, and for that, I offer my deepest thanks to Jim Baen.

Author David Drake has a eulogy to Mr. Baen up on his website. It is definitely worth the read. It can be found here.

"As The Paw Swats" A feline soap opera

2006-06-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

When we last chatted on June 5, I mentioned the fact that a neighborhood cat (Baxter) had caught the eye of two of my cats (Moonlight and Nala). Now, dear readers, the situation has gotten even more thorny.

Goose has again caught the eye of our one male (well still SEMI-male) cat Cinders . Goose and Cinders were a serious item before he left her for Nala.

Cinders and Nala have had a long-time flirtation/cuddle relationship and he seems quite jealous that she and Baxter are flirting now.

Baby Moonlight (picture to come) seems overjoyed that she has Baxter all to herself...for now...but Baxter may be cruelly cast aside for a possum who has made our deck his new hang out. Moonlight is just fascinated with him!

Stay tuned for more As The Paw Swats!

Anyone got an ark??

2006-06-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

I was planning on relaxing this weekend after a month of serious medical worries were finally resolved positively on Friday.

Instead, I wondered if I should start building an ark. The rain has been falling...and falling. We've gotten almost 10 inches of rain in the last 4 days. 6+ poured down in the last 12 hours or so.

We're okay here, for the moment, but we lost traction on the road home twice yesterday. When we left home for a quick trip to the grocery store, it was raining moderately. Twenty minutes later, the neighborhood creek had overflowed and covered the roadway with about a foot of water. Eeek! The visibility was so terrible that we didn't even see it until we were going through it.

DC is a mess...some metro stops have been closed,Amtrak has stopper service, the Beltway was closed overnight after a mudslide. Yep, a *mudslide*! And we're expecting more torrential rains this evening...actually for the entire week!

I've never been happier to work at home! Unfortunately, Mark is doing a one-day business trip today, so I sure hope he gets to NYC and back without any problems!

June TBR

2006-06-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

Finished the June TBR earlier this week.

Title:Dead As a Doornail

Author:Charlaine Harris

Year published:2005

Why did you get this book? This was recommended to me by two or three people in the past, but when my book club read the first in the series, my interest solidified and I've read all the books in this series in the last month

Do you like the cover? Not particularly. Her covers are bright but they don't grab me.

Did you enjoy the book? Yes, I did. It was my favorite of the series so far! I really like the way she keeps adding to her world, and the shape-shifter/Were storyline grabbed me even more than the vampires have in past books.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? I'd certainly heard of her, but before this month, I hadn't read any of her books. I read the first five books in this series back to back.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? It has already been passed on.

Catching up again

2006-06-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Life has been...frenetic...these last couple of weeks, both in good and ominous ways. As of Friday, the ominous is behind me, thank God! Its been a very rough road, but against the odds, everything IS okay!

Breaking up all the serious stuff were some fantastic evenings out with both old friends and new. It is amazing what a shared experience will do to bond people.

Otheriwse, the month has been filled with botched haircolor, a few concerts, a lot of work, and some great reading.

It is raining like CRAZY here!! It has been raining on and off (mostly on) since Thursday night. The cats (and the possum that hangs out on our deck) have been fascinated!

I actually finished the TBR challenge a bit early and will post about my book in a few minutes.

Soap opera in my house!

2006-06-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Well, more accurately on my deck! A very friendly neighborhood cat has been coming over to visit and sun himself recently, and he's caught the eye of both Moonlight and Nala.

Picture this scene, which happens multiple times a day.

Baxter, a gorgeous ginger cat with almost clear green eyes comes up and stares in the window. Moonlight must sense or smell him because even if she's in another part of the house asleep, she awakens, leaps up, and gallops to the window, where she scratches the glass madly. He head-butts the window affectionately. Nala investigates and rubs against the window. He head-butts her. Both of my cats glare daggers at each other. Baxter backs off a few paces and suns himself, satisfied that both of my cats have seen and appreciated him. As they begin playfully wrestling, he watches, a little smug cat smile on his face.

It is QUITE amusing, LOL!

New glasse--whew!

2006-05-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

Just over two weeks ago, I got a new pair of glasses. My perscription had changed quite a bit and it was plainly time to get my glasses updated.

So...I trotted off to Lenscrafters and picked out a new pair. The frame shape was quite different to my existing pair, so I expected a few days of adjustment.

That wasn't what I got. It was so much worse! I expected a little disorientation the first day, maybe even a little nausea. Instead, it was constant and coupled with daily headaches, some of which were very severe.

I went back to Lenscrafters. They tried adjusting the fit. I gave it a couple more days. By this point, I couldn't read well out of the left eye. I wondered if it could be simply eye strain, since I'd been spending quite long hours working.

It wasn't :( I started to worry, wondering if my perscription had changed and if an eye problem that made itself known was rearing its head. I tried my perscription sunglasses while I was working, on a lark. Lo and behold, my vision was fine. It was clearly the glasses.

We went back to Lenscrafters and the wonderful manager helped me. They have a great 30 day satisfaction guarantee and without any argument at all, I was in another new pair in only an hour. The adjustment period has been short, the glasses FEEL great and I can finally relax :)

I highlly recommend the folks at Lenscrafters. Instead of putting the lenses in a frame, they completely redid them.

TBR challenge complete!

2006-05-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

I'd actually finished this book earlier in the month but had earmarked another book for the TBR challenge and I haven't quite finished it yet, so...

Anyway...

The theme for the May TBR challenge is to read a Military/Police themed book in honor of Memorial Day OR an ebook/book in print that was first an ebook.

Here's my rundown!

Title: Shadow Patriots: A Novel of the Revolution

Author: Lucia St. Clair Robson

Year Published:2005

Blurb:(via Amazon) In July of 1776, the American colonies are ablaze with passion. In the streets, those who would be free boldly read aloud the newly written Declaration of Independence. It is a cry of freedom, but it is also a time of critical confrontation, both on the battlefield and off as the people of a new nation choose between their king and an uncertain future.

It is a choice which is not easily made. As Commander-in-chief George Washington declares a major victory in New York, the rest of the colonies separate into Patriots and Tories. Kate Darby never expected to be swept up in this political storm. The Darbys are Quakers who have pledged their allegiance to God first--but that soon changes. Kate's younger brother, Seth, can no longer deny his soul's cry against tyranny. Fleeing from his Loyalist parents' house to join General Washington's ragtag forces, Seth enters a life he never expected.
With the influx of British soldiers, Philadelphia soon becomes a temporary base camp for the English forces. When the Darbys find themselves forced to take in Major Jonathan Andre, Kate falls quickly for his charm.

Despite her warring affections, Kate finds herself drawn deep into the war. As she attempts to follow her brother, she risks her life and her family's reputation by becoming a spy for the patriot forces, a role which quickly transforms the once-timid Quaker girl. With a world of danger and political upheaval thrown before them, Kate and Seth face incredible danger in the hopes of shaping one of the single most important events in American history: the war for freedom.

Told with historical accuracy and incredible attention to period detail, Shadow Patriots recreates America at its youngest and describes with vivid intensity the men and women who bravely did their part to deliver it from tyranny.

Why did you get this book? I was browsing at the library and the title grabbed me. I guess I was in the mood for a Revolutionary Era novel.

Do you like the cover? Erm...it is very...green

Did you enjoy the book? I did! The author has a fantastic lyrical writing style and her descriptions were very lush. She pulled me right in. I did initially have a problem with the number of characters and feeling a connection with all the characters and the changes in POV, but the author won me over after only about twenty pages.

The war descriptions were real without being excessively gory and the characterization was top notch.

I also loved the idea that a woman was one of the most influential spies in the war.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Yes, the author was new to me. I already have my eye on a couple of her other historical novels.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? It went back to the library

Anything else? I love a HEA and this story, based on a real historical figure, wasn't.

Everyone is a critic!

2006-05-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Boy, I must really be falling down on the blog job if my dear husband has to complain that I'm not updating enough. Apologies! I'll be better!!

Happy Mom's Day!

2006-05-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

I hope all the mothers, grandmothers, step-moms, aunts, godmothers and anyone who has loved or mothered a child had a wonderful day!

As a step-mom to grown children, I've never celebrated Mother's Day, but this year I got to speak with my eldest step-son, I got a card and my dear hubby took me out for a special dessert. I feel very spoiled and cherished on this day.

And to top it off, I got to speak with my Mom today, and my aunt.

Mom isn't getting any younger and has had a host of health problems for the last 15 yrs. , including, but not limited to cancer. My Mom and I haven't had an ideal relationship but as we both get older, we try to see the wisdom in each other. We're both aware that time is fleeting and that we need to cherish every moment, and I think our relationship is as strong as it has ever been.

My aunt is like a mother to me. She and her sister raised me, despite the fact that they were in their sixties when I was born (they're the sisters of my *GREAT* grandmother). I owe so much to this woman... There just aren't words. She and her husband were involved at my schools, fed me, clothed me, took care of me when I was sick, and they did all of this when they could have been enjoying their retirement years. Aunt 'Chick' and Uncle 'Gall' and Aunt Emma and Uncle Charlie were my support system growing up and I feel so lucky to have known them.

Of the two couples, only Aunt 'Chick' is still alive. At 94 yrs. old, she is quite frail these days. She had a nasty broken hip earlier this year, and things were touch and go for a while. I've never been more aware that every moment with her is a gift. It was so nice to wish her a Happy Mother's Day today. She never had children of her womb, but she raised, or helped raise, my mother, her sister, her two brothers, me, and my younger cousin. That is some legacy, wouldn't you say?

Poor ignored blog

2006-05-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Gosh, has it been almost two weeks since my last post?? Wow! There isn't any excuse except that life has been busy. My mind has been swimming learning 'control logic' (I hope to be a programmer when I grows up ;), doing other professional obligations, and then, of course, the day job.

And the TBR challenge.

And the fact that my book club picked THREE books to read for our next meeting. We meet this week. How many of the three books do I have read? Um...does a half book count?? Yikes!

I now have TWO married step-kids. Please join me in offering HUGGGE congrats to David and Erin, who tied the knot this last weekend in a Scottish castle (How romantic! Apparently the romance gene SKIPS a generation ;)

We dearly wanted to be there, but things just didn't work out. However, we're hoping to visit them in their home in London before the year is out. We haven't had a vacation since before we were married (not even a honeymoon) so if we can squeeze even 3-4 days away after Mark's huge project is done, it will be such a great break. Unfortunately, it will be all about the project for the next 8 weeks or so .

Really not much is going on here...no news to report beside what I've shared.

Hope May finds you all well!

TBR challenge-would help if I finished the draft ;)

2006-05-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

I finished the April TBR challenge that Angie is hosting this weekend, but I never came back to finish my draft.

Here it is!
Title:Warprize

Author:Elizabeth Vaughan

Year published:2005

Why did you get this book? A dear friend told me I HAAAAAD to read it. So I did. Some...five months later?

Do you like the cover? It was merely okay.

Did you enjoy the book?I really enjoyed the book. I've been eager to read some science fiction or futuristic romances and this fed the savage beast. I loved the characterization, I loved the pacing and even though there were a few awkward places, they didn't keep me from enjoying the book.

Xylara is both a member of the royal family and is a master healer. Due to her rank, this position has been hard fought for her. She runs in to Kier who is the leader of an enemy force, some of whom are being held prisoner by her people. Political machinations about and suddely, Xylara finds herself Kier's slave.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?
I picked up the sequel this weekend, but I'd never read this author before.

