Christmas Is Coming

Duh. I work retail too. I've been hearing Christmas music since mid-October.

The good news is I'm starting to feel it. Thanksgiving is over. We assistants at work put up the tree in our department yesterday. I bought DH a present. That in itself was a major deal because it isn't even December yet. Well, Ok. December is tomorrow, but still.

I'm grabbing my compilation CD and putting it in the car. If I feel really brave, I might bring it into the office even.

The weather is getting cold. We've had to defrost the windows in the mornings. I just read a story in the newspaper from my hometown that someone hit a snowman with his truck and the head flew off, smashing another car's window. Ok, there's two things there. They've had some snow, and there is a certain mentality to the locals there. Still, kinda funny.

Yes, Christmas is coming. I'm not freaking. At least, not yet. I just may be in the enjoyment phase of it all right now, even working retail.

Happy Holidays, everyone. And no, that is not a cop-out. Whatever your flavor, whatever you celebrate, I hope it is a great one for all the right reasons. I happen to believe that the birth of a child in a manger made anything possible, and I wish for peace and goodwill for all humankind.

Next time: Adventure At The Mall. Or, What The @#$% Were You Thinking?

RE: July 5th post

Dammit, Margaret. I expressedly forbade anyone else to die this year. That included you too.

I didn't have the heart to post that our family friend Nate passed away a few months ago. I knew you were going through your own rough spot. How could I possibly have the heart to say that someone else had lost the fight, the same fight you are fighting?

Nate's situation struck a nerve in me. I don't know why it hit me so hard. It just did. And even though you had your own troubles to deal with, you took a moment to hold my hand and pat my back. And I can only hope that my goofy comments made you smile from time to time.

But now there is no more pain, no more worries. I sincerely hope you are at peace now. Because if anyone deserves it, it's you.

All my CB love,
Brenda

Ouch

Note to self: Having a YC jar candle lid fall on your head hurts. A lot.

Please refrain from doing it again in the future.

The Last Train to Funkytown

I know. I just combined two song titles. So sue me.

First, this blog is suddenly taking matters into its own hands. It keeps changing the comments section and asking for moderation of comments. Grrr. I change it back, and it gets all fissy. So not going to deal with it right now.

I accidentally left the gate open and Trent got out last night. I was traumatized. It was 9:00 PM, pitch dark and we live near two busy streets. DH was at him mom's house 40 minutes away so I was by myself. Nothing like trying to find a little black dog in the dark. After about fifteen minutes of searching with DH's mag light and strange looks from the neighbors, I spotted him trotting back into our front yard. Coming from the direction of one of the busy streets. He actually came when I called him. I checked him out and he seems to be ok. I got him back inside and promptly locked all the doors (and the gate) so he couldn't give me a second coronary for the night. Then I had to call DH to let him know Trent was OK, as he was having flashbacks to when his last dog got hit by a car. Stupid dog. He's grounded.

Then after all the night's adventures, DH decided to live on the wildside and eat a sandwich with mayo without first checking the expiration date. Yep, it was a few months past Funkytown, so he was up half the night with food poisoning.

You see, this is why I avoid mayo at all costs. I am convinced it's sole purpose is to make people sick. Mayo, get thee away from me. Yeech.

And finally some good news: the co-worker of mine that was on medical leave is coming back. Relief is in sight. I'd do a happy dance except I'm afraid I'd knock over one of the piles of paper surrounding my desk.

I'm here. I'm alive. Trent's OK. DH will be OK.

Second verse, same as the first

Argh. Still insanely busy, plus I decided to succomb to a nasty little stomach bug over the weekend. I'm better now. I've progressed to crackers with my soup.

I'm still around. I'm still peeking in at the B&G blog.

However, I'd give my right arm for someone to help with filing right now. My left arm is currently occupied with an IV for chocolate syrup.

Hope to have more soon.

Welcome to Acksville

Yep, still buried at work.

Still horribly understaffed.

Still underpaid.

Still hoping there will be a bonus at the end of this mess.

Ack.

That's for all you Bill The Cat fans out there.

It also sums up my day/week/month so far.

Not only am I trying to do the work of three people, but I've been told to train the new person too.

Riiiiight.

People in my department give me a worried look whenever I leave the building for lunch. Like they are afraid I won't come back.

Not that that idea doesn't have merit, but ...

I really do try to leave a place a little better than when I arrived. Silly me.

Argh.

Monday the 13th

I normally am not overly superstitious. I like black cats. Broken mirrors do not freak me out. I do not cry over spilt salt (or was that milk?). And I do not particularly understand an aversion to Friday the 13th. It's Friday. I've rarely had a Friday so bad the weekend could not make it better.

However, Monday the 13th is something else entirely. It's Monday. It is normally my luck to have bad things happen on Mondays. And whatever happens, you still have the entire week to wade through. Ugh.

I usually try to ignore it. Kinda the "if I can't see you, you can't see me" mentality. Mature, I know. Sometimes it works though. Last week I jinxed myself. Worse, I put it in writing. On a blog, I wrote, "In exactly 2 hours and 45 minutes, I can officially claim to have survived this week." While technically, this was true, I forgot Monday the 13th was around the corner and therefore have been given another hell week to get through.

You see, I am part of what is normally a 3 person team that is down to 2 people. The other person was on vacation last week, leaving me to be the one left. One hour and forty-five minutes after I wrote those fateful words, I got a call from my co-worker and friend saying she was in the hospital. Turns out she will be in the hospital a whole week, then out from work another 6 weeks or so. Right now it sounds like she will be fine, for which I am extremely thankful. On the selfish side, it looks like I will have to scrap a long weekend that I was soooo looking forward to, deal with the transition of the new addition to my group, and handle the work of three people.

I'm just going to warn people now. There will be a serious dent in the world's chocolate supply after this week.

***Update: Well, hockey pucks. I have no idea if I'm still on for Dayton or not. Right after I was informed that my co-worker will definitely be out the next 6-9 weeks, I received the formal approval of my vacation request for those days. Which will be while she is gone. I have no idea what my department would do without an assistant for two whole days. Guess we will have to wait and see.

I've Been Googled

My sister has taken on this enormous task of doing our family tree. She takes her laptop and scanner with her when she visits relatives and scans family photos. Getting all the names has always been the tricky part, but she is doing one heck of a job. She even started collecting the little funny family stories too.

Anyway, she was telling me that she was Googling our family name, looking for wayward relatives and she told me that she found me on the CB Bar and Grill. I just burst out laughing. I probably should put something out there that would send people here because the Bar & Grill will just confuse the hell out of people if they are looking for relatives.

So anyway, that's my big news of the day. I've been Googled.

Well, it's too hot to do much else.

Maintaining

It's Wednesday. Happy Hump Day. I really have no idea what Hump Day is supposed to mean. I guess it means we are over the hump and the worst is over, it's all down hill from here. Somehow I just can't get the image out of my head that somewhere there are a bunch of dogs getting their jollies off every Wednesday afternoon.

The week is going much better than expected so far. I am under no illusions that it will remain so though. There has only been one hiccup so far, and it is part of the endless problem of the officers I work for having no idea what it is I need to do to make stuff happen for them. Yes, I can beg, plead, and offer my first born in order to get things done to the powers that be 400 miles away, but as of this date I have not been issued a magic spell that will allow me to pull legal documents out of my butt without the proper information to complete it, let alone have it ready by next morning. Sad, but true. My tiara may be slightly tarnished after this week, and a little less glittery, but them's the breaks.

In the candle shop news, I had a kickin' sales day. I still love the Halloween decorations we have and will probably have to buy another tote to store the new stuff in. There is a haunted house I am dying to get that you put tea lights in. Too cute!

I know we are barely a week into August, but I'm started to plan my Halloween movie night. Since I don't really like horror films, I'm thinking Ghostbusters. Blair Witch kinda freaked me out until I hit the mute button. It suddenly became a comedy with the subtitles on.

So, what kind of Halloweenish movies do you like to watch? It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a given.

Primal Scream

I thought I'd warm up for next week. It'll be a doozie.

*Ahem.*


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!

Thanks for your support. You may now resume your lives.

Relaxation Tapes

We had an absolutely gorgeous weekend over here. I helped a friend move and we were able to do all the up and down the stairs of her old apartment before 10:00 AM when it was still cool out. So nice. Of course, I really couldn't move the next day and I'm struggling to stay conscious today, but that is to be expected.

I received a new catalog in the mail the other day and I noticed that it had a section of "relaxation tapes", which reminded me of a phase my college roommate and I went through in school.

One weekend, probably around midterms, we decided to give those relaxation tapes a try. She bought "The Rainforest" while I bought "Thunderstorm." Being college students we were notoriously cheap, and if there is one thing I learned from the experience, you cannot go cheap on a relaxation tape.

We decided to listen to "Thunderstorm" together as we were studying in the living room.

(A gentle rain falls.)

Me: This is nice.

Her: I love storms.

(A crack of thunder.)

Me: See? Nice and relaxing.

Her: I hope I don't fall asleep. I have to study for this Psychology exam for tomorrow.

(Another crack of thunder.)

Me: Whoa. That was ... a little loud.

Her: You think?

(The wind picks up.)

Her: What is that?

Me: Why are there howler monkeys in the thunderstorm?

(More thunder and wind.)

Me: Good grief.

Her: Should I be calling Auntie Em?

Me: I thought this was supposed to be relaxing.

(The howling wind is now deafening. There are a series of loud crashes coming from the tape.)

Her: Let me see that tape case.

Me: Why?

Her: This is no thunderstorm. This is a freakin' tornado!

(A siren begins to wail.)

Her: We are going to die!

Me: Head for the basement!

Her: Tell my mom I love her!

