Whoa....That's not good....

Has this ever happend to you? Something doesn't happen the way you had planned? What do you do? You may agree that it's not good, but do you sit down and take it? Do you fight? Do you problem solve, re-evaluate what you are doing? Maybe try something new?
OR (view video)

OR
Do you just wait for someone else to take care of you and what may be going wrong? Are you paralyzed by what happened or by what may happen if you try to do anything? Are you unable to see beyond the unfortunate-ness in front of you?
I would recommend attempting to see other ways around an issue. Remain calm, be thoughtful, be strong...even faithful.
While I hope you enjoyed the video, don't be the dumbass on the escalator!
Seriously....Figure it out!!!!

A Magical Feel

A misty fog in the forest
Leaves crackling underfoot
The smell of wet pine needles
A stillness
A silence

A scent of vanilla
The warm glow of fire
Reflections on the wall
Peace
Serenity

A puppy across my lap
The sigh of a snuggle
Another puppy against my side
Sweetness
Love

The Ineffective Middle Finger

There are ways to be effective and ways to be ineffective. I'm guessing that most people have the goal of being effective. Only a dumbass would strive for ineffectiveness. Well, I met one such dumbass last week. Here is the story of our encounter......
I left work and took the exit for 95 south. I go only one exit until I take the route that travels east to take me home. A car behind me headed down the ramp to 95 south, at close range. Rather than go around me, he remained closely behind me in the right lane. We both took the exit to head east. Upon merging onto the eastern route we both wanted to move to the left lane as there was slower moving traffic in the right. Here is where the fun began.
As I was in front of the tailgater on the southern route, on the ramp to the eastern route, as we merged onto the eastern route, I was still in front of him as we moved into the left lane. Apparently, this was not pleasing to him and caused anger. He shoved his hand very far forward in the front window and raised his middle finger. This was effective. It revealed that he was angry and didn't like me. It was even effective in that it elicited a raised middle finger from me in return. Because there was a line of cars to the right, he couldn't go around me which may have led to more frustration.
Having exchanged middle fingers following proper protocol, I believed our encounter was over. However, being the good driver that I am, I followed the 3-second rule and looked in my rearview mirror. It was at this time that I noticed the angry man driving with both hands on the wheel with the middle finger still extended. My thought was "whatever". However, the finger continued to be extended as I drove on. In fact, this continued for the entire eastern route of 13.8 miles. 13.8 miles?!?!? Wow.....that is one angry person.
Funny thing is that after about mile 2.4, it was losing its effectiveness. It became funny, but was also no longer the most noticeable thing on the road. Just as a hood ornament can be seen as you glance in the rearview mirror, the finger remained in place. This person's anger with me caused him to lose his control of the situation. Eventually, it turned around and my behavior controlled his action........ for 13.8 miles.
Now, that's ineffective.....but it was really funny!

An Ode to Panties

I dream of panties
pretty, lacy, and small;
Not the ones that look like my Granny's
I don't like those at all.

But, I pluck and pull
to make them fit right;
Now, I'm starting to mull,
"Is it really worth the fight?"

I want something that won't roll down,
maybe something that won't pinch;
Not bloomers that belong to a clown,
why can't it just be a cinch?

So, I pull out the briefs
cotton, white, and boring;
Oh my Goodness Grief!
How will I ever be alluring?

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Me?

I'm going to be a curmudgeon. My porch lights will be off. The lights on the main level will be off.

I will be in the basement; fire in the fireplace, puppies snuggled in, movies, good wine (not necessarily a fine wine, that's expensive ...but a good one) and good food (who knows what that means).

My basement has a sliding glass door and a window into the backyard, but the front is underground so I can be in hiding. I'll have the window open. I'll be able to hear the evening passing by on the sidewalk one unit over to the right. Costumes shuffling, giggles, excitement, crying from exhaustion.....kids and parents; there may be the sound of the predicted rain, the rustling of those leaves that are all over the place.