Are you keeping it or passing it on?
This one is a keeper.

Anything else?

Happy Easter, please pass the PEEPS!

2006-04-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

Mark and I went north to RI to visit family for Easter. We hadn't been home since my grandmother's funeral some 10 months ag, so we were well overdue for a visit!

To further stress the urgency, my great great aunt broke her hip a few months ago. While she's doing well and healing well, she's definitely winding down. I wanted to make sure we had a visit...at 94 yrs of age, she's VERY aware of the passage of every day. Since she raised me, she's more like a second mother to me, and since we couldn't get home for Christmas...going for Easter was extra important.

Our trip looked cursed from the beginning. We were set to leave on Friday morning, and late Thursday afternoon, our car broke down. Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to find a mechanic willing to work on Good Friday OR a rental agency at five 5pm on a Thursday? It was darn near impossible! We finally found a rental agency that had some cars open. So...at like 7 pm, we drove the ten miles to the airport and ended up renting a rather larger car (The pickings were nearly non-existent). The ride was soooo comfortable and wonderful, even if the car (Chrysler 300) was much larger than we expected :) And there was a bonus...it got 30 miles to the gallon!

Unfortunately, we came across a fatal accident in CT. We literally arrived seconds after the impact. We just learned that the poor guy died today...but I think we instinctively knew as we passed the crash site that it was VERY bad.

Seeing something that tragic really put the weekend into perspective. Yes, the drive was exhausting, but being with family was such a gift. Much of the weekend was spent chatting and sharing new events in our lives, rather than all of us being gathered around a tv.

We got home late last evening and I realized that I hadn't had a morsel of Easter candy....not a Cream Egg, or even a PEEP had passed my lips. I must rectify that in some small way!

I hope that your weekend went well.

Father In Law update

2006-04-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

While I wait for my Ipod to charge, I thought I'd give this update. As some of you know *waves to the new folks visiting my blog* my father in law, who lives in Katherine In Australia, was a flood victim this week.

After a day of frantically trying to get in touch with him, he was able to call us at 1:30 am today. He kindly got in touch with us as soon as he got home. I'm so relieved that Mark didn't have to wait any longer for news.

Dad lives on a huge 100+acre property, along with his wife, his brothers and their families. The property is on the banks of the Katherine River and has flooded in the past. While they have a small cluster of homes on the property, most of their land is simply landscaped grounds.

While the houses are beautifully modern, the land itself has a 'frontier' feeling. Dad proudly told me that they have multiple types of deadly snakes, cane toads (toads that secrete a neurotoxin strong enough to kill small animals and children) and the ever-popular deadly spiders.

Dad works the land...his responsiblity is keeping the grounds landscaped, planting new types of plants, killing the odd croc silly enough to wander on their property, etc. This is Dad's passion and purpose, along with his business, a nursery.

We were so saddened to hear that his nursery was a total loss and over 14,000 plants and seedlings perished in the floodwaters. The property in general is a mess. Thankfully, none of the houses were flooded.

They have a lot of work to do to set things right. Please keep Dad and the other relatives in your thoughts.

Doing the Ipod Shuffle!

2006-04-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

I've shamelessly taken this from a few blogs...this is right up my alley!

Put your iTunes/iPod on shuffle.Say the following questions aloud, and press play.Use the song title as the answer to the question.NO CHEATING.

I have over 3000 songs on my Ipod and many are obscure so I'm betting this will be interesting!

1. How does the world see you? New Girl Now by Honeymoon Suite. Wow, this one is right on the mark :) There have been tons of changes in my life recently, most notably, a 20 pound weight loss in the last 6 mos.

2. Will I have a happy life? Modern Love by David Bowie. Okay :) This works :)

3. What do my friends think of me? Never Tear Us Apart by INXS. So true....so true, especially since I've reconnected with a couple of old friends recently (HI CRIS)

4. Do people secretly lust after me? You're Not The Only One by John Wetton. Hmm...

5. How can I make myself happy? Forgiven Not Forgotten by the Corrs. Another one that is right on the mark. I've learned a lot about grace and letting things go this year.

6. What should I do with my life? Kiss and Tell by Bryan Ferry. Ack, my husband reads this blog! I am not a flirt...I am NOT a flirt...I am....oh I'm not convincing ANYONE, am I??

7. Will I ever have children? Not Tonight by The New Cars. Hmm...okkkkkay ;)

8. What is some good advice for me? Reach Out (Never Say No) by GTR. Good older song...and the theme works for me :)

9. How will I be remembered? Days Like These by Asia. Cool :) "Days like these I feel like I can change the world." Works for me!!!

10. What’s my signature dancing song? Notorious by Duran Duran. Yeah...I can go for that ;)

11. What’s my current theme song? Shakin' With The Passion by Patrick Moraz. Um...actually this is better served as signature dancing song! This is another very rare and obscrube song, even among a bunch of other rare and obscure songs.

12. What do others think is my current theme song? The Story In Your Eyes by the Moody Blues. This was once my theme song, so that works!

13. What shall they play at my funeral? Read 'Em And Weep by Meat Loaf. LOL! Okay...

14. What type of men do I like? Run Like Hell by Pink Floyd Tribute band. LOL...with a few notable exceptions (hubby excepted, of course!), this totally works. And it is a great tribute too. This one is sung by Jason Scheff, the lead singer for Chicago.

15. How’s my love life? Heaven by Los Lonley Boys. Heh heh depends on the day ;)

I'm quite surprised that not more of the modern songs on my Ipod showed up. Contrary to popular belief, I do have songs from this century on board.

This was pretty fun and a nice break from the stresses of the week.

wow, I've been quiet!

2006-03-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

Mark was actually after me to update my blog .

There's no real reason for me being quiet, outside of the fact that I'm working a lot and trying to expand myself a bit professionally. I'm also trying like the devil to be offline at a 'reasonable hour' every evening.

I'll try to post more often in April :)

TBR challenge complete!

2006-03-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

It is very last minute but it is done :)

Title:After Midnight

Author: Teresa Medeiros

Year published: 2005

Why did you get this book? I got an ARC of it at RT last year and it disappeared from my hotel room, Last month, I found it in electronic format at my library and picked it up then.

Do you like the cover? It is quite...um..blue...isn't it?

Did you enjoy the book? Overall, no.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?
No, I read her books quite a bit when she first released.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? The electronic copy has expired.

Anything else?
I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book, but it lost steam abruptly for me and it was a struggle to continue to complete it. It certainly wasn't Teresa Medeiros' best work.

Best laid plans

2006-03-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

Mark will be away a LOT in the next 2 months...could be more than 50% of the time. I may accompany him on one trip, but with a sick laptop and all..it just isn't workable.

When he goes away, I always have such plans...I should learn better by now LOL. This time, it was to do spring cleaning, reorganize the spare bedroom, etc. He's been gone two DAYS and its all collapsed thanks to a mild flu.

I can see myself on the couch after working hours, cutting the TIVO down or actually reading for fun instead.

The spring cleaning will be there, and hey...we can do it together ;)

How many desks will it take?

2006-02-28T02:57:00.000-08:00

Mark has started a new branch office of his company...in our rec room. They hope to lease office space and hire some more folks as events warrant, but for now, the office will be located in our rec room, formerly the library.

So...Mark had to order some office furniture. He ordered a desk and a chair from a well known company a week and a half ago. They ran the charge through, promised delivery on Monday Feb 20 and all was good...or so we thought.

Monday came and the chair arrived. No desk. The desk had been mistakenly left off the truck and would be delivered the next day. Okay...no problem.

Tuesday came...no desk...why? Mark called the customer service center and was told oops, it would *definitely* be there Weds. AND they'd have a supervisor call Mark. Famous last words.

Wednesday dawns...surely a desk will grace our doorstep....PLEASE LORD...Mark's irritation was beginning to rub off on me.

Weds. brought a BUNCH of calls to and from this company's 'customer service' and lo and behold, the story CHANGED. Now the desk was never intended to be delivered before Weds. but it would be there for sure by 5 Pm. If not, two (count 'em TWO) supervisors offered to reverse the charges AND still deliver the desk, as promised if it didn't arrive before 5 on Weds Feb 22. So...again, plans were changed and Mark waited...and waited.

5 Pm came and the desk? Was just a dream.

Thrsday, we got even more proactive and started speaking with local stores. One was very helpful and Mark started bugging corporate. By Thursday, they couldn't explain why the desk hadn't arrived but it WAS 'on the truck' and would DEFINITELY be here before 5. Yeah, we'd heard THAT story before! Oh, and the free desk? Not happening. They'd give us a 10.00 gift card for the 'inconvenience'.

20 hours he spent chasing info over a 4 day period. That is considerably MORE than inconvenience.

At about 8 Pm on Thursday, someone from corporate called Mark, claiming that the desk was no longer for sale at the company, saying the charges had been reversed and there would be no desk.

Imagine Mark's shock when he discovered that A) The desk is still for sale on this company's website and B) The desk is more than twice the price advertised in the weekly circular, even though the sale period had not yet expired and C) no refund has been processed.

So, when he found this out Friday, he called both customer service and corporate. They assured him that they weren't price fixing and that they would honor the sale price as a special 'courtesy'. Courtesy? Okkkay.

Mark fell for it and ponied up another credit card transaction. Later he discovered that the original order and case number had been 'accidentally' deleted from this company's computer system.

The desk would arrive on Monday yadda yadda.

Yesterday came...and the desk? Didn't. Gee, that was unexpected, huh?? Now, they claim AGAIN that the desk doesn't exist any more, EVEN though they're offering it as in stock and for sale at this moment in time.

So, we're out two transacations, both of which the company CLAIMS will/have been reversed, though they show as full charges on our online banking statement. Mark still doesn't have a desk...and he's got very little patience.

He's contacted the BBB and the consumer affairs commission for both our state and county, as well as the county in which the company headquarters is located.

So after two desks, hours and hours on the phone and hundreds of dollars expended, Mark STILL doesn't have a desk.

Blech!

Feb TBR challenge complete!

2006-02-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to be at my desk as much as usual and as a result, I'm finally able to get some reading in!

This weekend, I completed the TBR challenge organized by Angie
The Feb. challenge was to read a new to you author and I chose Rachel Lee's With Malice.

Here are my thoughts and impressions...

Title:With Malice

Author:Rachel Lee

Year published:2004

Why did you get this book? I read a review for her newest book (Crimson Code) and learned that it was part of a series, which started with a book called Wildcard. Wildcard is the sequel to With Malice so there ya go ;) I've been dying to read a nice taut romantic suspense, so this suited.

Do you like the cover?Eh, not really. It would have been better on a hurricane book.

Did you enjoy the book?Yep, I really enjoyed it.

While this book was advertised as a romantic suspense, I found it to be much more mainstream suspense with a slight romance sub plot.

The book opens on a high note, when an elderly woman is murdered while trying to save a younger woman from an attack. The reader quickly learns that the elderly murder victim is a long-time family friend/nanny to a very influential senator and as for the other victim...well, she had a more carnal connection to the senator. This senator has presidential aspirations and the scandal involved in the younger woman's murder could sink his career for good. His chief aide does the unthinkable and moves the younger woman's body, setting off a chain of events that bring together the local homicide detective, a woman who suspects that things aren't quite what they seem.

And this was just the first twenty or so pages. The book was set up very well and carried me along on a ride that, while somewhat predictable, was engrossing.