(Tires squeal. Metal crunches.)

Me: What was that?

Her: I think a storm chaser just bit the dust. The idiot.

(More wind, and ominous thumping.)

Me: I think it just ate Kansas.

Her: Auntie Em! Auntie Em! Save yourself!

(Other roommate walks in.)

Other roomie: What is going on in here?

Me: Get down! You've got to get to the safe place! The tornado is going to eat us alive!

Other roomie: What are you talking about? The sun is shining!

Me: That's what it wants you to think! It's coming to get us!

Other roomie: For the love of pete ... what is that racket? Turn down the stereo!

Stereo? Oops.

The next day I asked her how her rainforest tape was. She said she wanted to shoot the damn birds after about three minutes and to not even get her started on the "Oo ee ah Ah AH!" thing every fifteen seconds.


So remember, kids: Don't go cheap on the relaxation tapes.

Rain

After having almost no rain for what seemed like months, we are in the middle of our third day of scattered storms here. Yay for the farmers, but I think the rest of us are tired of it now.

The rain may explain an annoying problem I've been having this week. It has taken an act of god to get me out of bed in the morning. And I've been tired all day. I get to work, and I tell my co-workers that I need an IV with Diet Coke in it. They laugh, but I'm starting to think it's a good idea.

Today it's Vanilla Coke Zero, but I'm still thinking about an IV.

What's worse, I have a desk job where I do not necessarily have to move around much. Falling asleep at my desk is a real possibility. If I had an office instead of being out in the middle of the department floor, falling asleep would be a certainty.

Does anyone else have problems staying away on rainy days? What do you do to wake yourself up?

I'm off to take a short walk up and down the stairs a few times. If I don't get moving, I'll fall asleep sorting the mail.

I'm In Love ... With a Restaurant

Well, OK. I'm in love with DH too. He took me to my favorite restaurant yesterday.

Let me back up. Last week was rough. It was hectic, frantic, and just about any other -ic words you can think of. TGIF nearly took on a religious meaning. I was so glad when Friday rolled around that I brought in Mary Lou Donuts for our department. By the way, Mary Lou makes the best donuts - ever. Better than Dunkin' Donuts. You can keep your Krispie Kremes. Give me Mary Lou Donuts any day of the week. OK, if you did, I'd look like donut, but you get the picture.

There is this Mexican restaurant chain over here called Hacienda. There was one fifteen minutes away from the house I grew up in. There used to be one here in Lafayette - heck that's the reason I agreed to move here - but now the closest one is in Kokomo. It's only a 40 minute drive or so.

I am in love with Hacienda.

As far as being "authentic" in terms of Mexican fare, I have no idea. Don Pablos once tried to kill me with heartburn, so no, it's not necessarily spicy-hot.

Most of my co-horts love it for their margaritas. I agree. They are good. They have a dreamsicle orange one that is absolutely divine, but I digress. I do go for the food.

I always order the same thing every time too. A shredded beef wet burrito with extra cheese. Please forgive me for drooling. The beef is like the tenderest pot roast ever marinated in subtle Mexican seasonings. It's wrapped with beans (not a lot), tomatoes, lettuce and burrito sauce inside a flour tortilla and a mound of cheese is melted over the whole thing.

So good.

Lately we've become fans of the chili con queso sauce with chips as an appetizer, as if the regular chips and salsa were not good enough on their own. I never eat chips and salsa anywhere else. And yesterday (due to fate, I believe) their mudslide dessert was half price. That would be a big chocolate chip cookie baked fresh, covered with three scoops of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce. We ordered one with three spoons. *Sigh*

I waddled when I left the restaurant, but I was one happy camper.

So if you're ever in Michigan City, Mishawaka, Goshen, Elkhart, Warsaw, Kokomo, Evansville or South Bend and see a sign for Hacienda, be sure to wave. I'll wave back, I promise.

http://www.haciendafiesta.com/

Come on, people. That was funny.

Ok, so yes, I've been in a bit of a funk for the past week or so, but come on. You have to admit that the "flaming turd" quote from DSS was pretty funny in the last post.

Yes, it was at the end of a rather morbid entry, but it is just one of those things that happens. Well, to me anyway. I'll be in a funk, mourning the only way I know how, and something will happen that will make me laugh hard enough to lay an egg. It reminds me that life has ups as well as downs, and that I will remember the phrase "flaming turds" far longer than a bible verse at a funeral.

Of course, that just may be part of my problem. I really should brush up on my bible verses, but dang it, the flaming turd story is just too good to pass up.

Stick Me With A Fork, Part 2

My guinea pig up and died Saturday. If this isn't evidence that God has a twisted sense of humor, I don't know what is.

You see, on my last post I specifically forbade anyone else to die, that I was done with funerals. I suppose since technically Tiger wasn't a person, that left him out of the loop.

*Sigh* This really sucks.

It's been a rough week. A co-worker and friend passed away and I've been dealing with that both at work and at home. Then just as I was getting ready to leave for the funeral, I looked in on the guinea pig and found he had passed on as well.

I wonder if my friend likes guinea pigs.

It was left to me to break the news to my step-son. He already lost a hamster this year.

Me: Did you talk to your dad today?

Him: Not really.

Me: Did he tell you about the bad news?

Him: No.

Me: (muttering) Of course he didn't. Well, I've got some bad news to tell you then.

Him: How bad is it?

Me: Well, it's life.

Him: Okaaay.

Me: (taking a deep breath) Tiger passed away yesterday. I'm really sorry, bud.

Him: Well, that stinks.

Me: Yes, it does. It happened really fast and at least he isn't suffering.

Him: Trent's OK, right? (our dog)

Me: Yes. The vet said he is doing great.

Him: Good. That just really stinks about Tiger though. (A pause) Do you think the fireworks stand has any of those flaming turds left?

Me: What?

Him: Flaming turds. They are round and when you light them the turd comes out.

Me: Huh? You mean Snakes?

Him: Oh yeah. They look like turds though.

Ah yes. The brain of an 11 year old boy.

Meanwhile DH and I were digging a hole in the flower bed at 11:00 at night to bury Tiger so the neighbors wouldn't see. Like someone digging a hole in the dark isn't suspicious enough. Max (the hamster) is in an old check box in the other flower bed on the side of the house.

It is my most sincere wish that no one digs up the flower beds any time soon. I'd rather not explain all the bodies, however small.

Stick me with a fork. I'm done.

A quick recap, as I've been gone awhile.

DH came through his medical procedure just fine and is now doing much better. He had scar tissue in his throat that was triggering coughing fits. He had an upper GI scope and the doctor was able to biopsy off the skin causing problems. He is doing very well, sleeping better (finally!) and back to work. Whew! I'm glad that set of worries is out of the way.

We decided against getting another dog just yet. With DH's procedure and some other expenses that have come up, it didn't seem practical for right now. When we are ready, we will go the same route and look to adopt one through a shelter or rescue.

Sadly, one of my co-workers and friends passed away on Monday. It was a huge shock. There are three of us assistants that work in my department. One was on vacation, I was there and the third was missing. It was a surreal experience where you just keep hoping that there has just been a misunderstanding. My boss ended up having to contact her brother and the police to do a welfare check and that's when they found out she had passed in her sleep the night before. She was a very good person, endlessly patient with my questions and will be missed fiercely. I cannot even think about the turmoil that her absence will leave at work, as she knew everything and did all the "icky hard stuff".

So I am going to say that after this, I am officially done with funerals for the year. I absolutely forbid anyone else to die. Nope, that's it. Finis.

*Sigh* I'm hanging in here, but I'm going to buy "The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes" by Crusie et al tonight. I need a little distraction for a while.

The Great Debate

Ever have an opportunity come up where you know you should refuse for every practical reason under the sun and yet something is still pulling you in that direction?

I recently stumbled across a pet adoption web site and out of the hundreds of dogs on this site, one seems to be calling my name. Her name is Sadie and she is a little black schnauzer. It looks like she is a few years older than Trent but she's in good health.

Of course, money is tight. We are on a budget. We'd need to buy her own crate, dog bed, collar, leash and toys. It would be two vet bills. We rent the house we're in now.

On the other hand, unconditional love. Trent would have a playmate. It takes Trent four months to eat his food anyway. Her vet visit is taken care of for this year. I'm learning to cut Trent's hair (poor dog). She looks just like him, down to the uncut yet perky ears. We're used to the schnauzerisms of the breed. She won't shed. There's plenty of yard for both. And finally, she's just so danged cute!

Sigh. Sadie is a rescue and her foster family lives 3 hours away. Not a bad drive, not really for us.

DH and I talked last night. Her adoption fee is only $75, which I think is really cheap considering the other ones I've looked at and the medical stuff she's been through.

So we sent an email asking about her. We'll have to see what happens from here.

Adventures in Step-Parenting

Cool. The last post was #100. A pretty significant milestone. If I were a tv show, I'd get a cake. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably have cake anyway.

Today began the annual ritual I like to call "Step-Parenting 101." It's a remedial course, namely because you would not believe the things you forget from last year. Now that summer vacation has begun, we have DSS on alternating weeks. Which means we get more day-to-day, real-life time with him, not just the It's-Dad's-Weekend-let's-have-fun stuff.

DSS is certainly his father's son. Translation: he is a complete bear to wake up in the morning. DH leaves for work at 6:15 AM. It really doesn't make much sense to have DSS up at that time, so wake up duties now fall to me. And yes, there are many a time that I've wanted to throw up my hands at the both of them and just let them rot there.