It will be so nice to hear the sounds and know that the holiday is being celebrated. I'm not overly keen on the holiday itself, but the sounds, smells, and knowledge that I used to do that for my own kids is a good feeling.



Happy Halloween!

Do you know why..........? Because.....

Do you know why Weight Watchers doesn't work for me?
Because.......
Because I don't follow the program. I don't journal, read labels, figure out points, or weigh food to re-gain knowledge of portion control.

Do you know why I don't follow the program?
Because.......
Because I'm not motivated. I want to be. I want to be able to walk up the stairs without getting winded. I want to get off my blood pressure medication. I want to come home and wear what I had on during the day instead of changing into sweatpants.

Do you know why I'm not motivated?
Because.......
I'm stuck on this one. I have 2 great kids, 2 great puppies, a home of my own, and a job that I love. It's not a perfect life...there is debt, home & car repairs, parental angst. But, I'm generally pleased with my life.

So.....if you know why? ...... please, clue me in....
Because.......
Because I'm not sure.

My best ideas come too late.

I don't mean that my best ideas come too late for me to do anything about them. But, look at the time. It is 11:40pm. I got into bed, all snug and ready to fall asleep. My puppies jumped up and joined me. My daughter snuck in (after a stressful day...for her...she's 12: All drama, all the time). All was right, and the idea of a long night's rest was before me.
My head gently fell to the pillow, my positioning was perfect and comfortable, my breathing relaxing into the calmness of the comfort.
THAT is when my mind kicked in. Ideas started flowing, words which had escaped me througout the day broke through and were ready to be spoken....or written, as the case may be. Coherent thought replaced emotional reactions. Motivation to put forth ideas replaced the desire to sit like a vegetable on the porch or the couch.
Oftentimes, I ignore this occurrence and continue the path to sleep. That leads to a lengthened time between head hitting the pillow and sleep taking over. It also leads to a night fraught with odd, realistic, vivid dreams which sneak into my thoughts throughout the next day.
Tonight, I decided to allow my brilliant thoughts out by putting pen to pa....ummmm....finger to keyboard? I will be interested to see if this alleviates the difficulty of falling asleep, the dreams to follow, and the interference of said dreams into my day.

Good Night my friends, my thoughts, my demons, my ideas. See you in my dreams.

Verbosity

Is it a curse or a skill?

• My verbosity is a skill, a talent, something to be heralded...applauded...
• The verbosity of others is a curse, an annoyance, a hinderance, a thorn in my side...

But, here is the problem with verbosity in today's world. It is a dying art. In the world of Twitter and the status of the Facebook, all one needs is a word, a phrase......maybe even....*gasp*....can it be? *gasp* ..... a sentence???

Do we give in? Do we allow today's definition of sociability to decrease our desire to share words? I hope to increase my efforts to blog my verbosity, while maintaining the minimalistic social networking standard to which we have entered.

Can you feel that?

....it's a shift ....it's a change ....can you feel it?
I can. I feel it and it may only get worse until the shift splits the path.
It's called adolescence.... or pre-adolescence for now.
What does this mean, how is it defined? Some see it as a time of stress, frustration, growth, independence. There is foot stomping, door slamming, the hand on that one hip that is sticking out, the crossed arms. There is yelling, blame, tears. Quotes may be "I hate you", "You're ruining my life", "You don't understand". That is what people think of or fear about what is coming.
For me, there is a different shift that is turning out to be more painful than that other adolescent stuff. It is the shifting of pill-counting, neb scheduling, worry, and stress over Cystic Fibrosis. For the first time, this last appointment was really hard on Ginny. They are always tiring, stressful, exhausting both emotionally and physically. But, there was something different this time. Cystic Fibrosis is shifting more to a problem she has to deal with. It's always been hers, but the burden has been mostly mine.
It is breaking my heart to watch her feel this more heavily, to cry that she "just wants to be normal!!!" It isn't fair, it does suck, it is annoying and frustrating. It always has been..... but, now it isn't just the physical issues for her. It is moving to a much deeper place for her, and that is pulling pain from deep within me.