I never really felt the romance plot, but I didn't mind because the suspense plot held my attention so well.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? I have a few Rachel Lee books, but this was the first I'd read. I'm actually reading Wildcard (the sequel) now.

The sound of silence

2006-02-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

I used to work nights and I really enjoyed it. I fondly remember thoe quiet moments when the world was silent and the peace just radiated through me. This morning, I'm embracing that moment and feeling.

Since returning home from Chicago, life has been...chaotic...to say the least. Between family illnesses, personal challenges, a violently ill kitty, Mark's job craziness and the stress of him settling into a home office and telecommuting, etc., it has been frenetic. I haven't taken any time for myself at all.

This morning, I am.

Yeah, I'm working, but I have on some soothing music and Nala is sitting nearby and sleepily reaching for my hand. Despite all the insanity and stress, I feel that this is a real gift. I hadn't realized that I missed it so much.

When I get in these insomniac phases, I often wake up in a blind panic, but today I just hopped out of bed at the robust hour of...was it 2:30 and decided to work for a while. The silence, the peace, really takes me back to the time five plus years ago, when work would be winding down for me and I'd check email every ten minutes, hoping Mark had finished his work day halfway around the world.

Even though I've been up early countless times, I can't remember the last time I watched a sunrise. I'll be watching one today!

What a long week :(

2006-02-04T01:49:00.000-08:00

One of our cats (Nala) has been quite ill since Weds. The vet isn't 100% sure what is wrong but he's pretty sure its 'nothing terrible' and that she'll be okay. Now, we just have to get little Nala eating again. She's been absolutely miserable, poor little one.

If you can spare some positive thoughts for Nala, we'd really apprecicate it.

I haven't been sleeping well since we returned from Chicago a week ago. I've been averaging two to three hours of sleep on my best nights and I'm just absolutely exhausted. If Nala feels up to it, I'd just like to snuggle up on the couch with her for a while this weekend.

*Yawn* Why am I at my desk and working at 4:30 am??

Would you go to the ends of the Earth for your

2006-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

spouse or significant other's job?

Where would you fall on the issue if your spouse or significant other was facing a possible transfer to a nation that doesn't embrace women's rights? For multiple years?

Would you be able to adjust to not being able to drive or go out of doors alone?

Would you be able to give up your pets and 99% of personal items?

Would you be able to give up freedoms...what to say, what to watch on Tv, what to read? What to wear?

Sometimes you just have to shake your head

2006-01-31T04:55:00.000-08:00

Just some random thoughts...

How is it that 4 hours in an Er equals a bill of nearly 8000.00?? Thankfully, insurance has already paid this bill, but we're now awaiting the bills from the physician (who I didn't even SEE), the nurse practitioner, the lab assistants and the radiologist and MRI techs. My insurance co. said they expect at least 1500 more in these buills. Hopefully, they'll cover those too!

When did it become acceptible to call someone about a work matter at 2 am?? Yes, I kid you not...2 am! Mark is in NYC for a huggge meeting and someone from another of his jobs called him at 2 am on his cell phone for technical support. Oy!

If someone chooses not to get together with me when I'm living the next town over from them for three MONTHS, why am I then a snob for not deigning to get together with him when I kept suggesting ideas, meeting places, inviting him over, etc.???

How come high energy cats and children look so darn innocent when they're sleeping??

Home...and the great litter incident

2006-01-31T04:20:00.000-08:00

We're hommmmeeee!

Thank goodness...we were SOOO ready to be in our native environment again! Of course, we have so much to do here...from sorting through 3 MONTHS of mail, to organizing the spare room as Mark's office, but still...home is home.

The trip home went pretty well...after the first hour or so. Mark wanted to head out on Thurs. aft. since he knew he'd be on a business trip by Monday. So, we decided we'd leave right after he got off work on Thurs. We were of two minds about the trip. I wanted to break our trip halfway and visit with a friend overnight while Mark wanted to press onward.

He came home from work at about 3 in the afternoon, we packed up the car, got the cat ready and prepared to leave an hour later.

I was all about making Moonlight comfortable...baaad idea! Her crate had a comfy blanket in it, a small litter pan and a little tray of food and water...which worked well until Mark hefted the crate and water spilled EVERYWHERE.

Moonlight and her blanket and litter looked dry...at first glance! We started negotiating traffic and all of a sudden, I felt some sort of material hitting my arm. Moonlight's litter had gotten saturated and she was flinging it at us in protest. Within maybe...ten minutes...we were coated in the stuff!

When we stopped at our first rest stop, we were shocked to find that our jeans were WHITE with clumping clay. Mark's jacket, our hair...you name it, Moonlight had expressed her annoyance with litter. Thankfully, it wasn't used for its primary purpose ;)

Thankfully, the trip went very smoothly otherwise. We stopped about 2/3 of the way through and got home Friday afternoon. Moonlight is loving the house and the dynamic between all the cats is interesting....they're all integrating well :)

Home by the weekend :)

2006-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

Just heard official word that we're leaving IL on Friday and will be home Friday evening, Mark needs to duck out for some business meetings in another state shortly afterward and I'm sooo glad we'll be home before he goes away.

Homeward bound??

2006-01-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

We've been temporary residents of IL now for almost 3 months and in the last week, we've been longing for home more than ever. Its just...time.

We're currently scheduled to leave this apt. next weekend and either move in to a hotel/store our stuff/bring the cat to temporary digs because she won't be allowed to be in a hotel, or go home. As you can imagine, I'm working realllly hard to go home.

Some issues have come up this morning with Mark's big project that could mean we'll be here quite a while longer...or we may be going home in the next 48 hours. The thought of being in a hotel room for 4-8 weeks just sounds like hell on earth at this juncture.

I'm so missing being home...

The notion of being on a working computer (my laptop is on life support at the moment), of being with the kitties, of sleeping on my pillow and using my blanket...it is absolute HEAVEN. And I won't even mention being around my books again LOL!

As much as we like this area and wouldn't mind relocating here some day...we've both just ready to be in our comfort zone again. Think good thoughts that we're on the road back to VA really soon!

the P&E poll

2006-01-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

A lot of folks have weighed in on this poll and the debates have been interesting.

Angie (Brianna's Mommy) weighed in on the book Laser Kill here

Baen author John Ringo discusses his book as a romance finalist in this post here
After reading his post I simply had to vote for him. I'm hoping to win a 'red shirt' from him some day.

Some of the nominations just made me shake my head. Among many other questionable entries, the new Baen magazine (Baen's Universe)
was nominated as best magazine of 2005. The only problem is that the magazine doesn't even launch until mid 2006! I know it will be a phenomenal magazine, but...LOL! Can we let it launch before it is in the running for an award?

It is too bad that this poll only requires an email address in order for a person to vote. Until the voting restrictions are tightened, it will never be taken as more than a popularity contest.

I'm shrinking!

2006-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

I've been working really hard on losing weight for the last 4 mos. Since then, I've lost...oh....approximately 25-30 pounds or so (Haven't weighed myself since Thanksgiving). Until yesterday that was mostly just a number.

Mark and I have a wedding to attend later this month and a dinner with his boss tomorrow night. Since we were only expecting to be here 6-8 wks. I only brought one pair of dress pants. I decided to try them on (as well as most of the clothes I brought out from VA) and lo and behold, NOTHING fits well. The pants? Are getting given away. They're a good 1.5 to 2 sizes too big and won't even stay up with a belt.

Ahhh progress!

I have like 3 shirts and 1 pair of pants that fit well but otherwise everything is too big :) YAY!

January is Tea month!

2006-01-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

Amazing the things you absorb when the Tv is on for background noise!

I'm a huge tea lover...at home we have so many varieties of herbal and black/green/red teas but since being here in Chicago, I haven't had much tea at all. Earlier this week, a local TV station did a special on local tea shoppes and I took careful note. Yesterday, we went to Argo Tea in Chicago.

Argo Tea was touted as being a type of Starbucks for strictly tea lovers and I was pretty impressed both with the selections (bubble teas, tea lattes, etc) and the atmosphere. Unfortunately, we stumbled in when a tea seminar was going on, so it was super crowded. I had an incredible Vanilla Earl Gray latte and Mark had some concoction with black tea, honey and lemon. They were both sooo good. We also shared a Mojitea, which was lime juice and mint.

We're both working pretty heavily this weekend and may do another tea jaunt to break up the day. This time, I want to try a place called Chill Bubble Tea.
The selections look endless and since they have free WiFi, we could always drag our laptops down and work from there for a bit. It would be a nice change of pace.

Hmm...this place also seems to be about halfway from where I live and a friend's place. Must send her an email... ;)

I LOVE Bubble Tea and its so hard to find it at home...there are a few Mom and Pop Vietnamese stores that carry it, but those are few and far between and they usually only have taro, jackfruit, etc. which are really nice, but I'd love a mango or a watermelon, just for comparison purposes ;)

Its 4:50 am...why haven't I slept???

2006-01-14T03:01:00.000-08:00

Read the rant to our upstairs neighbor.

It happened again! Thumping bass and loud music started at about 9 tonight. Then it went away....ahhh glorious silence.

I went to bed at about 1 and was jolted awake in a blind panic to hear people screaming and yelling, then that damn stereo started. I tried desperately to sleep for about 90 minutes, only to wake up totally panic stricken 3 or 4 times (I'm still shaking). I'm both an insomniac and have very bad panic attacks so to say I wasn't amused is an understatement.

I waited it out until almost 4 am. They were getting louder and louder so I finally called the police. Mark let three boys in blue in about an hour ago and there has been blessed silence since. The police asked Mark a few questions when he let them in but they didn't follow up with us which seems to me to be a good sign that nothing was disputed.

Of course I'm now wide eyed while Mark is snoring away :P Some people get all the luck!

Cursed!

2006-01-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

Its official...My husband is cursed!

He never saw snow until he was 35 years old. The only place they get real snow is in the mountains back in Kanga Land. When he came over here, he was so cute....all little boy wonder about the snow. We had a couple of decent snowfalls in 2002, including 30+ inches in the President's Day storm.

Typically, the DC area doesn't get much snowfall, so these milder winters are par for the course. Still, Mark was sure he was being cruelly denied by fate.

When we learned we'd be in Chicago for a few months, he just knew he'd have his real American winter finally.

Ahh, famous last words!!!! The snow is HIDING. This year, DC got more snow than we have here!

Maybe I should rent Mark out to communities in need of a mild winter...this seems to be an interesting talent he has :)

Rant to our upstairs neighbor

2006-01-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Punk...I mean...Sir

We all share this apartment building, yet, in the past few months, I've noticed that you don't really seem to give any consideration to your neighbors.

Case in point...last Saturday night.

You and your freak parade pounded on the floors, which if you didn't know, connect to my damn ceiling, to the point that my windows rattled. What were you doing? Playing pin the tail on the elephant? At 3 am?

I'm ever so happy that you have an active sex life and even more happy that someone wants to procreate with your punk a** but do I have to hear every moan, scream and whimper from you. Its not exactly masculine, is it? Its akin to torturing a gerbil. Do you think we get all aquiver listening to *bang bang* *Male yet feminine screech*, *Bored female voice*, etc. I may never have sex again after listening to that.

When you have your friends coming and going in the wee hours, do you think you could control them? People BANGING on my bedroom window to wave at my cat at 4 am can often be construed as a threat.

And be warned, Punk. If you try this party again, we WILL call the police.

Today's random thoughts

2006-01-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

Apartment living is eviiiil! I'm plotting the torture and death of my loud upstairs neighbor....stay tuned for a rant.