It is a fact of life that there are times when a step-parent will not agree with how the other parent handles certain things. The Ex and I are no exception. Heck, if we ever agree on anything, it'll be a miracle. Ok, to be honest, we both like Yankee Candles, and there is a Sparkling Grapefruit with her name on it too, but I digress (sorry, inside joke). In this instance, we disagree on the proper way to wake a child from a restful night's sleep in order to have them in the best frame of mind to face the coming day. At the ex's house, basically the kids know that once Mom starts yelling, it's time to wake up. I've heard stories about ice being tossed on them and cold water. I vowed to never resort to those tactics.

However, the result is that without the yelling, DSS does not seem to think that it is imperative that he get his rear in gear so I'm not late for work.

I regret to say I had to flick water on DSS in order to wake him up today (head hanging low).

Granted, it wasn't a glass of water. Merely a few drops, just enough to get his attention. That and I had been trying to find some sign of life for forty-five minutes at this point. I was at end of my patience.

I don't want to be a mean step-mom, really. So perhaps that is the reason I came up with the pirate theme of this morning's waking up ceremony. I turned the ceiling fan on high, sprayed him with water, started shaking the mattress, and began yelling, "AHOY, MATIE! HARD TO PORT AND TRIM THOSE SAILS, YOU SCALLY-WAG! ARRRR!"

Ah, yes. The look on his face was priceless.

Perhaps I do exaggerate a bit, but I did receive a really dirty look from DSS once his eyes opened this morning.

Besides, he should know by now that I am the nutty one. If he doesn't want to get up in the morning, I cannot be held responsible for what creative means my brain comes up with to make sure he does.

An Insight Into My Thinking Process: *Warning! Scary Up Ahead!

(CMS, this is for you.)

Ok, so I'm reading this book that I can't even remember the title of and I keep getting distracted by my inner dialogue. Really. That is how little I am absorbed into this story.

First, it is a book I probably would not have picked out for myself. DH got it for me out of a free book bin. It was free. Enough said.

I thought I should probably give it a good shot. So this is how it went:

Hmm. An Indian crosses the desert. Almost sounds like a joke opening. A man walks into the bar and says ... ow! Tee-hee! Always cracks me up.

Ok. We have a snake. The snake is not doing anything. Why is he here? Maybe he'll bite the Indian ... no, still not doing anything. Why do we have the freakin' point of view of a snake in this story? On page two?

Oh, look. The page number says fifteen, but it is really page two of the story. I wonder if there are rules about this. Doesn't that mean that there are about ten blank pages padding the final page count? Are the pages at the end going to be counted too? I wonder if all books do this.

Hold on, maybe something is happening ... nope, still nothing. Oooh, as an added bonus, I now know the scientific name of the diamond back snake. WTH?

Back to the Indian. And back to the snake. And his snakey POV. *Sigh*

Well, it is third omniscient POV. Maybe snakey POV is allowed ... no, not really. I have a really bad feeling about this book.

Great. A western with a prostitute. Why did DH think I'd like this book?

Now don't be so hard on DH. He picked out a perfectly good book for you. He probably saw the words "By the Author of 'Bridges of Madison County'" on the cover and thought it might be a romance. Even if he did forget you hated that book.

Good. No more prostitute. Still not exactly sure what the Indian is doing running through the desert.

Hmm. Now there is a poker player. I wish I knew what was going on.

Ooooh! The smugglers just shot a cop for no reason! Something is happening ... and we're back to nothing again. Apparently they are just going to drive around the desert with the body in the trunk. *sigh*

Talk about your long nights. This book is taking forever. The poker player's mentor was just killed and I don't think my pulse even went up.

Hmm. This book is only one hundred and fifty-eight pages long. Seems a lot longer. Let's see if I can stick this out. Just to see if I can.

I really hope the book with the Titanic-like cover is better than this.

Or, I at least read it better than this. That's right. It's not the book. It's me.

Now I sound like I'm breaking up with the book. "I'm sorry, it's not you. It's me. We just want different things and should probably see other people ..."

***

I did warn you this was a scary place, right?

Popsicles for DH

I tell you, the fun never stops over here.

DH needs to have a medical procedure. He is still having problems with the coughing fits which in turn is causing him to not get any restful sleep. The doctor thinks that he has scar tissue in his throat that food is getting caught on. It is also creating a tickle causing DH to cough even though nothing is there.

Basically they are proposing to do an upper GI scope to assess the damage and then cauterize any pockets or rough spots causing problems.

Yikes. DH still has his tonsils too, so we'll have to see if they stay in or come out.

It looks like we'll have to stock up on popsicles for a while.

Books and the Good Read

Many of us read to relax. The public library is literally two blocks from where I work. The good news: all the money I save from borrowing vs buying books. The bad news: the library calls when a book request comes in, and they're calling at least twice a week, driving DH nuts.

Tuesday I visited the library and two of my requests were in. Yay! I'm currently reading a paranormal, but it's been a challenge to get into. Then I accidentally left it at work. So I did what many of you would have done with time on your hands and a TBR (to be read) pile awaiting. I picked up a new book. Oh, I fully intended to finish the other one first before I really got into the meat of the second one.

Ha.

Every once in a while I come across a series that might as well be my crack. I would give up food for the next page of one of these books, so you know how serious this is. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are one series. And one of the books I picked up the other day was the latest of the In Death series, "Innocent In Death" by J.D. Robb.

Oh. My. Bob.

I was sucked in, twisted up in knots, turned inside out, horrified and laughed out loud. That book went with me everywhere. To work, the BMV, and to bed. Maybe my eyes looked wild and feverish, because DH and the dog kept their distance. There was no amount of candle snorting that could bring me down off this buzz. For two whole days I might as well have worn a big red sign that said, "LEAVE ME ALONE. I AM TRYING TO READ MY DAMN BOOK."

I finished the book this morning, making me nearly late for work. Seriously, how can you possibly expect me to put a book down when I'm down to the last five pages? I might as well have tried to rip my own arm off.

So, whew. I'm better now. I LOVE books that make me all crazy when I read them. They make me think. I love the "A-ha!" moment when a clue falls into place, even if it is a half-second before the whodunit is revealed.

So now I'm going to try to get back to that paranormal. I still have hopes for it and Nora's book recharged my batteries somewhat (for those of you who don't know, Nora Roberts is the genius behind the J.D. Robb pen name).

Which reminds me, Jayne Ann Krentz has a new novel out. She is another author I go ga-ga over. She also has the distinction of having been the first author I met and where I instantly became a blathering idiot. Sadly, she probably won't be the last.

Which authors rev your engine?

So, how do you do it?

Blech. Time for a new chapter.

Yes, things are hectic. Ok. Things are REALLY hectic right now. And I'm one of those people who does not handle stress well. Thank Bob I get to snort candles at the candle store. I didn't think aroma therapy worked for me until I started working there. Feeling that tenseness in your shoulders? Grab a Vanilla Cupcake, Vanilla Caramel, Buttercream or Cranberry Chutney and take a deep breath. Aaah.

And yes, I noticed the theme too. Now if you'll kindly ignore the fact that I'm drooling on myself...

Life's not perfect, but a few seconds of sanity helps.

Of course, there are books. If my Saturday remains clear, I'll be reserving a few hours to read my latest library book and light a relaxing candle. Can't wait!

I know I need to exercise. I've been told - often- that it will help. Quite frankly, I have no routine and it shows. I have been doing more yard work lately but that only does so much. And then the rain messes up my schedule and I've got a jungle in my yard.

So here are my questions: What do you do to decompress when stress levels are going through the roof? And how do your motivate yourself to cut out some time to exercise?

In Memory, Part II

I've finally made it back. Physically, if not mentally.

Wilmington DE is definitely a 12 hour + trip, and I don't care what MapQuest says. DH, my sister and I left Friday morning at 8:30 AM. My other sister from Ohio had to work on Friday and flew into Philadelphia after work. As it turned out, we just reached Philly as her flight arrived so we swung by to pick her up. Then on to Wilmington. I think we got in around 11:30 PM.

The viewing for my uncle began at 8:30 AM on Saturday. The funeral was then set for 10:30. His widow has Alzheimer's and is in a very vocal and contrary stage, which made things interesting. Things were delayed several times, but finally everyone made it through with some degree of drama and some sedation involved. There was a lovely reception afterwards with lots of food (my family excels in food-oriented events). My folks took my sister back to the airport and we were finally able to crash at the hotel room. We had beautiful weather, and minimal headaches on the trip.

The trip back was relatively uneventful. We only made wrong turns twice, and I'd only consider the one time truly "lost". Funny, but even the not-so-nice areas have a certain charm when you are from out of town. We left at 8:30 AM from Wilmington and arrive back here in Lafayette at around 10:00 - 10:30 PM.

Yes, I feel like I've been hit by a cement truck today. Ugh. It's going to take awhile to recoup from this marathon.

Considering how close I came to saying, "Nope. Cannot do. Impossible," and then there was a tiny sliver of hope that made it possible. I still cannot believe I made it work. Uncle Ray was my godfather and I mourn the lack of time I spent with him. Years would go by between visits. I didn't get to tell him goodbye in person, and that is probably the biggest reason I was so upset about the thought of not being able to say a final goodbye at the funeral. Which is kinda silly if you think about it. I do believe you can say your goodbyes in your own time, at your own place, in your own way.

The trip was over 800 miles each way, and 8 of us from Indiana made the journey. For me at least, a large part of that was in support of my cousins and my father. Dad is not in the best of health, and Uncle Ray's death coming somewhat abruptly was a jolt. Hopefully, Dad will take it as a sign to take better care of himself.

Thanks for everyone's sympathies and hugs. It truly helped me start through this. I was pretty much able to keep it together until the first condolences started coming through. And that pretty much let me know just how much I was trying to juggle inside.

Thanks for sharing my quiet little corner with me.

In Memory

I may be going dark for a few days.