If Tomorrow Never Comes.....

Well, guess what?

IT WON'T!

Think about it.........
When tomorrow comes, it will be today.
And, today.... will become yesterday.
Hence, tomorrow never comes.

Sorry to disappoint those of you looking for a better tomorrow. Go for making today a better day!

Skunk Encounter

During our lovely and relaxing vacation in Northern Idaho, we had an incident with a skunk. We knew it was nearby because a musky breeze wafted through the house one lazy afternoon.
That's often the case with a skunk....you smell it, but you can't see it. The stink passes by and you continue on with your business.
The question is, what happens when you come face to face with a skunk? Well, Lacey did just that. They were nose to nose under the dock when the skunk sprayed its stank so it wasn't a direct hit. But, it did lead to one smelly puppy!
We pulled her out from under the dock, along with the strong, gamey scent which took 6 washings to remove. Did this upset Lacey? Was she bothered, did she run? No, she wanted to get back under the dock and play with her new friend. Much to her dismay, we chased the skunk out from under the dock and it scuttled up the hill into the empty, wooded lot next to us. Even the next day, Lacey looked under the dock for her most recent acquaintance.
Why is it that we can be so trusting?
That we allow someone to emit their stank on us, whether direct or indirect, and we still look to spend time with them. We wash off the smell, we cover it with a perfumed scent, and continue on with the business at hand.
I recommend going another direction at the first whiff of the waft!

What Shape Are You?

Are you pear shaped?
Hour-glass shaped?
What about the inverted triangular shape?
You can often find clothing which best suits your shape, so this is information you need to know!
Have you got a big belly?
Are you chesty?
Have you got junk in your trunk?
Are you short, stout, and roundabout?
What shape is THAT?!?
What if you are all of that, or God Forbid....NONE of that!?!
Well, here is what I have determined:
I am Helen-Shaped.
I used to have smaller areas, now I have bigger ones. I'm a size 16, not a size 8 anymore. I would like to know when the catalogs will add helen-shaped to their clothing choices...the talk shows will address the helen-shapes out there for makeovers.....when will they tell helen-shapers what not to wear?
I am Helen-shaped.
Welcome to my world.

Oh, the Agony of...

de feet, de knee, de elbow, de shoulder. What the heck's happening to me? Dare I say that my aging self is getting old. And, am I turning into my mother by telling you about it?

What's next? Ben-Gay, Depends, an Orthopedic Doc on speed dial? :)
Did you know that just after I turned 40, I got a letter from AARP? Are you F-ING SERIOUS???? My name shouldn't be on that spam list for QUITE some time. They must've realized their mistake because I didn't hear from them again, but dang, they really know how to hurt a girl.

Have I told you that oftentimes...in fact, most of the time, I'm asked for my ID at restaurants and the wine store? Have I told you how disappointing it is that it's because I put "request ID" on the back of all of my credit cards?

I am now starting to understand the need for Dr. Wrinkle Remover. I don't care if my face cracks and doesn't show emotion anymore. Suddenly, the concept makes sense. Luckily, I'm broke so I can't give in to the urge to have things ironed out, lifted up, and tucked in.

Tough Day!