Anticipation can be soooo sweet. I hope to have an update on this later today too. We'll see how everything shakes out.

The Chicago area libraries have a fantastic DVD rental service...wish we had this at home! We rented 4 movies for a week...two that Mark has been DYING to see.

Bra fittings are ever so necessary!

Computer programs that steal all but 2 mb of your hard disk space should be stopped....now!

Calling your husband an over the op pet name in front of his work mates can lead to looooots of fun threats and back and forth.

Line of the day (from hubby to to cat) "I love you, kitten. At least I don't get unexpected hickeys from you, just unexpected scratches."

The January TBR challenge

2006-01-11T04:42:00.000-08:00

Angie (Brianna's Mommy) instituted a TBR challenge whereby interpid bloggers are supposed to read a specific type of book. This month it was a contemporary romance. I finished mine last evening and wanted to blog about it.

I read It Happened In South Beach by Jennie Klassel
which was a lighthearted contemporary romantic suspense. It was exactly what I needed to break up some rather grim fantasy reads that I had to set aside.

This WAS marketed as a contemporary romance though, Angie!!

Tilly Snapp is the executrix of her aunt's will. When her aunt dies in a tragic nude parasailing accident (the mind boggles!), Tilly becomes embroiled in her aunt's life and eccentric friends. Her life is further complicated by the fact that her dear aunt may have been in posession of a very valuable sexual artifact and that her aunt was murdered.

Tilly's attraction to a sexy Interpol agent and her growth as a character rounded out a read that kept me entertained. While it wasn't a keeper by far, and I found myself having to suspend belief at times and chuckling at the over the top antics, it held my attention.

Random thoughts of the day

2006-01-11T04:37:00.000-08:00

Technophiles shouldn't browse the consumer electronic show Yahoo links unless they're prepared to set up a wish list and do a lot of drooling.

Romance skips a generation. My stepson is getting married in a Scottish castle . This is after he proposed in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower...my husband has a lot to learn ;)

Having said *that*, romance wears many faces and the comfort and protectiveness of a gentleman when you're at your worst is worth more than gold.

Happiness is a cuddly cat.

True colors can really hurt the eyes and incessant whining gets the silent treatment from me.

When very sick, don't be bullied by medical techs. If you have a serious issue, threaten to stop treatment until your concerns are addressed. This isn't being divalike behavior and could save your life.

Becoming a midwesterner might not be a bad option.

Any industry 'poll' that has people advertising ballot stuffing and has so much inaccurate information can't be taken seriously.

Being so sick you can't even read or watch TV STINKS!

The flu diet

2006-01-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

Due to the flu diet, I'm 99% sure I'm under my college weight. Granted, this asn't the HEALTHIEST way to do so, but now that I'm upright again, I can be philosophical about the whole situation.

Back at Christmas, Mark and I were suffering from a cold. I shook mine off quickly while his lingered. Unfortunately, just after Christmas I also began to feel queasy. This quickly escalated to full-on flu and I went a period of almost two weeks where I couldn't eat solid food. I hit rock bottom last weekend when Mark rushed me to the ER. I was so dehydrated (all that Gatorade and ginger ale didn't make a positive difference) that it was getting to be crisis point.

Thankfully, I'm finally recovering...am still quite weak but I can finally eat again :)

An interesting fringe benefit is that none of my jeans fit any more. They're literally hanging on my body. They were getting big before I got sick but now...they're sooooo baggy. I'll take any weight loss I can get but this was *rough*.

Good for RI...they legalized the use of medicianal marijuana today!

2006-01-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island on Tuesday became the 11th state to legalize medical marijuana and the first since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that patients who use the drug can still be prosecuted under federal law.

The House overrode a veto by Gov. Don Carcieri, 59-13, allowing people with illnesses such as cancer and AIDS to grow up to 12 marijuana plants or buy 2.5 ounces of marijuana to relieve their symptoms. Those who do are required to register with the state and get an identification card.

Federal law prohibits any use of marijuana, but Maine, Vermont, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington allow it to be grown and used for medicinal purposes.

The U.S. high court ruled June 6 that people who smoke marijuana because their doctors recommend it can still be prosecuted under federal drug laws, even if their states allow it.

Federal authorities, however, have conceded they are unlikely to prosecute many medicinal marijuana users.

"I'm sure everybody in this room knows at least one person who would have benefited from medical marijuana," Rep. Thomas Slater, who has cancer, told fellow lawmakers before the vote. Slater said he doesn't use marijuana now but it could become part of his treatment in the future.

---------

My comments:
Now, I was probably one of the only children of the '80s who never did a drug, marijuana included, but I had some experience with this issue.

My father passed away Jan 2, 1989, so I guess this is particularly resonating with me now, given that the anniversary of his death just passed yesterday.

My dad was diagnosed with multi-systemic cancer when I was in my mid-teens, orginating in the liver/pancreas/stomach. He had a terrible time of it (actually this is an understatement...that damn disease tortured him) and his diagnosis was terminal. Near the end, my grandmother was unable to care for him alone any longer (my mom and he had been divorced for many years, and I helped out as much as I could, but it was too hard on a woman in her mid seventies even with home health aides).

My dad was able to be placed in a nursing facility and lived out his last weeks there. My stepfather was the assistant admin there and my mom worked there as well. Fortunately for Dad, so did one of his home health aides. This gentleman brought my father marijuana which helped settle his stomach and give him some measure of peace. This home health aide showed Dad unending compassion even though his job and career could have been toast.

Even now, close to two decades later I see absolutely NO problem with the use of medicinal marijuana. It wasn't as if my father got PLEASURE out of this...the man literally starved to death as the cancer ate his body little by little. If this drug was able to hold off the cravings of a dying man I fail to see the issue. If he got some measure of peace, so be it!

Now, fortunately I never learned of this at the time (it wasn't as if my dad would have asked me to score some pot for him LOL!) and when I learned of it, the home health aide had changed careers and to this day, I'm not sure if Mom and Stepdad know, but it turns my stomach to think that this aide could have faced criinal charges when his goal was just to ease my dad's suffering.

Marijuana has been shown to help AIDS patients, cancer patients and I believe even folks with glaucoma. The registration guidelines make sense to me. Yeah, some people may buck the system, but don't the benefits to folks suffering with illness outweigh this?

I wish I'd stop dreaming books!

2006-01-03T02:43:00.000-08:00

I write purely for pleasure and have gosh...since I was 7 maybe? In the last few years, I haven't been writing much. While I've had the inspiration for the basics of plot, my creative process stopped there. I've banged out a few short stories but other than that, I've been singularly unimpressed with my output and product.

Jump to Christmas week where I read more than I worked for the first time in over a year. This must have really pushed my creative juices because in the last two weeks I've dreamed four books.

Yep, I'm dreaming books. Sweeping fantasy books...which I LOVE to read but have never attempted to write.

At the moment, they're just groups of ideas I've jotted down on paper but they're so vivid and emotionally lush that I know I have to bring them to life. One in particular is screaming at me to get written...a projected 3 book fantasy series.

I'm torn between being very impressed at my subconscious and wanting to give it a gentle nudge to hush up until I flesh out earlier ideas LOL.

I guess another goal for '06 is to write more.

Strangely enough, my husband shares that goal. At lunch yesterday, we were discussing the new Baen publishing magazine--Baen's Universe
and he mentioned that he might try to bring some of his ideas to life on paper and submit them for potential publication. One of my dreams is to to-write with him. He has such an amazing eye for detail and imagination. He's also a really good writer. I'd love to see him get some of his fantastic ideas on paper :)

I've been blogging my book reading for 2005

2006-01-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Some interesting stats have cropped up.

I read 89 pleasure books this last year...the majority were probably fantasy. I guess it is safe to say that I'm on a fantasy reading jag LOL! This year I'm going to attempt to rate the books I've read for pleasure...my states for '06 should be similarly interesting ;)

Some of the books that stood out:

Days of Infamy Harry Turtledove/End of the Beginning by Harry Turtledove. This is an alternate history series set in a Pearl Harbor enduring a ground invasion in WW II. I love the way he presents so many POvs and makes me care about the 'good' and 'bad' guys.

The Kelley Armstrong Women of Otherworld books. What can I say?? Fabulous! I have no idea why I waited so long to try these.

Wen Spencer's Tinker. Wow. I've read and reread this book and I'm just in awe of how thoroughly the author pulls me in!

Rachel Caine's Weather Warden books. Again, what can I say beside fabulous and fantastic! The third book in this series saved me from a bout of insanity when my husband and I were stuck in the traffic jam from hell...we went some 70 miles (of 500) in 7 hours!

The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. This was a best-seller that I picked up. We suspect someone close has a type of autism and this book really helped me to understand her thought processes.

The Abbey Cooper mystery series by Victoria Laurie. Fantastic reads. I don't read much mystery but the character of Abbey Cooper

The story of my life : an Afghan girl on the other side of the sky /Farah Ahmedi with Tamim Ansary. This was the biographical story of a teen...very thought provoking.

Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner. Really enjoyed the spirt of this book :)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Sweeping fantasy that just pulled me in and didn't let me go!

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. Best chick-litty read this year.

The Gergor Series by Suzanne Collins. YA fantasy...quite well done. A YA book that really focused on family...with giant loyal cockroches. How could I not enjoy these?

The Amber Room/Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed thrillers until I read these two books. The Romanov Prophecy helped me get through not one, not two, but THREE flights on 9/11.

If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl. Phenomenal book!

Nylon Angel by Marianne dePierres. Yep, I read a cyberpunk novel and I LOVED it!

Children of the Shaman by Jessica Rydill. Intriguing fantasy! I 'm trying to locate the sequel!

The Necessary Beggar by Susan Palwick. Fabulous fantasy! Very lyrical and written with a very gentle hand.

Resurrection Day by Brandon Dubois. incredibly good alternate history about a world in which the Cuban Missle Crisis led to full-on nuclear war. The action takes place 10 years after the war. This was perhaps the finest alternate history I've read in years, though Harry Turtledove is a close runner up!

Dragon's Eye by James Hetley Fabulous modern fantasy. New author to me but I plan to devour his other books! This is a modern fantasy set in Maine that features shape-shifters and mob influences and two families who have ancient powers.

Touched by venom by Janine Cross. I picked this book up because of the online banter and read it in one sitting. I'm interested to see where the author goes with the sequels!

Confessions of a Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser. Thoroughgly enchanting! I'm an unabashed fan of superhero books and this was just my cup of tea!

HAPPY 2006!!!!

2006-01-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

I hope your 2006 is your best year yet!

Mark and I had a very quiet evening, but we tend not to do much special for NYE anyway.

For the first year in a great many, I have a few resolutions and I actually think I may keep them.

1)Get down to my goal weight. I'm over halfway there!
2)watch more classic movies and read more classic books. Since I was raised by folks at least in their sixties, the only classic movies I ever saw while growing up were Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz. I'm going to rectify that this year as well as reading more of the classics.

3) Take one day a week completely away from work. This has been a huge sticking point with Mark and me and considering that he'll be working from home as well, we've both vowed this.

I saw this meme on PBW's blog and thought I'd jump in. I guess a lesser resolution is getting better about blogging.

Last Book Read: The Handy Bug Answer Book.

Last Live Music Show Seen: Duran Duran

Last CD Purchased: Bo Bice for a gift exchange

Last Thing Cooked:Cooking now. Salisbury steak and garlic mashed taters

Last New Thing Eaten:Jerk chicken. I've recently rediscovered things spicy.