My uncle passed away yesterday. While he was seriously ill and in a VA hospital, his passing was sudden and unexpected.

The funeral is in Delaware, about a 12 hour drive. If I can rearrange my work schedule in time, I'll be spending a lot of time on the road.

My uncle was a good man with very human flaws, and shared my dad's oddball sense of humor. You haven't lived until you've spent three hours in the car with the two of them going, "Turn left." "Left, right?" "Right." "Right?" "No, LEFT." Seriously. For three hours.

He will be missed.

You Again

For the past few months, I've been stuck in stallsville with my writing. Yes, I partially blame one of the meds the doctor put me on because ever since I started taking it, the little scenes popping up in my head have been painfully quiet. Of course I haven't seen that nervous twitch since then either, but I'm holding out hope that the two are not related. I mean, you can keep your sanity and be a writer at the same time right?

Ok, quit the snickering in the peanut gallery. You know what I mean.

It doesn't surprise me that the paranormal I've been kicking around for the past year has been quiet. The original idea was an ensemble cast of six characters: a vampire, an angel, a witch, a shapeshifter, a human researcher and an unknown. Kind of an "Incredible Journey from Hell." The unknown is kinda fun because she begins to develop powers and no one knows what exactly she is, but suddenly both good and evil sides want her as a kind of weapon of mass destruction. And she could easily go either way as she tries to find her path. My problem with this one is fleshing out the characters. The Unknown, the angel and the vampire are easy. I'm trying to figure out if the others are necessary at this point.

Now the historical romance has been percolating for years now. It's evolved several times now. I went through a spurt where I had all these ideas and not enough plot to tie them together. It was like living with these people. I saw them buying food and supplies, going to business meetings, taking care of the horses - not exactly the riveting stuff that makes for an entertaining read. I began to feel, "Oh. It's you again." And trying to weave threads to connect the good stuff? Ugh. Not a recommended method.

And then the other night Tyler and Bethany popped in my head again. He kissed her for the (millionth) first time. She is suspicious of his motives, but hey, she is only human. And in love with him since childhood. Too bad after their first kiss she felt obliged to break his nose. And he was engaged to someone else. Kinda put a damper on the whole blossoming possibilities there.

I actually sat up in bed. I was that surprised to hear from them. Weaving that complex dance of courtship is what keeps stumping me. Too much and it becomes a joke. Not enough, there's nothing to hold interest.

I think it's time to dust off my old plot lines for Tyler and Bethany and make them work again.

Times and Adventures with Whooping Cough

Poor DH. He's not been feeling well for over a month now and after a particularly bad night, I told him to go see the doctor again.

He has whooping cough.

WTFH?

Apparently it is making the rounds in these parts. Basically it is a bacterial infection (at least it isn't viral) that lodges itself around the back of your throat and likes to disguise itself as allergies and colds. The kicker is the violent coughing spells where you can lose your breath, making a "whooping" sound when you try to suck in some air. Some of the worst coughing fits are at night, sometimes to the point where you make yourself sick.

And it is contagious. We had to call his ex to verify DSS's shots were current or else we couldn't see him until DH has recovered (his are).

Well, yay us.

DH is on meds, so he is taken care of. Apparently I'm on the neighborhood watch program now. Both my sisters have been over in the 24 hours before we knew what he had and he had it awhile, according to the doctor. Yes, they were thrilled with news.

I talked to my mom and she told me us kids shouldn't have to worry because we all had our shots growing up. Au contraire, ma mere. The shots only protect you for a certain length of time and yes, you can contract it as an adult even if you have had your shots as a kid.

Now this part was news to me and I'll have to do some research to verify this is true. Apparently there is something in the new tetanus shot that covers you for whooping cough. How the two are related, I have no idea, but DH was told if you've had a tetanus shot in the past two years, you should be ok. Sadly, I've not had the opportunity to step on a rusty nail lately, so I'm at risk.

The main complications from whooping cough are exhaustion, dehydration, pneumonia, and cracking a rib from coughing so hard. Joy.

Now on the to fun stuff. I don't know what med is making DH really loopy, but he was hilarious this morning. He wanted me to wake him up when I got up this morning so he could call work and let them know what he has and how long he may be out. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Sweetie? Time to wake up, Ok?

DH: Hmph? Rwpr mmfpht hmm graptum snftt.

Me: OooooKaaaay. Sorry, I didn't catch that. You said you wanted me to wake you up.

DH: Rawrfbtfpr.

Me: *snort* Hey, wake up. You need to call work.

DH: Wabba gab ... did they get the school ...

Me: What was that?

DH: Did they ... get that thing at the school ... (snore) straightened out?

Me: Um, I must have missed that on the news last night.

DH: There was this thing ... bus training ...we doing ...

Me: Please tell me you didn't sign us up to drive a school bus.

DH: Huh? What are you talking about?

Me: *sigh* Nevermind. Are you awake?

DH: TV.

Me: Huh?

DH: TV over here. You ... middle. Another TV.

Me: Was the TV on late last night?

DH: Rbbsmtnpt.

Me: Was I hogging the bed again last night?

DH: No ... TV here ... push the buttons ... other TV ... *snort*

Me: Two TVs, huh?

DH: Uh huh. Who's that guy?

Me: What guy?

DH: The one standing with his back to you.

Me: (thinking: um, hi. There sure as hell better not be some guy standing in our bedroom while I'm in my PJs.) Sorry. I don't see him.

DH: He's with his wife. Over there. They own the go-cart shop.

Me: Oooo kaaaay. (thinking: what the hell is in that stuff they gave him?)

DH: (cracking his eyes open) What?

Me: Hmm? I didn't say anything. Are you awake now?

DH: Oh, be quiet. Don't mess with me when I'm not awake. (pause) What were we talking about anyway?

Me: You were saying something about school buses, tv sets and go-carts.

DH: Oh, be quiet.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

You know when you want to laugh and really shouldn't ...

Ok, this is going to be a very low-brow, crass humor post. Maybe. Unless I find a way to BS my way around it.

(Yes, I am punchy again today. I think the sugar from the five chocolate chip cookies I ate finally kicked in.)

Ok, I just wrote a typo on one of those instant message thingamabobs and I can't stop laughing about it. It sounded painful. It sounded like an inner combustion problem. It sounded like a really gross case for House.

Actually the latter might not be so bad, as long as Wilson can tag along.

Back to the typo. It's like you know you shouldn't laugh when someone toots, but the expression on the lady's face beside him is priceless. And the more you try not to laugh, the funnier it gets.

I know. Sometimes you have to be there. Even worse, I was by myself on the instant message thingie when it happened. Kinda like the tree falling in the forest question.

Is it still funny if no one hears the joke? I'll let you know as soon as I'm no longer in danger of snorting myself inside out.

The Office and the Ghost Surfing the Web

I'm still reeling with relief that my sisters and I won't be shipped off to live in a relative's broken home in the event anything should happen to my folks. I'd feel like someone's deadbeat cousin living on the couch in the basement.

(Warning: this author is a bit punchy this morning.)

I'm more than a wee bit tired this morning. At my day job, there are three of us assistants who work for the 9 officers in my department. One of the assistants is on vacation this week (alas, 'tis not I. I warned you I was punchy this morning). Apparently the super-secret code phrase for all hell breaking loose is voicemail and email reading, "I am currently out of the office..."

By what basic math skills I possess, you could assume that the remaining two assistants' work load would increase by 50%. Sadly this is not true. Without any exaggeration, I can safely state that our work load has increase by 200%. Diet coke and chocolate are coming into his place by the truckload.

I fell into the sleep of the nearly-dead last night, only awake to the light of the computer monitor. At 3:00 AM. WTH? DH woke when I turned it off and I asked, "Were you on the computer after I fell asleep last night?" He replied that he hadn't been on since early afternoon. Okaaaay. So either he conveniently "forgot" or something moved the mouse enough to wake it from sleep mode.
And I crate our dog at night (trust me, he actually prefers it that way).

Not that I think the dog is surfing the net and looking at the PetSmart website. Well, if he did surf the net I'd hope it was the PetSmart site and not some slutty poodle's site. I mean, we did have him neutered and boy, he's never forgiven us for that either. I'd also rather not think I have critters big enough to turn on the computer while I sleep. So yes, darn tootin' I hope DH was on the computer last night.

And before everyone threatens to take away his GAM-in-training status, this is the guy who, when I caught him gawking at a blond in a very tiny bikini mowing the lawn, could tell me down to the make, model and deck size of the mower, but didn't even know it was a woman mowing the grass. Or so he says. The man does know his machinery.

I know how to check the computer's cookies and history. If you need a car part, DH knows a site or two that can help. He found a car antenna that looks like a rod and reel for my dad for Father's Day.

Well, I've got to get to work. It's going to be one of those weeks.

I just finished two books and I am trying to figure out why one took me two weeks to read and the other two days. Yes the one was slightly longer than the other, but I can't remember the last time it took me two weeks to read a book. Wait - I take that back. It was one of the Bronte novels whose title escapes me because it was a classic I never got around to reading before. I enjoyed the novel. I think it rhythm of the prose that took me so long. I don't know. Maybe there is something about the meter of speech from the 1800s or even the early 1900s that slows me up. In a way that is good, like savoring the taste of a new food and trying to decide if you like it or not.

Incidentally, I typically hate "the classics". I'm not too terribly fond of award winners either. I guess my beat comes from a different drummer. I did like "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh." But if someone offered me money to reread "Sister Carrie" I think I'd rather be driven over by a bus. In fact, I remember wishing a bus would run over her. I guess that would have been a hackney or hansom (sp?) cab back then, but you get the point.