Last night before going to bed, I checked on Baby. I found her in the yard near the area from which I had to rescue her. Her head was turned and tucked into her shoulder, she was breathing steadily and having a peaceful night's sleep.
I've become used to heading into the backyard each morning to check on Baby, talk to her, and say hi to Momma before going to work. Things were a bit different on this day. I went on the deck and looked down in the backyard. I could see Baby laying on her side. My heart dropped right away!
I went down to Baby and could see that she was no longer alive. Why did my eyes water, my heart feel pain, and my body wanted to collapse. I wanted to lay down next to Baby and tell her how sorry that I was about not being able to save her. Her time spent under the deck was too long without food, very scary, a shock to the system, and she may have gotten scrapes, scratches, and bruises from trying to find her way out. Why didn't I realize that morning before going to work that she was trapped and needed my help? Should I have found worms to feed her once I did rescue her?
I know....enough of the "what ifs"! She was so amazing to see, and watch, and I'm grateful for that and how dedicated her mother was for taking care of her. I'm sad for the growth and experiences we missed with her. I'm said for her very loving Momma.
I miss Baby....I really do, and I feel ridiculous for crying. It was a sad day!

The Harrowing Experience

More about Baby!
When I arrived home from work yesterday, I didn't see Baby anywhere in the yard. I did, however, see Momma. She was on the fence with a bug in her beak, giving the "I'm here to feed you" chirp. I could hear Baby responding, but wasn't able to see her. After much searching, I discovered that her chirps were coming from the other side of my fence, under my neighbor's raised, wooden patio. She had somehow be-bopped her way under my fence and gotten lost under their patio. There isn't an opening between my yard and the underneath, but there are little paths that were probably created by the chipmunks that pop into my yard every so often. Baby couldn't find her way back out. I would go to the fence, call her name, and she would respond with her little chirps.
I spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out how to coax Baby out. I tapped on the fence, tried to move the dirt around so she could see light and find her way out. I remembered the glow sticks, bracelets, and necklaces that Ginny wanted for 4th of July. I grabbed a long necklace and put it under the fence hoping Baby would follow the pretty color out of the dark tunnels under the patio. This proved to be the most successful as it brought her closer to the fence, but she wasn't coming out.
Finally, I got a flashlight and my gardening gloves. I laid down on my stomach in the dirty garden filled with worms & slugs. I could see Baby's feet! With the gloves on, I put my hand behind Baby and guided her out. She squawked and flapped, but made it out. Momma stood by chirping loudly, but not attacking.
I can't believe that I spent hours on my belly trying to save a baby bird. I have become so attached to Baby.

The newest addition to the family

It all started last Friday, July 3rd. The kids and I woke up late since it was a holiday. Ginny let the dogs out back and went down into the yard with them. Suddenly, there was screaming, birds squawking, and a flurry of activity. I ran outside to Ginny screaming that there was a baby bird in the yard and the puppies were trying to get it. I helped get the dogs inside, then went back out to assess the situation. Sure enough, there was a baby bird in the yard that didn't look too good. The neighbors were out on their deck and said they had 2 of them when they woke up that morning, but that they thought the birds were gone. The birds weren't big or strong enough to fly yet so it looked as though the nest had been blown out of the tree....Hence, Momma Robin who kept swooping down to attack when we got close to her baby. I was pretty sure the baby wouldn't make it through the day, so we kept the dogs out of the yard.

DAY 2: We kept the dogs out of the yard again because the baby spent the day hopping around all over the entire yard. She still didn't look great, but she was getting around. Throughout the day, we saw Momma bring bugs and/or worms around. She would sit on the fence and chirp. The baby would chirp back, Momma would fly down, the baby would hop over and open it's mouth VERY wide at which time the food would be dropped in.
In the meantime, the neighbors didn't see their birds anymore (they may have been behind the shed) and let their dog in the yard. I was out on the deck when their dog found the babies. As the neighbor's dog attacked, 4 robins swooped, screeched, squawked and yelled in pain. It was awful!

DAY 3: The baby was looking healthier and better every moment. Momma was feeding her numerous times throughout the day, and we kept the dogs out of the yard. By this time, I was able to stand right next to the baby and say "Hi, baby!" without Momma attacking me. She would only attack if I put out a shovel or rake to try and get the bird to jump on so I could put her up high. At that point, the baby would squawk and the Momma would swoop.