Last Thing Bought: Groceries last night. A Candy Cane Freeze, yesterday afternoon

Last Gift Received: a really sweet email from a friend

Last Piece of Clothing Bought or Received as a Gift: thick slipper socks in shocking neon green (blame Walgreens(tm)). They only had green and orange left.

Last Embarrassing Experience: Finding that my shirt was on backwards after getting in the car. Yes, I scruched down and changed it in the car

Last Totally New Experience: learning how to walk a cat on a leash. It isn't a great success yet!

Last Foreign Country Visited, if any: Australia, 2001. Hopefully England late this year.

Last New Animal Seen: I got up close to some elk yesterday

Last Big Achievement: Hitting my college weight and slipping a pound or two below it :)

I'm being mean and tagging the bitches for this one ;)

Whew....what a week!

2006-01-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

So, my aunt sailed through surgery but had a mild heart attack friday evening. They think the heart attack was directly due to an excess of fluid around her heart, which has been treated medically and the docs think she'll be fine. In the next week, health willing, she'll transition to a nursing facility where she'll rehab. She can't live alone any more, though, so decisions must be made.

In between all of this stress, Mark and I became quite ill with a flu/bronchitis thing that had us flat on our backs from Thursday-yesterday. As a result, we had a rather quiet NYE, but we enjoyed ourselves.

In other news, click here
for a picture of Moonlight, the newest addition to the family.

troubling times

2005-12-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

I woke up to an email from an aunt of mine. I was mostly raised by my great grandmother's two sisters and their husbands. Of them, only one is still alive, my Aunt "Chick". She turned 94 earlier this year.

Last night, she had a bad fall and fractured her hip. AFter 2.5 hours of crawling to the phone, she was able to reach my mom, and Mom and my stepdad were wble to get her to the hospital. Because she has such severe arthritis, they can't put a pin in her hip, so the options are to let her heal naturally, meaning 2 months bedridden, or a hip replacement. The hip replacement may not be an option due to her age.

If you can keep her in your thoughts, I'd appreciate it.

Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T06:11:00.000-08:00

I hope you have an absolutely fabulous holiday!

We have a WHITE Christmas! I'm so very excited :) This is the first white Christmas I've seen since childhood :) When Mark wakes up, he'll be quite excited too :)

We're having a low-key holiday. I've started the morning with my own Christmas present every day of some good friends and great chat. Later today Mark and I will do laundry and go out to dinner. I was a little sad yesterday when I was speaking to my family, but Mark's eldest son brought up a great point. He said that this was his first Christmas just he and his fiancee and they sort of liked it that way (They were hoping to come over here for Christmas as recently as last week but it didn't work out). That's a fabulous way to look at it :)

Oh...and we have news from overseas, not ONLY is my eldest step-son (David) getting married in April in VENICE (so romantic...he proposed to his fiancee in Paris!) but my younger step-son (Andrew) is most likely getting married in Nov. of next year (one day before my fifth wedding anniversary)! Good news abounds from Australia!

I hope you have an absolutely BRILLIANT holiday!

Ooh! Pretty blog!

2005-12-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

Angie organized and I assume designed this for me. She's an absolute blog goddess! I love the new look and hope you do too!

will wonders never cease

2005-12-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, Mark worked for a company called That Stupid Place(welll,...that's whatr I call it here). At the beginning of his work tenure, everything looked good but all of a sudden, cracks began appearing in the foundation of this 'company' (and I use the term lightly).

Apparently the company had been run into the ground previously, and that was why the tech savvy co-owner ceeded CEO status to his cold-as-ice wife.

Every month they had an employee of the month who got the draw an envelope from a bowl. The employee of the month got to pick a a red envelope, with a random $50-500 monopoly note in it This practice was also used for anniversaries, etc. Mark and I could only laugh when he got a 1.00 bill when he'd been there a year. Go him! It was also used as an inxentive and coworkers could recommend an 'attaboy' nominee who might get between 1-20.00

Anyway, creditors were on these folks' butts left right and center and nearly every contract dissolved into chaos both financially and technically. The techie guys and the contract managers must have felt emotionally battered when they were getting it from all ends.

Mark saw the writing on the wall and left the company when the ievitable seemed possible. He joined a bunch of ex co-workers at a new company and recommended a few good people to this company.

The company did indeed fold, leaving god knows how many people without a final paycheck. The owners seemed to have slunk back into their little pit and all wasn;t good, but everyone had moved on.

Until now. The company is baaaack, presumably under the same management and at this link
same crappy company with the same name.

You'd think these people would have shame seeing that the screwed people out of their hard earned money at least TWICE. And we won't even mention how many times checks bounced, and it is highly suspected that they replaced contracted sold as new goods from EBay sales, etc etc etc etc.

I hope this company goes down before it gets off the ground... I'm sick of these people screwing with people's lives!

Book gush

2005-12-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

I hardly ever gush about books here, but I just had to share one I absolutely loved. It is called Dragon's Eye by James Hetley. It is a contemporary fantasy (I hesitate to call it urban fantasy) set in Maine. There are shape-shifters, witches, an ancient rivalry between families and some of the most complex relationships are handled with a deft touch that held me spellbound until 4 am. I never stay up late to read!

Here's a link to the author's web page. He has an excerpt posted there. I really hope you'll check his books out! I've only read Dragon's Eye but you can bet I'm on the lookout for his other books!

http://www.sfwa.org/members/hetley/

WOW! It's been twenty five years...

2005-12-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

WE WERE ALL THERE ON THE AWFUL NIGHT LENNON WAS SHOT

By BILLY HELLER with MICHAEL KANE, LINDSAY POWERS and PHILIP RECCHIA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 4, 2005 -- It was a warmer than usual December day in New York, up in the 50s on Dec. 8, 1980. But the city was buzzing, as usual - "Stir Crazy" stars Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder would hold court at Tavern on the Green. Neil Diamond would host a gala for his film "The Jazz Singer." Paul McCartney's "Rockshow," a Wings tour documentary, was held over for another week at the Ziegfeld.
John Lennon woke up and went to the barber before returning to his home at the Dakota, 72nd and Central Park West, to pose with Yoko Ono in their "morning room" for Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz. That day they would learn that the album he had released three weeks earlier, "Double Fantasy," had gone gold.

Meanwhile, a misfit from Hawaii, Mark David Chapman, 25, had flown into town a week earlier, camped out in front of Lennon's building and was looking for trouble.

Shortly before 11 p.m. - just a few hours after getting Lennon to autograph a "Double Fantasy" album - Chapman shot John Lennon four times with a .38 caliber pistol, killing him at age 40. Afterward, he said he murdered Lennon because he hated phonies, a hatred he said he absorbed from reading J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." He had a copy of the book on him when he committed the murder.

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death, the people who were eyewitnesses to his final moments, who tried to save his life, and who were charged with telling the world of his death, recall that day in never-before-revealed detail.

These are John Lennon's final hours:

KARIN SILVERSTEIN, Rolling Stone magazine's picture editor: [Annie Leibovitz's] photo shoot [with Lennon] was the day he died. That morning. It was at the Dakota.

She usually had one assistant and somebody that helped her with lighting. I think they were there for at least a couple of hours.

Annie Leibovitz has recalled arriving at John and Yoko's apartment.

John told her, "Listen, I know they want to run me by myself on the cover, but I really want Yoko to be on the cover with me. It's really important."

He posed lying naked in a full-body embrace of Yoko, who was dressed in black.

DAVE SHOLIN, reporter for RK radio, who interviewed Lennon that afternoon: We spent probably from 1 p.m. to around 4:15 or so together in their apartment at the Dakota. Yoko was on one chair, and John was on a separate chair. He was wearing jeans and a dark sweater.

You walk in [to the apartment] and take your shoes off. There were clouds painted on the ceiling. And I was in this incredible space with, you know, these two amazing people who had a lot to say and wanted to talk that day.

This was the only interview they were giving to radio, and I was producing the special.

He really wanted to talk about the last years, his views on life, love, politics, the world at large - what happened in those years between, and his relationship with Sean.

He was just bubbling over with enthusiasm with everything in his life. He felt like that was it; he had turned the page and was starting another chapter.

He said, "I'm ready to start all over again and get this thing going. Who knows what's going to happen next?"

John was outside when we walked out to load the equipment, the audio stuff. We were standing on the lower steps in front of the Dakota entrance. Our car was around the corner, and then it showed up.

John was out there waiting for a good 10 minutes. I don't know if nobody had called for his car. John asked me, "Where are you heading?"

I said I was going to JFK, and he said, "Can you give us a lift?" Yoko was either there or there within seconds. It was certainly quick.

There were just a couple of people across the street waiting to see John. Then a man came up for an autograph. It had to be Mark David Chapman.

On the way to the studio, John talked about his relationship with all the Beatles and his musical taste. I had a 6 p.m. flight home to San Francisco, which I barely made.

STEVE MARCANTONIO, 46, recording engineer assistant at the Record Plant, who was wrapping up a week of working with John and Yoko on a new single, "Walking on Thin Ice": He and Yoko came in sometime in the early evening to listen to the final mix.

SAM GINSBERG, 50, engineer at the Record Plant: I remember [John and Yoko's producer] David Geffen came over and said, "[Double Fantasy] has gone gold."

["Walking on Thin Ice"] was going to be the next single. And John was happy that it was going to be Yoko's single instead of his single.

We just finished mixing that song, and they left. The one thing that stuck in my mind was John saying, "I'm hungry. Should we stop at Wolf's deli?"

He said - its kind of an English thing - "If I ate, it would go right to my knee," meaning he was starving.

He didn't go to Wolf's.

JIM MORAN, 70, NYPD officer on a 4-to-midnight shift on the Upper West Side that night: When John and Yoko arrived back [at the Dakota], they came with the limousine. But there was a car parked there, so they couldn't pull into the driveway. They pulled up on the street and they got out of the car, double-parked. They went in that way.

STEVE SPIRO, 59, the first NYPD officer on the scene of the shooting: When we got the call, about 5 minutes to 11, something like that, it said, "Shots fired, 1 West 72nd Street." We were on Broadway and 72nd.

The first thing that came to my mind is, oh, they're shooting fireworks off over in Central Park.

When we got to the scene, we pulled up and this guy's standing in the middle of the street, pointing into the archway, saying, "That's the guy doing the shooting."

MORAN: I drove to the Dakota and there were several cars, and a crowd. There was always like five, six, 10 people because they knew they could get signatures from John and Yoko. But they never had any problems; it was a quiet crowd.

SPIRO: We got out of the car and went up against the building and looked into the archway. Here's this guy - I'm sticking my head into the archway - and he's got his hands up. He had dropped the gun; the gun had been kicked away by the doorman and he had his hands up. He had taken off all his outer garments.

I figured there was a robbery going down. I didn't know how many guys were there. I wheeled him around. I saw the holes in the glass vestibule, and then off to my right, Jose, the doorman, who I know for years working there, says, "No, he's the only one."

So I said great, OK. Now I throw him up against the wall. Then Jose yells out, "He shot John Lennon." And I just went, "You what?"

MORAN: There were other radio cars there, and my partner Bill [Gamble] and I went through the archway and up the steps going up, and they said a man was shot. We said we'll take him to the hospital.

I went back to get the car to pull right up. They carried him out, the police officers. There was a crowd there and they were saying it was John Lennon, and I didn't know - I'll be honest with you, you couldn't tell.