Anyway, novel A was a mystery. I like mysteries. I inherited that from my dad. I think he at one time owned every Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie novel in paperback. This novel was by a reputable author with several other novels in print. Maybe it was because of the odd mood I've been in of late. Maybe there were too many characters and I couldn't keep them straight in my head. I hate that when that happens. Even as late as 50 pages to go in the novel, I had to flip back and figure out who the protagonist was because I kept confusing her name with that of a secondary character.

Now the second novel was a romance, also by a reputable author. It had far less characters to keep straight. There was a bit of a mystery that I saw coming a mile away, but I am one of those insatiable people who has to know if the hunch is right (I was). The hero was a little too good to be true, hardly any growth other than "hey, I think I just fell in love." But then again, I've always been a bit of a sucker for those knights in shining armor.

I did like both books. I just thought it was odd that one took me so much longer to read than the other.

I think I need another run to the library. I have a feeling I'll be wanting the escapism this week. Sunday I found out that my uncle was in the hospital. Normally I call my folks on the weekend, but I got sidetracked. The more I thought about my uncle, the more concerned I got, but I tried to shake it off. I mean, if it was serious, someone would have called, right?

I called my folks last night. My uncle is not good. Basically a lifetime of vices and weaknesses have caught up with him. I'd like to say we were close. He is my godfather, but he moved out to Delaware when I was little and I really haven't seen him very often. The last time I saw him was at my wedding four years ago. And yet I really feel smacked upside the head about this. Even over the phone, I could tell my parents were beginning to grieve, and I felt myself beginning to do so too.

DH and I talked about this some last night. Unfortunately, we are reaching a stage in our lives where the death of aunts and uncles is probable and in some cases, a waiting game. I'm just afraid I am not ready for this particular stage of life. Maybe I'm afraid that it will be a domino effect. Then there are our own parents to consider and I don't want to even consider it. It doesn't help matters that the last time I saw my folks they sat me down and told me some of the updated details of their will (on the lighter side of things, my sisters and I were going to sent to live with some divorced relatives - DH thought that was hilarious since we are all nearly all over age 30 and the relatives had about the ugliest divorce ever).

For everything there is a season, right?

My Super-Secret Decoder Ring Came In The Mail ...

I used to be really good at keeping secrets. Ok, it was mainly because I have a short attention span and would forget things almost instantly, but it was still a point of pride with me that I could be depended upon to keep a really good secret.

Then I met all my on-line friends, my beloved on-line confessors, and suddenly it took more willpower to keep my yapper shut than to pass on slice of oreo cheesecake.

But I did it. I kept a secret for almost two weeks - until it was time for the secret to be revealed. *Sniff* I am so proud of myself.

I belong to this great group of readers, writers and Jennifer Cruise fans called the Cherry Bombs. One of our horde, Bryan, had the honor of having one of his prints being selected for a juried art show in Bloomington. Very cool and a big deal. I received an email from CMS (aka Sheryl) saying hey, she and Me (aka Karen) were coming in town to support Bryan and did I want to join them. Since I only live about two hours away from where the art show was being held, I was all in.

Oh, I have to mention this. CMS came all the way from Ontario, Canada and Me from near Detriot, MI. These ladies are into some serious road trips.

DH and I took half a day off work and headed off to Bloomington. We traveled about 30 minutes before we were overcome with hunger and decided we couldn't drive another mile without eating. Yes, I know. We should plan our mealtimes ahead, especially on a roadtrip with a timetable. We ended up at Arni's, a local restraurant that thrives on pizza and stromboli. I didn't used to like thin crust on my pizza. Arni's helped widen my horizons, not to mention my pant size.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: "Honey, I know a short cut ..."

Ugh. I know, I know. I even looked at it on a map myself. It did look shorter, more scenic too. I am starting to realize the word "scenic" is another word for "school bus route from hell." I don't even think there were kids living in those houses. Maybe the bus drivers was looking for Oprah updates, or were in need of Dr. Phil.

So on we went to Bloomington. I received my Bachelors degree from Indiana University - Bloomington, so I was really looking forward to the trip. Spending four years there, certain things stick in your mind. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop the city from moving the streets around on you. One way streets were now either two way or going in the opposite direction. Some streets were renamed and rerouted just to mess with me, I think. It was a minor miracle that we ever found the university, considering we had no idea what side of town we ended up on. Familiar landmarks turned out to be mirages in the sand, unless Bloomington suffered an unprecidented seismic eruption that rearranged the town.

Luckily I managed to find the Optometry building where I knew there was a parking garage and the building we needed was close by. Sure, I had to circle the block twice to get there, but this was progress. Now we were only running about 30 minutes late for the art show. According to my map, we were close. So close!

One thing about progress. There always seems to be construction somewhere. As we navigated our way through a jungle of orange construction fences, I called CMS to let her know we were close. She said she'd meet us outside by the steps. Yay! I was moments away from meeting my first CB!

Somehow we ended up on the wrong side of the building and had to hike up three flights of stairs to get in. Luckily, the stairs we needed to meet CMS were directily opposite the doors we came in instead of off some odd angle of the building like some are. We spied CMS. So here we come, Weezie and Woozie (DH and I were both sporting lovely colds), panting our way through an explanation of why we were coming from inside the building.

We made brief introductions and headed back inside. The art show consisted of a room about the size of my living room plus the hallway. And there were about 200 people crammed inside, bringing the temperature up to about 90 degrees in the hallway. DH hardly sweats, but that is OK because I was doing enough of that for the both of us. Not the first impression I wanted to make, but what can you do?

Finally we tracked down Bryan and Me. Bryan seemed a bit shell shocked but I wasn't sure if it was because of the surprise CBs or the whole art show gig, but he was rolling with it. That was fine, because I felt incredibly short. Within moments we were all laughing and chatting like old friends.

Now the art show was part of the Kinsey Institute and was an exhibition of erotic artwork. I didn't bother trying to explain this detail to my family. I was there to support Bryan and his tastefully elegant print. There were several equally tasteful artworks (Bryan's was the best, of course), but there are always the OTHERS.

Not to be confused with the OTHERS from the TV show "Lost" (although that may explain a few things), the OTHERS represents those works that either make you say, "Well, it's art," or "It's avant garde," or even "What the hell is that?" (DH, to his credit did not utter the latter once all day long. I am very proud of him.) The winning work fell into that abstract category. I swear, if I saw a little clown fish swimming next to it, I never would have thought twice about it. Maybe it was a series of sweat glands or whatever makes pheromones. Or balloon animals that went horribly awry. As for the other works, I'm not sure I'll look at mosaics, tissue holders or banks ever the same again. Hey, that's art. There is something for everybody. I just thank Bob Bryan's work was something you could identify what it was. I don't know that I could have handled it showing up blind and find a friend's entry listed as "Erotic Boogers on a Plate." Not that there is anything wrong with that -- wait. Yes, there is A LOT wrong with that, but I won't go there.

After the show, Me, Bryan and CMS showed me Philosopher's Walk. It was rather disappointing. It was three feet long. Maybe it used to be longer and erosion got to it. The campus environmental crusaders better get on that. What kind of ideas can you possibly get in three feet of walk? "I think I never shall see; a vision as lovely as a ... dang kamakaze squirrels!"

We met back up at Chili's, a bar and grill in honor of the CBs. I didn't get lost on the way there. I had a moment where I couldn't find the car again, but I persevered. Well, ok, it was the parking garage with the car inside it. Me valiantly demonstrated the dangers of trying to shoot a margarita up one's nose. I pondered the possibilites of changing my on-line name to "you." To go with Me. People would say, "You know," and I'd reply, "Why, yes I do." I'd also know what "You" did last night and who "You" were with last night." In fact, I'd know what "You" are doing right now. The possibilities are endless.

We also decided that some of the sobriety tests at checkpoints are simply made up by the officers in order to pass the time on a long night. And if you break into the macarena you just might be arrested anyway for being a danger to society.

It was a great night. They were all very funny and very nice. And no one said anything when my mascara gave up the ghost and gave me wild raccoon eyes from laughing so hard. (Yes, it was waterproof mascara - trust me, it's an ongoing problem).

So to Sheryl, Bryan and Karen: cheers, my friends. I hope we meet again soon.

You have got to be kidding me ...

Yesterday, we had thunderstorms and tornadoes. Today it's freaking snowing - the big puffy flakes too. A few weeks ago we were all wearing shorts. What's up for tomorrow? All of the above?

Just start calling me the Lady of Perpetual Layers. I have no idea how to dress anymore.

An Ode to Spring

Welcome to amature poetry hour. *ahem*

The sun is shining
The day is aglow
Yet I feel I should be watchful
For what, I do not know.

The early spring flowers are blooming
The trees regain their leaves
It is a special time
Before hornets, wasps and bees.

A spring shower passes
Washing away winter’s grime
The air is fresh, the temps are warm
All looks new, like a shiny new dime.

I cannot shake the foreboding -
What is that I see?
Red buds by the thousands
Fallen off the trees.

Curse you, red buds!
For I know what is next
My annual pilgrimage to pharmacy
My life savings in Rx.

Oh it starts innocently enough
A sniff, an occasional sneeze
My eyes redden, my nose runs
My cough turns into a wheeze.

Oh, curse you red buds!
You signify the worst
Just as the weather turns nice
My sinuses feel they shall burst.

Only now it isn’t just red buds
The changes have me beat
I don’t know whether to fire up the air conditioner
Or turn up the heat.

My allergies evolved into my annual springtime cold
A freight train that cannot be stopped
There is nothing like feeling miserable
A good time to be had, not.

Curse you, red buds!
We do this every year
From allergies to colds to hacking cough
And keeping Kleenex near.

I called my Mom
My husband made me soup
The thing I hate the most is
Always feeling pooped.

So here I am
Forced to tough it out
Hard when you feel like such a baby
And feel grumpy and want to shout.