We have just ended DAY 5. We have named our baby bird "Baby", Momma still feeds her and no longer attacks. Baby new responds with a chirp when I call out "Baby".

Stay tuned....there is more to this story, including the harrowing experience of Day 5. It was a draining day of which I will blog later. I've really become attached to my newest Baby. (pictures coming soon).

The Angst of the Birthday

It's been a couple of weeks since my 27th birthday....oh, I'm not good with math or numbers, so I just estimated. Anyhoo, all is well regardless of being another year older. Many people dislike birthdays for different reasons:

they don't want to get older

they're upset that it isn't their birthday

then, there's Henry....... View the Glog about Birthday Angst....make sure to scroll to the bottom and click the audio arrow to hear Henry's reaction to my birthday wish....

BLOCKBUSTER Summer Escape Rentals

Well, BLOCKBUSTER has done what they could to stay in the game with the movies On Demand, the Tivo partnership with Amazon, Netflix and all of the other deals out there. This is a really good one!!!!

You can rent 2 movies and tell them you want the Summer Escape. You will get the 2 movies for $15. You can keep them out for 1 week.....BUT....during that week, you can turn them in and exchange them for 2 others for FREE..... You can do this as many times as you'd like or as often as you can during the week. I managed to get 2 for $15, exchange them for 2 others - watch them, then exchange them for 2 more....that was 6 movies in 24 hours (it has rained NON-STOP in Maryland!!!!) for the $15.... AND, I wasn't done.... I exchanged them a couple of more times during the week.

I'm on my second round of this. Here are some of the movies I've seen, recommend, DON'T recommend - BTW, none of this is based on Oscar-level, movie critic or other knowledge....just on what I liked (or didn't like), and what cracked my ass up:

MY LIST:
Tropic Thunder
The Departed
Taken (OMG - Amazing! I love Liam Neeson, I will buy this to watch over and over again)
Bolt
Hotel for Dogs
Night Train (really bad, don't bother!)
Crossing Over (amazing, thought-provoking, straight to DVD [with Harrison Ford] movie about immigration...reminded me of CRASH, but for immigration issues v. racial issues)
Nothing But the Truth
Traitor (Don Cheadle is THE BEST!!!! Get this movie, it is amazing and worthy of many kudos!)
Nights in Rodanthe
My Mom's New Boyfriend (REALLY funny movie with Meg Ryan & Antonio Banderas + others...cracked me up)

Use the comments to recommend more....I've got the following:
Out of Sight
Noises Off!
Rumor Has It
The Family Stone

What I did on my Summer Stay-cation

With some vacation days remaining which had to be taken prior to June 30, I decided to take them, but stay home. The timing worked for a couple of reasons: kids' last day of school, puppies getting fixed, me in need of a break from work.

So, here's a quick run-down of what I did:

• watch the puppies, keep them from picking at their stitches, carry them in and outside to keep them from using stairs, keep them from digging and playing in the dirt to avoid infection - SOLUTION: Put them in baby onesies (size 0-3 mos) so the site was covered from dirt, doggie picking, and any other potential dangers - BTW, they still got infections cuz I couldn't keep them from jumping, running, playing, and generally irritating the site. Anti-biotics are almost done and have cleared it up with no problems.
• hang out with my kids since school was finished and try to keep them occupied in a useful, productive manner - RESULT: My son cleared out some clothing which didn't fit and helped with laundry.....by putting a load of khakis, towels, and sheets in the washer at one time when I told him to do those 3 loads by the time I got home....NICE! My daughter tried to perfect her manicure and learn how to best style her hair. GREAT!
• cleared out 2 dressers and 1 bookcase RESULT: now have bags of clothing & books to give to charity. SWEET!
• shopped Whole Foods for the first time - RESULT: Best Salad Bar dinner, plus bought and enjoyed hummus & roasted pepper/eggplant dip - potomacfinefoods.com
• played Top Chef on my computer almost non-stop
• Hosted/Supported some online chats for the courses I support at work, plus do some other work that needed to get done within a certain timeframe. (yes, on my vacation, but it really needed to get done and I wanted to do it rather than have it passed off to someone else).
• discovered that falling asleep on the couch whlie watching movies and waking up the next morning isn't as fun OR as comfortable as I thought it would be.
• FINALLY - took/taking full advantage of BLOCKBUSTER'S Summer Escape rental package. I discovered this when I went in to rent 6 movies for me & my kids to watch over the last week. The clerk told me that instead of paying over $30 for 6, I could pay $15 and take ony 2 out, but bring them back and exchange them for 2 more AND do this as many times as I wanted to within the week. RESULT: I watched the 2, took them back and exchanged them for 2 more, took them back and exchanged them for 2 more, etc. AMAZING DEAL!!!!....and it continues! I will be posting a list of the movies I have watched and asking for recommendations in an upcoming post. I will also be recommending (and NOT recommending) other movies, so LISTEN UP!