SPIRO: I grabbed the guy, Mark David Chapman. I wheeled him around. I'm cuffing him. I had his nose up against the wall so he couldn't see anything.

I turn to my right, and I see John Lennon being carried out of the building. They carried him face-up, shoulder-high. I saw the blood gurgling out of his mouth. I'm just saying, "Oh my God, this guy's drowning in his own blood, he's hit in the lungs."

MORAN: I said, "Are you John Lennon?"

And I think he said, I heard a moan, and he nodded and he said yes, and they laid him across the back seat [of the patrol car].

SPIRO: I wasn't looking for an answer, but Chapman says, "I acted alone."

MORAN: There's like two, three steps to go in the vestibule outside the lobby of the Dakota. Chapman would have got him there, he would have seen his back, that's how he got him, when he went up the stairs. Chapman was on the sidewalk.

They were trying to get Yoko to go in on the other side of my patrol car next to Lennon, but it was too crowded.

They decided to put her in another car, and then we just went off down to Columbus Avenue.

DAVID GEFFEN, writing in the Jan. 22 issue of Rolling Stone about that night: I went home and turned the phone off. I was sort of hanging around the apartment and I noticed the light on the phone flashing. So I picked it up and this woman said, "I'm a friend of Yoko's. John's just been shot. They're at Roosevelt Hospital. Run right over."

I said, "Sure," and hung up the phone, and thought, gee, what a crank phone call. When I tell Yoko, she'll be real upset.

But then I thought, "Is it possible?" So I called the Record Plant, and they said, no, it's impossible, he just left here ten minutes ago.

DR. STEPHAN LYNN, 58, director of Roosevelt Hospital emergency room, at 58th Street and Ninth Avenue, who was called back to the hospital that night: I had left the hospital at 10:30, and I was watching the commercial before the 11 o'clock news, so it was probably 10:57.

I got a call from the emergency department. The nurses got a call from the police that they were bringing in an individual with a gunshot wound to the chest. I ran out, got a cab, and actually got to the hospital before he did.

And, in fact, one of our cardiovascular surgeons, Richard Marks, he lived near the Dakota and he was parking his car. He saw what was going on across the street, and he simply decided to turn around and come back.

We didn't know who it was. The police were not 100 percent certain who it was. When the victim came in, he had three gunshot wounds in his left upper chest and one through his left arm. He also had no blood pressure, no pulse, no respirations and he was unresponsive.

ALAN WEISS, 54, a producer of ABC's 6 o'clock news with Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel, who had had a motorcycle accident in Central Park and was in the E.R. when Lennon arrived: The door slammed open and six cops - I think it was four or six - come trotting in with a stretcher between them. And they go into the bay that I am literally lying outside of.

Two of the cops come out and they're standing over my gurney, and one says to the other, "Jesus, can you believe it, John Lennon?"

LYNN: An emergency department clerk took his wallet out of his pocket. There was a John Lennon ID card. And he had a very large amount of cash in his wallet. When Yoko Ono came in, I was 100 percent certain who we had. She was taken down to the other end of the emergency department. She was never brought into the room where he was treated.

WEISS: I hear crying. And I crane my head around, and there's Yoko in a full-length mink coat on the arms of a leather-jacketed police officer, hysterical.

LYNN: To provide any chance for him to survive, we needed to do an emergency thoracotomy. So we made an incision in the left chest and separated the ribs and found a very large amount of blood. We looked for an injury to the heart or to the blood vessels. But what we discovered was that all of the major blood vessels leaving the heart were simply destroyed.

There was no way that we could repair them.

MORAN: Yoko came in. They were going to leave her out in the waiting room, and we decided to put her into one of the rooms that were vacant in the back, and I stayed with her for five, 10 minutes.

I said, "You have the best doctors."

WEISS: There's this guy sweeping the floor. I call him over and say, "Look, do me a favor. Here's my press card, here's 20 bucks. Call this number, ask for Neil, tell him Alan's in the hospital and I believe John Lennon's been shot."

He said sure. Five minutes go by and a voice says, "Mr. Weiss, No personal phone calls are allowed to be made by the staff."

I said, "Sir." He said, "Mr. Weiss, would you just be quiet please. We have a situation here, and you can't ask the staff to do anything."

So I get up and I can't walk, but I sort of hop my way down. There's a pay phone outside the door. I'm opening the door when a vice grip grabs me on my biceps. A security guy asks me, "Where you going?"

I said, "Just to make a phone call."

He said, "You can't."

One of the cops who brought me in miraculously arrives. I ask him, "Do me a favor. Can I just make a phone call?"

He takes the phone off the nursing stand, gives it to me. I get [assignment editor] Neil Goldstein on the phone.

"Neil, I think John Lennon's been shot."

Neil calls ABC Network. ABC News called Howard Cosell [who was on the air doing "Monday Night Football"].

FRANK GIFFORD, 75, co-announcer of the Patriots-Dolphins "Monday Night Football" game that night: We were in Miami. I was doing the play-by-play at the time. I could hear Cosell talking to the producer in the truck.

I knew something big was going on. I could tell by Howard's intensity, and he wasn't paying any attention to the game all of a sudden.

Then we go to a commercial. I said, "Howard, what the hell's going on?"

Then he said, "They just shot John Lennon."

He said, "I'll take it from here, Gifford," and, "We're going to announce this," or something to that effect.

I said, "Bulls--t, we're not, either."

I said, "We're going to get confirmation from New York."

Cosell was really pissed off - and he was right, it had just happened.

BOB GOODRICH, 60, ABC "Monday Night Football" producer, who told Howard Cosell about Lennon: I said, "Howard, it's been confirmed. It's unfortunate, but you need to report it to the country."

VIN SCELSA, 57, WNEW-FM DJ, who was on the air when Lennon was shot: "The bank of telephone lines started lighting up. First one and then 20. I picked one up, and the voice said: "Howard Cosell said John Lennon's been shot."

[Bruce Springsteen's] "Jungleland" was on the turntable. So I faded it out, I read this news bulletin and brought the record back up again.

In "The Operator," late author Tom King revealed that Yoko had a friend awaken Geffen and he rushed to her side at the hospital, fighting his way through the throng of camera crews, photographers and reporters that had gathered at Roosevelt's entrance.

WEISS: I'm back on the gurney, and I'm watching in the room, John Lennon stark naked, he's laying on his back, his feet are facing me and there's like 10 people in the room. There's blood on his chest.

The door opens and every security guard comes flying in, "Are you Weiss? Lay down."

They wheel me out of the emergency room, right outside the doors.

LYNN: I literally held his heart in my hand and I pumped. But every time I pumped, most of what I pumped simply came out of all the holes. It was totally ineffective, and after about 20 minutes, he was declared dead.

WEISS: At about 11:05, 11:10, the Muzak that's playing in the hospital plays the Beatles' "All My Loving." It was a very freaky coincidence.

About a minute or two after that, there's a scream: "No, no. Oh, no, no." A woman's voice.

LYNN: I walked in, and I told Yoko what had happened. And she completely refused to accept what I said.

She said, "No, it's not true. You're lying. It can't be true. You're not telling me the truth. He can't be dead, he was just alive. You're lying. No."

After about five minutes, a long time, she finally understood what had happened.

And the first thing that she said was, "Don't make the announcement immediately. Delay the announcement for about 20 minutes, because I want to go home and make certain that my son Sean is not sitting in front of a TV set."

HOWARD COSELL, speaking live on ABC at 11:30 p.m.: "Remember, this is just a football game, no matter who wins or loses. An unspeakable tragedy that came to us from ABC News in New York City: John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous perhaps of all the Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital.

"Dead on arrival."

SCELSA: The news clerk came back in the room, white as a ghost. I said, "What?"

He said, "He's dead, it's him. He's dead."

And I said, "I'm not saying that on the air. Get verification."

I played "Let It Be." I had that cued up.

GEFFEN, in Rolling Stone: Eddie Rosenblatt, my partner and the president of the company, called me up and said, "John was just shot. They just interrupted [Monday Night Football]."

I said, "Meet me downstairs," and we ran out and got in a cab, and rushed to the hospital. It was such a scene. There were cops everywhere, big cops, you know. You feel so intimidated, and all I could think was that I had to get to Yoko.

I kept saying, "I'm David Geffen. I'm expected. Yoko's expecting me." But they wouldn't let me in. I was banging on the door and I just felt so helpless. I kept shouting, "You've got to let me in. You've got to let me in."

Finally, someone opened the door and I ran in.

Yoko was in this little room, hysterical, and I just picked her up in my arms.

LYNN: We made arrangements to allow Yoko to leave the emergency department, but when [her car] pulled up to that entrance, all the press and everybody on the scene ran around the corner, and we literally could not push the door open.

MORAN: When Lennon was shot, [he and Yoko had] just came back from the studio, so he had miscellaneous papers. I think he had glasses, a wallet, and then papers, which I had to just voucher.

JOE DEMARIA, New York Post photographer who caught Yoko and Geffen leaving Roosevelt: We were hanging around outside the emergency room. There was rustling going on. There were a lot of police.

I got a tip that Yoko would be coming out a side door. I sort of backed off and slid around to 58th Street. I stopped at the first door. I was about 10, 15 feet away. There was a car sitting there.

I wasn't there 15 minutes; two people came out before her. Then she came out, looking very solemn, didn't say a word. [Geffen] was holding on to her.

GERALDO RIVERA, 62, then investigative reporter for ABC news and friend and neighbor of Lennon: I definitely heard the shots that night at 72nd Street [from my apartment at 64th and Central Park West]. I didn't know what it was, but gunshots weren't that uncommon in those days. Or I thought it was a car backfiring.

But it wasn't more than five minutes later that I got a call from the ABC network news desk. They said, Can you come on and do "Nightline?"

I said, "Why?" And they said, "John Lennon's just been shot."

The newsroom is only two blocks away, so I rushed over there and found out he had died.

It was a crushing, crushing moment, and I remember saying at one point to Ted Koppel, "I'm just trying to keep my thoughts organized and coherent and not break down."

We stayed on live for three hours, basically redoing the show for every time zone.

BOB GRUEN, 60, author of "John Lennon: the New York Years" published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, who was Lennon's personal photographer and one of his closest friends in the city: I was here in my darkroom. I had taken some pictures [at the Record Factory] the last weekend he was alive. I was printing those pictures when the doorman called up and said, "Do you have a radio on? I just heard on the radio that John Lennon was shot."

My first thought was that maybe he'd been mugged, because that's what happened once in a while if you had bad luck. It didn't occur to me that someone would travel across the world to shoot him on purpose. It just didn't. It still doesn't make sense. It will never make sense.

LYNN: We then made arrangements to take John Lennon's body out of the hospital, because this was the type of case that would go to the New York City Medical Examiner.

There was a receiving dock farther down 58th Street, toward the back of the hospital, that had a double entrance where you could close the outer door or the inner door, or both.

They [pulled the car in, closed the outer doors] and then opened the inner door and we put his body in the morgue ambulance. There was actually another body in there at the time. I have no idea [who that was].

Then we closed the inner door and opened the outer door. The police had completely cordoned off 58th Street, and there was no traffic and no people on the street. And the medical examiner's vehicle left.

I made the announcement in what was then the lobby to the hospital. There was a small staircase of about three or four steps that led up to the admissions office.

I stood at the top of the steps, and the first thing that I saw was about 200 or 300 press people with microphones, mostly radio, and some TV cameras, all pointing in my direction.

I put my head down and sort of put my hands out to the side to motion that I had something to say and for them to be quiet.