Anb so dis is my stoby
Abou ‘ow I gob dis code
I reabby habe dose reb buds
*Sigh* 'aybe I shoub habe my nose.

Meet Your New Neighbors!

Hope everyone had a good Easter. If you don't celebrate Easter, hope you had a good Sunday, or whatever you wish to celebrate.

The laughs never stop at my house. My folks are in town. They have a 100 pound golden retriever named Molly. My dog Trent weighs in a 15 pounds. He's the little brother she never wanted.

I discovered that Molly likes jelly beans. Except when one was dropped in her general direction, she would gulp it up only to promptly spit it back out and look at us sadly. Then Trent would swoop in and snatch it up. Then Molly would go back to looking at us sadly. I swear, they did this a dozen times. Not just jelly beans though. Ham, bread crumbs, doggie breath mints, whatever. Molly would drop it, Trent would eat it, and Molly would just look sad.

We baked a ham and since I am limited for counter space, DH put the roasting pan outside. He went to put in inside our old grill to keep the critters out of it, but when he opened the lid, he was faced with the biggest bird nest I've ever seen. Naturally, there are five little eggs inside. So much for putting the grill out with the trash this week (we just bought a new one).

So now we have to wait until the eggs hatch and the baby birds fly away before getting rid of it. I'm sure it's nice and toasty right now, but I really hope it doesn't get too hot in there once the weather stays warm.

Somehow I've lost any taste for Cornish hens.

Pffbt Part 2

Doesn't it just figure.

My new toy, the DVR, had a "component malfunction" (ie, it would not correctly program TV channels) and we had to take it back.

And the store does not have any more. Not only that, they do not plan to get any more in. The next closest model costs nearly $60 more.

OK then. I'll drive around town on the off-chance that there is still one model left in one of the stores at the price I can afford, but I won't hold my breath.

Well, the toy was fun while it lasted. It'll be a few weeks before we buy another one. At least I got my wedding video taped and DSS's baby video.

In other news, my folks are coming to visit and the temperatures just dropped 30 degrees so we are hovering around freezing again. Maybe we should have all gone to their house for Easter. It's gotta be warm there than it is here.

A Fish Called Wanda ...

.... or Goldy, in this case.

It's kinda hard to have high expectations for a day that starts with a dead goldfish.

I feel bad. I had no idea he was sick. You see, he shares a tank with a sick goldfish named Nugget, who I really expected to have to flush two months ago but is hanging in there. The poor guy can't see and is looking pretty ragged.

Goldy had personality. Ok, Goldy was also a carp. Nothing against carp, but the sucker was 8 inches long and reminiscent of the popcorn eating monsters at Lake Freeman by Indiana Beach. Goldy liked to flick water at DH. Well, I thought it was funny.

*Sigh* Time to break the news of another deceased pet to DSS.

Pfffbt

Well, ok. My new little toy is being ornery, but that's all right. I know I hold the power. Really. Otherwise that little puppy is going back in the box and back to the store.

But I don't think it'll come to that.

The toy is the new DVR I just bought. I taped my stepson's baby videos over the weekend, and I don't think he had ever seen them before. I can't imagine, but growing up, we always looked at our pictures, slides, and scrap books. Yes, my sisters and I know every blackmail picture, its precise location, and who has a copy of it.

The problem with the DVR is that I can't get all my cable channels to program. I'm sure its just a little glitch, but sheesh. I've checked all the plugs several times. I mean, I used to joke that my major in college was programming the VCR. Now I feel old. All my hard-earned technological knowledge is obsolete.

But on the plus side, the picture is crystal clear on channels 1 through 13.

Egads, but I may have to call the customer service number. *gasp*

Weird Science

(Ok, so that was as close as I could come first thing in the morning with a movie reference to a technology-oriented post.)

I love my gadgets. A lot of women prefer flowers or jewelry for birthdays and anniversaries. One year DH bought me a DVD player. I was in nirvana. Of course, I'm a movie and TV geek too, so it all ties in.

I began my college career in photojournalism, discovered I was so-not-outgoing enough to go get the who-what-when-where-whys and hows of the photos I shot. I was more of a hit-and-run photographer. "Who's that?" "I have no idea. Isn't that a great shot?"

I quickly meandered over to Telecommunications where I concentrated on Broadcasting and Media Writing. I discovered I could make stuff up with the best of them. Unfortunately, there were not a whole lot video production companies out in the middle of the corn fields I was living in and I was finding it difficult to set off for parts unknown on a hope and a prayer of finding a job.

Now you have to remember that I was in college from 1988-1992, and CDs were a fairly new thing. The You Tube and digital media craze was barely haze on the horizon. Now you can shoot and produce virtually anything anywhere. Back then I was hesitating about moving two hours away for the gritty streets of Chicago, and even then there was not a great demand for AV people outside tv stations.

Part of me thinks about what it would be like to go back to college and do my Video Production and Writing over again. Then again I like getting paid too. Maybe I'll just invest in some Photo Shop and Video Editing software for my computer and make believe I'm George Lucus again. I always wanted to edit scenes from the original trilogy to the song "Night on Bald Mountain." Pesky copyright rules.

Anywho, last night DH and I bought our latest little toy - our first DVD recorder. It's nothing fancy, I assure you. No need to track me down and break into my house. You might be tempted to bring some of your own stuff over. "Good lord, they still have a turntable. Fred, give them your MP3 player."

Our VCR has been taunting me lately. It's annoying. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's planning a revolt. I'd better record my wedding video to DVD before it eats everything in sight.

And since DH and I are feeling old, we got ready for bed at 10:00 last night, leaving the DVR in the box. A few years ago, that never would have happened. We would have been recording infomercials at 2 AM, just to see it work. Naturally, I couldn't help myself and set the thing up this morning.

I missed breakfast and was nearly late for work. Oh well :)

This is dedicated to the one I love ...

Happy Anniversary, sweetie!

Ok, you guys. I'll come out and play with the rest of you tomorrow.

Move along. Nothing to see here ...

This city girl would never make it in the wild.

Gorgeous weather yesterday. The temps were just below 80 degrees, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, children were laughing.

I mostly stayed inside. I did have the windows open though. Does that count?

Every year I complain that I never see the spring. I feel like I go straight from my winter coat to my air conditioning. I love 70 degree weather before the humidity blankets the area like a suffocating blanket. This year I remembered why that is.

Oh, it all started innocently enough. DSS announced the flowers on the side of the house were starting to sprout up. (The landlord must have planted things that come up every year because I certainly have no talent for it.) There is a little wooden fence along the front sidewalk and right next to the sticker bush springing up, I saw the most adorable tuft of green capped with little purple flowers.

How pretty! I thought. How come I always seem to miss this fun stuff? Winter is being washed away and revealing fresh springtime. The grass is getting green again. The dog is frolicking is Bob-only-knows-what in the back yard. I'm actually thinking about how much mulch we are going to need for the flower beds.

Then it hit me. Saturday we had rain. In it's wake, thousands of these little red buds from the trees covered our cars and driveway. My smile began to falter. It. Was. Those. Little. Darned. Buds. Again.

I hate those little red buds.

Sure enough, my allergies hit me like a freight train. My eyes watered. I sneezed. I sniffled. I hacked. I even prayed (it was Sunday, after all). To no avail. I'm even on year-round allergy medicine. I had an allergy induced migraine hit about 4:00 AM this morning. In a flash, I was reminded why I hide indoors until it was too hot to do anything. I hide from those darned little red buds and whatever else is in the air when they hit the ground.

Curse you, tree pollen!

Maybe it's a sign. The reason our Spring Break vacation was canceled was that those little red buds were coming out, determined to wreck havoc in my life again.

Of course, this is always the time of year things get interesting between DH and I. He's an outdoors person, and I hide from tree buds. Sometimes there is more than a little friction over my desire to stay indoors just as spring fever hits him like a steam roller.

I guess I'd better get that secondary allergy medicine refilled today. You know, the script that's been sitting in my purse since last week and just might have prevented half of all this. But then I'd have nothing to post about.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

I sat down, ready to enter a post that was funny, light and fun.

Then *poof*! It's gone. I have no idea what I was going to say. Not one clue.

If it comes to me, I'll let you know.


So ... what's up with you folks?

Must think positive

Ok, so our family Spring Break vacation was just cancelled. So what if the ex is once again rearing her Medusa-like head. So what if certain aspects of my life are lazily circling in mid-flush in the Great Comode of Life.

Pfbt. I'm trying to remain positive here.

1. I have ice cream in the freezer.

2. I live in a decent neighborhood with lots of sidewalks where DH and I can take nice long walks like we did last night. We almost got eaten by only one hellhound, at that.

3. I have a new stereo and am getting new tires on my car.

4. I have a spare car that despite having earned every one of its 201,000 miles, still runs ok.

5. My step-son is generally a pretty decent, good-hearted kid.

6. The bad brake on DH's car did not turn into something more serious before it was found and fixed. (Um, yikes.)

7. My folks are in good health. And I get along with my in-laws who are also in good health.

8. My sisters, despite throwing themselves whole-heartedly into being pains in my behind, threw themselves whole-heartedly behind me, indignant in my behalf, when something sucky happened.

9. I have on-line friends, that despite distance, ability, or even knowing what I truely look like, will rally around with shovels, if necessary.

10. My dog adores DH and I no matter what is going on. Especially if we are holding a piece of cheese.

Ok then. I feel better already. And I will think positive. Because I gave up stress for Lent.

Astounding! Decent weather on my Birthday!