Annie Leibovitz took a picture of me.

DENNIS ORTIZ-LOPEZ, 56, Rolling Stone magazine typographer: Annie Leibovitz came in the office the next morning the same time I did. I took the elevator up to the 23rd floor with her. I could see she was really messed up over it, so we didn't discuss it.

We had all been called up and told he had died. They said to come in quick because we had an editorial nightmare coming up. We had finished the magazine completely. The cover was going to be Warren Zevon.

Jann wanted that picture [that Liebovitz had taken the morning before he was killed of John naked with Yoko] to run on the cover. We had to completely do the issue over in two days.

We all knew what we had to do.

ANNIE LIEBOVITZ, writing in the Jan. 22 issue of Rolling Stone about the cover shot: I promised John that this would be the cover. It was taken a few hours before he died. I shot some test Polaroids first, and, when I showed them to John and Yoko, John said, "You've captured our relationship exactly."

I looked him in the eye and we shook on it. The next day, Yoko asked to see the prints and she made the final selection.

SHOLIN: When [my plane] landed in San Francisco, I turned on the radio. I don't remember what song, but it was an older Beatles ballad, like "Yesterday."

It was really odd. He played two songs back to back. And then he made the announcement.

I just stopped the car and realized it wasn't a nightmare or bad dream.

rediscovering the joy of reading

2005-12-02T04:18:00.000-08:00

I've always loved to read. I was raised by my elderly aunts and their husbands, who always told me to 'go away and amuse myself'. I found that amusement in books. I suppose it was inevitable. Both of my parents were huge readers (though my mom doesn't read for pleasure any more). My paternal grandmother was a remedial reading and speed reading teacher who gave me dictionaries and speed reading books as Christmas presents. Looking back...yeah, I was meant to be a reader.

Somewhere I lost the...excitement about reading. I still read and enjoyed books, but it was very passive, there was no real excitement about anticipating the next book in a series or eagerly devouring a book. I didn't savor the words or allow myself to get lost in a book. I rarely, if ever, read a book cover to cover in one sitting.

Since moving to Chicago on this temoporary assignment at my husband's new company, I've really rediscovered the joy of reading. I found myself shaking my head in amusement when I woke up early one day to read the last fifty pages of a book before starting work. An entire Saturday went by while I was lost in the pages of a great book. I'm trying to read for pleasure at least an hour a day, and I'm enjoying a lot of what I'm reading (Mostly fantasy right now).

I've rediscovered the joy of reading and it feels so good :)

wheeee! Post holiday airline fun.

2005-11-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

Now I know why we drive the 7.5 hours to my hometown on most holidays.

I had the day from hell yesterday. Mark and I got to the airport at about noon. Our flight was set to leave at 6, but there were two flights beforehand and 'standby' looked great on both of them.

Okay, cool. We got to the airport, ate lunch and went to the gate. The gate folks thought we could make it on standby as well so I bought a book and Mark and I settled in and read. Uninterrupted reading time is always a good thing, but I discovered that it gets old...fast!

The flight time comes and darn it they only had one seat.. . Okay, the NEXT flight was at 4, only 80 mins away. Settle settle, read, read. Then an announcer comes on. The flight is delayed out of Chicago because of 'weather'. It arrives at 5:30 and YAY we're on it. We happily troop onto the plane.

And sit. And wait. And wait some more. This 'weather' includes high winds and thunderstorms. We can't take off and fly right into the weather so we're being held on the tarmac. FOR TWO HOURS! It was a small reigonal jet and I'm pretty claustrophobic. So...where was I seated? The row with the bulkhead in front of me. I was SO glad that I have an engrossing submission to take my mind off my racing heart and quickened breath.

Our 4:20 PM flight finally took off at just shy of 7:30. We were on the plane for two hours waiting, waiting, waiting some more. Thankfully, everybody was calm and in good spirits. I read subs on my PDA until the battery got weak and then turned back to my paperback.

We land. YAY. We wait for a spot at the gate. UGGGH. We walked off the plane at just after NINE, central, 10 eastern! I've read over half a book and most of a plus novel length submission in that time! Of course me being....me, I was reading a book about a plane crash LOL!

But I'm here...

Fortunately, the vet let us pick up Moonlight at that late hour. Moonlight, you ask. Who is Moonlight? Welll... we got a kitten. She's a sweetheart and has really enriched our time here. Anyway, Moonlight was spayed while we were away and this poor tiny kitty has an Elizabethan collar on her that is as big as...oh maybe half her body size. This is so she won't bite or chew the stitches. Poor darling staggers when she walks because the collar is darned uncomfy. I'll try to post some pictures later tonight.

Thanksgiving was...interesting ;)

2005-11-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

We flew home from Chicago for Thanksgiving. No problems...the flights went really well.

Since none of us are big fans of turkey, Mark offered to make a roast lamb. We all loved that idea, so he went off to the grocery store yesterday to buy lamb and all the fixins. He started cooking it and I settled down to watch some tv. It has been very windy outside, but that was okay...I wasn't going out.

Two thirds of the way into the lamb cooking, disaster struck in the form of a power outage. We just had to shake our heads and laugh about the whole situation. The lamb smelled SOOOOO good and yet...it was soooo close and yet so far away from being eaten since we have an electric stove. What were we to do? Should we find an IHOP? Should we hope for the best and wait it out? As visions of lamb dinner danced in our heads, we prepared ourselves for pancakes or french toast at the local IHOP.

After about a half hour, Mark called the power company and they said the electricty would be back on within two, two and a half hours. We had no idea what we should do about the lamb, but for the moment we relaxed by flashlight and read ebooks.

Fortunately, the electricty was only off for about an hour and Mr. Lamby was devoured.

I hope your Thanksgiving was much more routine :)

The money pit

2005-11-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well, my last post was a long while ago...and boy do I have some news to report!

My husband and I have been in Chicago for just three weeks now, He loves his new job and the company. The area is different but not bad at all. The food has been fabulous, the shopping better than average but...there's one BIG fly in the ointment.

Ever feel like Scar from the Lion King when he says "I'm surrounded by idiots!"? My husband and I have been saying that a LOT.

His company arranged lodging for us in a corporate housing complex. It looked great...on paper.

A few days before we began our 12-hr drive out here, we got a package from them ioncluding apt keys, the phone number and door code (They have secured entry here). Never did they mention the Internet which my husband and I thought was weird since the website discusses high speed Internet, so Mark gave them a call. We both needed Internet, me for work and him to finish his freelance project. They assured us that yes, all we needed were our laptops and we'd be online. 100% connectivity yadda yadda.

We got here and entered the place. Its small but okay. Then the barking started. Two of our neighbors have dogs that don't get along. At all. All day and most of the night these two are barking, growling and howling. Ugggh. Okay, you can't choose your neighbors;that's just one of those things. As is the abovestairs neighbor who plays his music LOUDLY without any indication or consideration of the hour. Again, just one of those things.

We had a look around for the laundry and couldn't find it. Hmmm...strange. We decided we'd follow up about that later. The Internet was working, by this point we'd gone out and gotten some food staples and we just wanted to relax.

After a couple of hours, the Internet went down. Ehh, things happen. We relaxed and I taped a couple of tv shows on the provided VCR.. When the shows were done taping, I rewound the tape. Hmm, what was that grinding sound? We soon found out when the tape shot out, its entrails spilling out after it. RIP dear tape, we hardly used you. Again, just one of those things.

The next day, we barely had any Internet. We tried to call the management office, only to learn that they didn't open until 4 (YES FOUR) in the afternoon. Okkkay. When we finally got someone to answer us, they said the Internet would surely be back soon and they'd checked and everything was fine.

The shower is terrible...the pressure is so strong that you feel pummeled instead of clean. The fridge makes death-throe sounds--every time it runs, it sounds like it is laboring. The microwave was filthy when we got here (EWWW) and the oven works, but has burned everything we've tried to cook, even if we shave five or ten minutes off the cook time. The toaster causes the smoke detector to go off. The shower leaks so that the bathroom floor is constantly wet and the spare blanket they offered? It had some...suspicious stains on it...I repeat...EWWWW!

But these aren't even the worst things. Five things happened that have made us just shake our heads and laugh.

The Internet. It went up and down (mostly down) the first week. At the beginning of the second week, we started haunting the office, which assured us every time that there was NOTHING WRONG. What-ever! Finally, they agreed to send a tech from the cable Internet company out. Lo and behold, we'd been inadvertently STEALING someone else's Internet. These idiots in the front office hadn't even bothered to set us up with an account, knowing someone else had internet connectivity in the building. We were not amused. IDIOTS!

Laundry. At the end of the first week, we need to do laundry. Our apartment didn't have a laundry room, so Mark went exploring and fortunately one of the other buildings had a door propped open. He found the machines in that building but realized that they used scanned cards instead of coins. Okkay. We were SOOL, and ended up at a laundromat with some very...interesting people.

Two days later, Mark managed to get hold of a woman at the office, who brought by one of these cards, but...NO KEY. Yeah, we could do laundry, but we couldn't enter that darn building. Oy!

Postal mail. On the mailboxes inside the building it clearly states to put your name on the box or you won't get mail. We did that...and STILL didn't get mail. Turns out it had to be placed just so inside not ON the box and the post office hadn't delivered any packages as a result. Thankfully, they held these packages for us at the nearby post office.

The damn VCR eats tapes. We tried two tapes in addition to the first one and yep, it munched them. When the girl came by to give us the laundry card, I told her about it and all she could say is that she never heard of that and we could buy our own VCR if we wanted to tape shows. Um...why should we buy something that they provided, just because theirs is broken?

The crowning problem happened this last wekend. Mark turned on the range hood fan and BOOM! An explosion complete with sparks shocked us. He called the emergency hotline after we determined that nothing was actually ON fire and they told him it wasn't an emergency and that they'd send someone over today (Monday). This morning the management office called Mark to let him know that this is the *homeowner's* responsibility and not theirs. The attitude was that he was being outrageous and bothering him...I gather until he pointed out that this is *corporate* housing and that THEY are the owners. Its nearly 3 Pm and nobody has called or arrived to check it out.

Uggh... Its actually laughable at this point in time but sheesh! What ELSE can go wrong with this place.

absolutely disgusted

2005-10-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Warning, rant within.

So, my husband took a new job, and that's great but we're thoroughly screwed for medical insurance until his kicks in after a month. Let's not even go into the fact that his plan is from a co. based in the midwest and there isn't even much coverage on the East coast. and the fact that if we don't get interim coverage, he can't be covered for his pre-existing condition for twelve MONTHS!

Do you have any idea how much non-insured insulin costs? At current uninsured prices, 869.00 a month. Ouch.

I've spent some time today calling insurance companies and the *CHEAPEST* I can get for myself is 582.00 a MONTH/cheaptest for Mark is about 750 a month.

What does this 582 a month cover? 50.00 co-pay for my primary physician, 100.00 co-pay for any specialists (like my eye doctor), no perscription drug plan, no coverage for things like mammograms (With a huge instance of breast cancer in my maternal lines, mammograms are NEEDED) etc.

There is NO way we can affford that, unless we cut out some necessities like electricity, or food. And that is the *CHEAPEST* comprehensive plan. In order to get perscription drugs, wellness, vision, etc. we're talking well OVER 800.00 a month. For me alone!

I've been seeing a chiropractor for my back issues in the last month, but otherwise, I haven't been ill much in my life. I've had one hospitalization, a few visits to the ER and thats it in 15 years. And it wasn't as if they asked about any preexisting conditions...they took my name, address, SS# and quoted a price that is double if not triple or quadruple what the wesbites say. I can't fathom WHY and nobody has been able to tell me why either.

When did health insurance becomes something only the rich can afford? How many of you reading can swing 582.00 a month for yourself (not counting spousal coverage, kids, etc.) or almost 1300 a month for you plus spouse and not suffer. That's almost 7000.00 a year for me alone/15600 for us both. That is a mortgage or rent in an expensive area...that's a new CAR a year...

I just can't get over this. I'm beyond disgusted right now.

Big news!

2005-10-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for a few days to post this...

Mark (my DH) has accepted a position running the Mid-Atlantic office of a company. The company is based in Chicago, so we'll be living there for 8 weeks while he gets to know the company policies and procedures. When we return home to VA, he'll be working mostly from home.

He's been in talks about this job for ages and ages and things finally gelled when he went to the training session in late Sept. and the company owner was there. He agonized long and hard about going because my eye was badly infected at that point in time. Turns out he was meant to be there!

Sorry for the suspense...he asked me to refrain making this widely public until he told his current employer.

"We're simply havvving a wonderful Christma---what??"

2005-10-12T04:55:00.000-07:00

I was listening to XM the other day and was jolted away from work when this song played. I had to do a double take and make sure we were still in October. People, it is early October here...can we hold off on the Christmas music until after Halloween??

Mark is away today...he had a very early flight. I can tell that concentrating will be an issue today.

Of twisted spines and Target

2005-10-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I 'won' the opportunity for a chiropractic consult, at our town fair. Since I have very severe TMJ jaw issues and a lot of back and neck pain, I thought it wouldn't hurt to check them out.

I got my Xrays and consultation that week. Turns out my spine is a mess, as are my neck, shoulder and jaw. The good news is that a lot of pain can be alleviated and my jaw issues lessened greatly. I've lived in pain from YMJ every day since 1996 and to hear that in 5-6 mos I could be much better is a real ray of light.

Being skeptical, I chatted with my mom, who goes to a noted chiropractor and her doc and mine actually know each other. Mine is known as a TMJ specialist.

Due to my eye infection/cancelled trip to NY, my adjustments only started last week. The first two appointments went well and I was feeling fine...until yesterday.

Yesterday morning when I went in, I was limping a little. My lower back was quite stiff and sore. I should have known this wasn't going to be a 'snap, crackle, crunch' type session. First they had me on moist heat therapy then they adjusted me. I was still in so much pain that I was iced down and my lower back muscles stimulated with electrodes. No problem...I was hurting but not too badly.

Then, we went to Target. Mark needed some small tools for his freelancing job and I needed to get an ice pack. I also wanted to check out those 18.88 TV dvd sets.

Well, the minute I stepped on that hard discount store floor my back started throbbing. Within five minutes I had the flexability of the average 80 yr old and every step sent shooting pains up my spine and down my legs. I SO needed that ice! DVd sets? LOL. I could barely remember my name! They even had Sudoku books there andI barely even glanced over them.

We managed to do our shopping at turtle speed and I was soon home on the couch, ice on my back and magazines in hand.

Fortunately, this morning the pain is down to a dull roar!

And our family gets smaller....

2005-10-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

We lost a cousin recently. My family isn't large to begin with and even though this was expected, it saddens me. We lived fairly close to each other and I had alays intended to contact him and introduce him to my husband.

Cousin Luke, as we called him, was a bit of a celebrity in my hometown. He always came home for the huge 4th of July celebration and I'll never forget how impressed I was as a child when this man in full military dress uniform would show up and twirl me around.

When I was in my teens, I took a job making beds at a nursing home one summer and spent a great deal of time with his mother, who was a patient there.I still look back on my visits with her, him gently enocouraging me to play along and let her believe I was Bernice from the Girl Scout Troop in 1929.

Ahh, I digress. In any event, I'd like to share his obituary, copied from the Washington Post. Rest in peace, Cousin Luke! You had an amazing life!

Lucien Capone Jr.Navy Admiral, Consultant

Lucien Capone Jr., 80, a retired Navy admiral and Booz Allen Hamilton vice president, died Sept. 25 at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital of complications following open-heart surgery last April.

Mr. Capone, known as Luke, was born in Fall River, Mass., and grew up in Bristol, R.I. He received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949. During a 30-year military career, he was commanding officer of three ships, the USS Hammerberg, the USS Dahlgren and the USS Richmond K. Turner. His shore tours of duty included posts as deputy chief of staff and director of the Command and Control Technical Center for the Defense Communications Agency and head of the Inter-American Defense College at Fort McNair.

He completed studies at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., in 1954 and at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1967. He also received a master's degree in business administration from George Washington University in 1967. A recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Joint Service Commendation Medal, he became rear admiral in 1975.

After his retirement from the Navy in 1979, he joined Booz Allen Hamilton as a principal to lead the company's new business development in military command, control and communications. He became vice president in 1983 and senior vice president in 1988. He created the C3 Professional Community, which became a prototype for joint market planning, intellectual capital sharing and networking across teams.

Mr. Capone retired a second time in 1997 but continued to lead the company's senior professional development courses and to take part in staff meetings and market strategy. He also was a jazz pianist.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Charlotte Lammers Capone of...; two children, "Skip" of N.C., and Judith of N.Y.; and four grandchildren.

interests coming up from strange places

2005-10-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

My last post was filled with random thoughts about going away...but that trip never materialized.

Monday morning, I woke up essentially blind in one eye. It was one of the most frightening episodes of my life, to go to sleep healthy and whole and to wake up and no know what the problem was.

I was rushed to the docs and discovered I had a very severe eye infection and was told I should NOT go away. My eyesight could be permanently damaged and the eye doc wanted to keep a very close eye on me for the next few days.

To make a long story short, my husband went and had one of the most bizarre (in positive ways) weeks and my mom flew down to get me to the docs, be moral support, etc. There's a looooong involved story there but in the interest of not airing dirty laundry on this blog, I'll be a good girl and keep quiet.

Anyway, to get to the point of this blog...

I read...a LOT. Reading is essential for work and I read for pleasure as well. When suddenly faced with this eye issue, I knew my reading would be severely curtailed and I felt a quite a bit stressed about that. I'm not someone who can lie on the couch and stare at the TV all day without any other stimulation. Especially not if it is on Fox News all day.

I finally decided that I'd work as much as I could and find a way to keep my mind occupied in a way that didn't involve reading. I was so nervous that keeping my mind active was more than necessary--it was my sanity.

Enter Sudoku.

Sudoku is a Japanese numbers logic puzzle. I had been introduced to it by a friend on a message board a couple of months back and had even downloaded a trial version of a Sudoku PC game some time ago. But I never seemed to have the free time to investigate it.

As we were waiting for my perscriptions on Monday, Mark dragged me into a bookstore so that I could pick up a couple of magazines or maybe a book I'd been waiting for (I reeealllly wanted to get Lynn Viehls' Private Demon). Instead, I got two weeks of People Magazine and a Sudoku book. Lynn's book wasn't there yet but I have it in my hands as of this morning!

By Thursday, I was feeling well enough to try Sudoku and within five minutes I was hooked. These logic puzzles engaged my mind in a wholly different way and didn't bother my one sighted eye at all! I must have worked on these puzzles for two or three hours, in a time where ten minutes spent a my computer was agonizing.

I appear to have a new hobby and interest that I hope to engage in even after I'm wholly healed.

Health update: Mom is gone so things are MUCH quieter(and saner!!), the eye is still in a GREAT deal of pain but I have blurry vision in it and I'm progressing well, according to the doctor on my last visit. I'll be going back to him on Monday, so I hope to have some even better news then!

Meanwhile, bring on Sudoku!

Here are some Sudoku links in case this post has piqued your interest.

http://www.sudoku.com/
http://www.websudoku.com/
http://www.sudokumaster.co.uk/

Random Sunday ramblings

2005-09-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

I'm going away tomorrow for the week and as I got my mental checklist in order earlier this week, I realized that I have a ritual when I go away. It's ALL about the organization!

My husband is attending a class to gain a new certification. This class is held at the corporate headquarters of the folks who make the equipment he programs. The campus is incredible and they encouraged him to bring me in to the classes. I think they're on testosterone overload and just want a little lady there!

Free hotel? Check! I'm there!

Free high-speed Internet? Check! So there!

Free 3 meals a day for the week? Double check! You had me at the Internet!

A few days/nights ALONE (without roommate) Okay, when do we leave!!

This trip comes just a week after my computer was reloaded and days after my laptop started new life. We won't even mention how my husband and I have been wrestling with the MP3 player.

So...earlier this week in a last ditch effort to fix the sick laptop, Mark bought some computer memory. He also picked up a memory card for his Palm Pilot, so I inherited the old one. Um...we won't discuss how the computer memory didn't work because he bought the WRONG KIND ;)

Ack! As if loading the laptop/desktop weren't enough, I have to put some selections on the MP3 player...five hours in the car each way with Mark's choice of music is just scaaary. AND I want to figure out podcasts...

Now, I have this memory card which is mocking me. I must fill it with ebook goodness ;)

Getting organized has been a huge priority in the last week and I'm pretty much over it LOL. I like routine and I want to get back to my normal daily merry go round of work and more work. I'm definitely someone who likes everything in its place and not having that has been a little bit of stress on me.

So...anyone have any ebook recommendations? This card is HUUUUGE and I have a fictionwise coupon!

Breezy's Bluster

100 yrs. ago this week.

Okay, I have some news!

I'm SO bad about updating!

80 pounds!

Lovesac incoming!!!

Proofreading

Citizenship?

How time flies!

Many congrats!

Buh Bye Pathfinder!

Good times...bad times

what are people *thinking*??!??!

18 years ago today

Happy 2007!

Resolutions

8 years ago...

RIP, President Ford

Happy holidays!

More exciting family news!

Yet another post on family

Giving thanks

Happy Thanksgiving

Five years ago tomorrow...

Oct TBR

Things I learned this week

Belated Sept TBR post

ubook reader

I love weekend mornings :)

Erm....Hi guys!

Crazy few days

Instead of the average 9/11 post, I'm trying to do something

Semi health update

family stresses

catching up

RIP Steve Irwin

August TBR complete!

huuge stress off my shoulders

Watch out world, my BIL has the Internet!

July TBR challenge complete

How quickly time flies!

The family comedy show!

RIP Jim Baen

"As The Paw Swats" A feline soap opera

Anyone got an ark??

June TBR

Catching up again

Soap opera in my house!

New glasse--whew!

TBR challenge complete!

Everyone is a critic!

Happy Mom's Day!

Poor ignored blog

TBR challenge-would help if I finished the draft ;)

Happy Easter, please pass the PEEPS!

Father In Law update

Doing the Ipod Shuffle!

wow, I've been quiet!

TBR challenge complete!

Best laid plans

How many desks will it take?

Feb TBR challenge complete!

The sound of silence

What a long week :(

Would you go to the ends of the Earth for your

Sometimes you just have to shake your head

Home...and the great litter incident

Home by the weekend :)

Homeward bound??

the P&E poll

I'm shrinking!

January is Tea month!

Its 4:50 am...why haven't I slept???

Cursed!

Rant to our upstairs neighbor

Today's random thoughts

The January TBR challenge

Random thoughts of the day

The flu diet

Good for RI...they legalized the use of medicianal marijuana today!

what are people thinking??!??!