Ok, folks. In my now thirty-seven years on this planet, I've had my birthday in every freak snowstorm imaginable, sub-zero temperatures, and even tornados. This year, IT WAS GORGEOUS. Temps in the mid-fifties, the sun was shining, birds were singing. For March, let alone my birthday, this was just short of miraculous. Of course, it was Sunday, and I did go to church, so maybe someone is trying to tell me He's noticed that I'm trying a bit harder of late.


And here is photographic proof that yes, the sun was shining. That's us: DSS, Sister #1, DH and me in the black jacket. Sister #2 is taking the picture. Hacienda is my favorite restaurant, and worth every second of the 40 minute drive to get there. Actually it is the only mexican restaurant I like, and has a shredded beef wet burrito that will melt in your mouth. That, and I think I ran them out of chips and salsa.

It's been a very good weekend. DH got me/us a new car stereo. My car on a daily basis, but ours on weekends and family trips. I LOVE my tunes. I am a complete diva in the car. Of course, reality is always a harsh blow. For example, the time I was singing along, waiting at a stop light with the windows down, and the @#%$! radio conked out. Let's just say I amused way more people than normal that day. So, yay to the new stereo!

I had a very good day, topped by the banana cake with buttercream frosting. Oh my Bob, is there any wonder I'm still full? Well, except for another slice of cake. There is always room for more cake...

Let the Party Begin

Yes, I'm feeling giddy, punchy and - can you believe it - happy today. Of course, some of that could be the meds I'm on, but I'll take it.

DH gave me the best present last night - a new car stereo. (Picture Snoopy Happy Dance or Steve Martin's Happy Feet here.) The old one would conk out all the time. Hit a pot hole, no music. Urgent news flash, it would go out. We drove home during a tornado once because the stereo went out and we didn't hear the thing was RIGHT THERE. If it wasn't for the tornado sirens and the bushes rolling down the street, we would have just thought it was another thunder boomer. Fun.

I gotta have my tunes in my car. For the short drive to work, I pretend I can actually carry a tune. Yes, I'm in full American Idol mode. I, too, think I can sing like Aretha, Dusty, and the Righteous Brothers. And hence, my acute embarrassment when I was singing along with the stereo with the windows down last fall, waiting for the light to change, and the stereo went out, leaving me the object of more than a few amused looks.

Of course, right now the clock is off by 7 hours and the demo keeps flashing on the display, but I've got my tunes now. I can read the instruction manual later.

I'm a happy camper.

Snow: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Or, Thank God It Finally Got Above Freezing)

As promised, here are the photos of our snow storm from two weeks ago.



Here's Trent coming in from the snow. In the four years we've had him, this was the first time he's seen snow too deep for him to run around in.



This is the snow coming down the evening of the blizzard. Living in a subdivision, our roads were not the main priority to be plowed. As you can see, there is already more snow on the ground than we normally see all year.



Yes, that is a snow drift up to the window of my Saturn. And this was parked next to the house. There was a higher drift right where the sidewalk should have been. Lucky for me, some good Samaritan with a bigger snow blower cleared the walk for us and the neighbor. Our snow blower was not big enough to blow the snow over the snow drifts so we were looking at doing it by shovel. Thanks again, Neighbor.





Ah. Nothing like digging out a place for the dog in the back yard. Trent was traumatized. He couldn't find any grass or figure out why all the white stuff took up all his space. And those bar things sticking up out of the snow? That's an old lawnmower DH was getting rid of.

Naturally, the temps here (finally) went back up to the 40s and 50s, so most of this is all gone. You know, you almost kind of miss it. Especially when you're left with the nasty dirty stuff.

Hmm. This last picture doesn't want to post. I'll keep tinkering with it, but I think you'll get the idea anyway.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Yes, now it is my mom's birthday. Well, actually Monday was. Yes, I actually mailed her card on time, but with President's Day, it was still late. Pffbt. Some days you can't win for losing, I guess.

I had a doctor appointment today. I've been bad. I gained weight, my blood pressure's up and my blood sugar is up. Is it any wonder I have a terrible craving for a fudge brownie sundae? Pffbt.

We were socked with a minor blizzard two days before Valentine's Day. I only say minor because we only got 17 inches, plus the four foot drifts. People in New York will have no sympathy for us here in Indiana. Still, I'll try to post some pics soon. We don't get many snow days anymore, so in some ways it was kinda fun. One of the newscasters actually said, "It looks like a lot of people's Valentine's Day will be snowed in. I wonder what people will do?" I thought the other newscasters were going to lose it. I guess he'll find out in about 9 months when he's covering the sudden baby boom.

And yes, in case you were wondering, DH and I had a nice V Day. He brought me a pair of roses and a box of candy and we did the going out for dinner thing a few days later when the roads were safer. The actual day was more like Casual Valentine's Day, Pre-Valentine's Day. Nice and relaxing. We don't go all out and since we're both kinda quiet, we try not to get too hung up on things. I mean, this is the guy who's idea of picking me up a little something is to bring me a box of my favorite Pop Tarts. He keeps me sane and grounded. *Sigh*

Let's see - what else has been going on? I gave the dog a bath and haircut, but I'm sure no one is really interested in that. Until I think of something reasonably interesting to add, that's all for now. Pics will be coming soon!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

*Sigh* In typical me fashion, I'm late. Yesterday was Dad's birthday. Don't worry. I did call - twice in fact. His card is late, his gift is late and even this post is late.

Even though he said it was fine, I feel terrible about it. Don't you hate it when you do stupid stuff to the people that mean the most to you?

So with a healthy dose of deeply ingrained Catholic guilt, Happy Birthday, Dad. Just celebrate all weekend long. You know, to include us slackers.

Movie Review: Black Dahlia, The Gridiron Gang, Invincible & The Illusionist

I had a coupon so DH and I went nuts and rent FOUR movies. Woo-hoo!

The results were 50/50. I really didn't like the Black Dahlia. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. By the time the murder was solved, I didn't care and was distracted by more than one ick factor. I'd hoped it would be better.

The Gridiron Gang is the latest with the "Rock". DH likes him and I think he's entertaining to watch. The man has some white teeth. It was ok.

Invincible was with Mark Wahlberg. Despite taking place during the '70s, it was pretty good. Two football movies - can you tell it was Super Bowl weekend? And this from two not real huge football fans. Anyway, I think I'm really getting burned out on the feel-good sports movies. And according to the previews, there are at least two more coming out. Ugh.

Finally, we saw The Illusionist with Edward Norton. This was by far my favorite of the bunch. A period piece, magic, and a twist at the end? Loved it.

Time to air out the place

New post: I'm sick of the last one being the first thing everyone reads when the come over here. I don't know about you guys, but I think it's depressing as hell.

I'm doing all right. I'm sleeping a lot more, and frankly that's better than stressing out. Stress is hell on my stomach. Hopefully the things causing the stress will be over in a few weeks and I can more or less get back to normal. And the sleep is probably a good thing, since before I was existing on about 5 hours a night and then crashing on the weekends. You know how it is. First one up, last one to bed and not enough hours in the day.

On to happier thoughts. I just picked up the the JAK novel "White Lies," which I'm dying to get into. Thing is, I'm in the middle of another novel and I hate starting one thing up when I'm in the middle of something else. I get the characters all mixed up and end up with some pretty wacky dreams. Like a historical paranormal cowboy theme.

The novel I'm reading is "For Better or Hearse" by Laura Durham. It's a light amateur sleuth mystery and I'm enjoying it. I just got to the "I know who done it!" part, and wouldn't you know it, I had to go into work. I don't think they'd appreciate my being late even if the mystery was solved on the next page. I'll have to finish it at lunch. Then I'll dig into Jayne's new novel!

And that, folks, is the extent of my plans for the weekend. Have a good one.

Ugh

To my overwhelming joy and happiness, I've started having anxiety attacks. I know, yay me. They are not the really horrible ones, just worrisome enough to get my attention and let me know that hey, you're not handling the stress in your life very well right now. Yes, I've been to the doctor and yes, we're working to find something that works.

The only reason I'm sharing this is that I may be posting a bit less as I work through this current wrinkle in my life. The meds the doctor has put me on is making me sleepy all the time, and that is so not going to work with work. There will probably be some adjusting and tweaking going on. The last time this happened to me, my writing fell way by the wayside, so that is a concern too. Writing is often very cathartic and I don't want to loose that outlet.

So with any luck, this will be a short-term thing. If I'm loopier than normal, we'll just blame the meds.

And I'd love to hear about any reader recommendations for something light and funny to read.

Ohio, Take Care of My Sister

Well, we moved my sister #1 to Ohio over the weekend. The weather was decent (especially for January!) and we had help.

Hopefully all the worrying was for nothing. Her apartment is CUTE and she has a view of the pond behind the complex. It's bigger than she thought so DH and I will bring some more of her stuff that she didn't think she had room for in a few weeks. As an extra bonus, both Mom and Dad came up to help and stayed an extra day or two to help her unpack.

She's found the grocery store and the Barnes and Noble, so far, so good!

Next on the agenda ... I wonder if she needs a pet? Maybe a fish or a hamster or something ...

Dammit Doll

This is a Dammit Doll. It was given to me on my first day at the bank. I should have taken that as a sign, right?

Anyway, you use it by whacking it against your desk to relieve stress.

DISCLAIMER: DO NOT GRAB THE LEGS AND PULL APART. For some reason this upset the men I worked with.

And no, I don't know why it's the shape it is. It probably makes a good voodoo doll oo.

Another Adventure Begins

Well, we're shipping my sister off to Ohio tomorrow. Last Thursday she got the call she'd been waiting for about where she would be placed after her manager training with Bob Evans was completed. Unfortunately, it wasn't in Indiana like she'd hoped, but the good news she is still closer to us than some parts of the state. She'll be three hours from me and still about six hours from Mom and Dad. All in all, no too bad. Especially since she passed that critical 48 hour freak-out period. That was fun.

Dad came up yesterday to help. Hopefully we can keep him in a supervisory capacity since he is still nursing a sore knee. DH enlisted the help of the BIL - yes, that BIL - so hopefully the guys can handle most the heavy stuff. All I'm going to say on that is that it sure makes it hard to hold a grudge when someone volunteers to do something nice like this, so maybe he's trying. That, and I really love his wife, DH's sister.

Sister #2 sent a couple of emails out to close family to let them know what's going on and one of our Dad's cousins said he wasn't doing anything and volunteered to help. That's pretty cool too. Add to the mix my mother, who is driving up Saturday, and maybe my DSS, if his mom isn't being a horse's patout.

So with this cast of thousands, hopefully there is room for everyone to actually carry stuff down a flight of stairs and into the moving van. Sister #1 (the one who's moving) said her new place is smaller than her current apartment, so getting stuff moved in is going to be an adventure in itself. At least the new place is downstairs.

Wish us luck!

Lost Treasure, First Snow, Inigo Montoya and Shipping My Sister to Ohio

On to better things, right?

We moved into our rental house almost a year ago and we are still going through boxes. Most of it's paper because I am the world's worst filer ever. At home that is. Because at work I'm pretty up on it all.

Anyway, DH found some papers of mine that had fallen out of a file. They were short scenes and story ideas. Since I'm currently out of my TBR (to be read) pile, I've been going through them.

Some are really, really bad. Some are "Hmm. Watch CSI much?" Others are "What were you reading when you came up with that?" And there was one "OHMYGOD, don't let DSS see this." Heck, I'd be embarrassed to have DH read that scene, and trust me, he'd probably be interested.

But my favorite finds were those little golden nuggets, those scenes of "so THAT'S where that went," those little sparks that helped me flesh out the characters of my manuscript. While most will never see the light of day, some scenes are like my own personal chapters of a day in the life of my book.

Other stuff: Stressors are high lately, so I was over the moon to see that the Princess Bride was on TV. I watched it again - twice.

We finally got snow - and naturally everyone freaked. You know, "the sky is falling" mentality. Gee, I'm glad we didn't get more than an inch of the white stuff. Of course, I grew up in a lake effect area off Lake Michigan and I think most of the drivers around here are a bunch of weenies. I got my driver's license in the dead of winter. And don't get me started on whoever is in charge of plowing the roads. When I first moved here, I swore everyone was a transplant from the south. If you begin to slide, your car becomes a big comfy toboggan. So remember your sledding skills. Of course, you can't really bail if things start to go south ...

Sister #1 just found out she has one week to relocate to Dayton, Ohio. Since I think she's past the major freak-out over the weekend, I think she'll be OK now. But if anyone is from the area and has any suggestions for someone new to Ohio, things to do, places to see, things to avoid, please drop me a line and I'll pass it along.

And sometimes sucky things happen too

Wasn't it Shakespear who said, "Let's kill all the lawyers?" At least, that's what I've heard. Maybe it's just one of those famous misquotes.

I hate this stuff. This was on our child support hearing. We hired a lawyer to cover our behinds and still got @#$%. Basically, we were given papers to turn over DH's income from the past three years to determine if an increase in child support payments was warranted. Since this same prosecuting attorney (don't worry, that's a normal part of the process) messed things up last time, we consulted our own attorney. We got a letter back from our attorney, saying this was the other attorney's reply and if there are any questions, please call. The letter was rather vague, so we called to ask if it was his opinion that this was a fair amount. The response we received was a request for more information. We supplied that and then didn't hear anything else.

We never heard that the matter was settled. We had to call our attorney several times before we received a response, and then we were told that the hearing was still on and our attorney was unavailable. And the hearing is this morning.

Gee, thanks for nothing. The entire point was to negotiate and avoid going to court to begin with. We were never opposed to paying more if it was fair (and of course nobody wants to). Now we will be responsible for her court costs as well.

Arghgrrrrrrrrr!

Sorry to be venting again, but I am so frustrated with the whole legal thing. I am so tired right now.

And the kicker? The ex, after crying and complaining about how much difficulty she is having financially, hence the whole child support thing, just drove back from a week's vacation in Florida. You know, a few days at Disney and a few days at Sea World for her and the kids, staying at one of the resorts. Kinda makes you want to be a welfare mom too, doesn't it?

A Good Read & a PS

I know, I know. Why aren't you writing??!

Because I'm a book addict, that's why. If I hadn't picked up a book from the library, I would have reread something from my stacks at home. And I just reread virtually everything. I finished my Calvin and Hobbs anthology last week. It was a nice jaunt down memory lane too.

I think it was on the CB Bar and Grill blog that someone mentioned an anthology called "Valentine's Day is Killing Me" with MaryJanice Davidson. Yes, "Cuffs and Coffee Breaks" was a hoot and she got our emailing culture down to a T. Cruising the stacks, I found another gem of hers called, "The Royal Treatment." I'm almost half way through and I've lost track of the number of times I've laughed out loud.

Yes, I'm plugging a book I haven't finished yet. I like it that much.

And I love Edmund. He is officially my current favorite supporting character. He's snarky and sarcastic as hell.

Go check it out.

PS: I finished the book. Still like it.

I have a question though. Well, first a comment. I am such a sheep. First reaction, I really liked "The Royal Treatment." Then I read other people's thoughts of some other books. And naturally I started to think. Always a bad sign. I don't like whiners either. I didn't think the heroine was that bad, but she wasn't my favorite character either. Edmund is still one of my all-time favorite secondary characters. Come on, his response the the "off with his head" order still makes me LOLROTFLMAO.

But still it reminded me of how on Will & Grace, my favorite characters were Jack and Karen.

It seems I've always done this. Start with my own opinion, then when I hear other people's thoughts on the same thing, I start to doubt myself. Maybe I latch on to the positive and immediately forget the so-so stuff. I mean, really. Is it worth getting worked up about? And I do have my wall-thumper reads. Trust me.

Maybe I just don't think everything though as thoroughly as I should before I open my mouth. And I'm not bringing this up because others have voiced their opinions. Good grief, I'd be the most unilluminated person on the planet if they didn't. Maybe it's bothering me because it takes me so long to formulate a thought I'm happy with to throw out into the fray. Then someone says something and I see a hole in what I've said, and have to think about it some more. And as a matter of fact, I was horrible at debate. It would take me a week to get through an argument.

You know, I actually had a question when I started this PS. Now I think I'll just end it with this. Teach me. Illuminate me. Turn on that light bulb hovering over my head. Tell me your point of view and why. Go ahead and prove me wrong, but back it up.

And don't forget the chocolate. There are wonderful thought-provoking properties of chocolate that add to the thinking process.

Nice things do still happen

On my way home last night, I saw that my sister had called. I called her back to see what was up. She told me that she went to see her friend in LaPorte. Now since the friend is a force unto herself and my sister’s stories about her are always entertaining, I asked what happened this time.

Turns out the friend had a chance to be a part of something pretty amazing.

There is a family that my family grew up with from church. I was in Pre-Calc with their oldest son and in band with the middle son. My middle sister was in band with the middle son and my youngest sister had classes with their youngest son.

Awhile back, we heard the news that the youngest son was diagnosed with cancer. I won’t pretend I know even the basic information about what type of cancer it is or what stages mean what. All I know is that it was bad and we were basically told he only had a few months left.

You hear news like that and sometimes it truly rocks your world. We are talking about a young man, recently married and a new father with literally his entire life ahead of him. He is my youngest sister’s age (29). His family grew up with mine. And I kept thinking, “How do you deal with something like this?”

The months have gone by (maybe even a year now) and he’s still with us, some might say miraculously. My sister told me that he set three goals for himself. He wanted to marry, become a father, and get his college degree.

In the past few weeks, his condition took a turn for the worse. I cannot imagine what it must be like to call your family and say that it might be your last Christmas.

This December, he reached his third goal. He achieved his Engineering Degree from Purdue University at the North Central Campus. He pressed on through the chemo, and the radiation treatments and bad days. And he made it happen. There was one problem though. There were too few graduates with that particular degree and the graduation ceremony for them would not be held until Spring Commencement. And with typical grace, he said, if that was what he had to do, that’s what he would do.

Knowing there was a chance he might not be there to walk across that stage come May.

While he and his family took a mini-vacation and had some well-deserved family time, a plan was set into motion. Nothing could be done about the December graduation ceremony at that point, but friends and co-workers contacted the Chancellor at PNC and explained the situation. And the man simply said, “Tell me the date and I will clear my calendar. I’ll be there.”

And so they arranged for a personal graduation ceremony for him at the courthouse where he worked. His wife brought his cap and gown. They had programs printed up, just like at the official ceremony. The mayor gave a speech. The Chancellor gave a speech. The graduation cake had the Purdue insignia on it.

My sister’s friend is a photographer. She found out about the impromptu ceremony from the young man’s mom, dropped everything and photographed the event. Because it was the holidays, his parents and his brothers were all in town and able to attend.

A lot of people did any number of kindnesses to make that graduation happen. It wasn’t national news, but it was his day, and that was all that mattered.

I didn’t name names because I haven’t spoken with the family or the friend about sharing this story. And knowing them, especially in this difficult time, they may want a little privacy. I cannot imagine what day to day life is like for them, knowing everything could change in a moment’s notice. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have everyone know you are going to die. Perhaps it is the simple idea of celebrating life as we live it and not dwelling on missing someone before they are gone.

What I do know is that this remarkable young man has managed to pack his life full of blessings and good people. He probably doesn’t even know me, and yet his story has touched me in ways I cannot describe.

God Bless, to you and yours, and everyone who has passed a kindness on.