What a great stay-cation! A little bit of everything, and a lot of nothing!

P.S. Did I mention that I got crabs twice while on stay-cation ;) Me likey the mid-atlantic region...

Why Isn't Everything Fixed Yet?

DISCLAIMER: I am a Republican, a staunch Repulican. I have always voted as such and am not able to picture myself ever doing otherwise. This post is not a slam on Democrats, but on the expectations placed upon politicians as a whole.

Why isn't everything fixed yet? Why is the economy still bad? Why aren't folks getting Cost-of-Living raises for the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year? Why are people going into foreclosure?

WARNING: Here's where it may get dicey, but stick with my thought process, okay?

Republicans: Why hasn't Obama fixed everything? He's been in for more than 100 days. I didn't vote for him, so he must suck.

Democrats: Why hasn't Obama fixed everything? I put all of my faith in him. There was some resistance to change. I voted for a new type of administration and for change. I voted for him, but nothing has changed, so he must suck.

So, what were our options:
Young, Black, Male, Democrat
Middle-Aged, White, Female, Democrat
Older, White, Male, Republican
Greenies :)....any demographics....

Those were the dynamics from which we had to choose. I'm not sure that any one of those combinations would have been more successful than the others. Switch them around?

• Middle-Aged, Black, Female, Republican?
• Young, White, Female, Democrat?
• Older, Black, Male..........AnyParty
• Younger, White, Female.................AnyParty?
• So many others to create.........
• Really, what would have been the difference?

Why hasn't EVERYTHING been fixed? Weren't we all expecting more from this President because he was the "Out-of-the-Box" choice? He is black. He is young. He is a male with a strong wife, and two very small children. There is a swingset at the White House. There is a vegetable garden at the White House. There is a newly, adopted puppy at the White House.

Are these the things which make him more qualified? Is that why all of our problems should be fixed? Please fill my paycheck with more money on a regular basis! Please provide COL raises for everyone I know!

Folks - this man is not a miracle worker. He is a man, husband, father. Let's not place it all on his shoulders, just as we should not place all of the blame on Bush's shoulders. He, too, was a man, husband, father. Just breathe...

Love is...

Other than being higher than a mountain, and thicker than water....Love is puppies! My puppies in particular.

They are smart:

- ring a bell to go outside

- learned the "sit" command in one day

- don't piddle on my bed

They are also cute, mischevious, loving, and supportive. They took care of me last week when I was so sick....well, I mean, they didn't bring me medicine, soup, or take my temp....but, they sure did snuggle up, kiss and love me, and keep me company while I was miserable!

Here are the pictures of them after digging a muddy swimming hole for themselves after 2 days of rain :).

I'm Brilliant because.....

1. I have discovered that PMS stands for Pesky Mood Swings
2. I've figured out how to avoid doing laundry...... febreeze & weekly trips to Target to buy more underwear...... (kidding, but not far away!)
3. I know exactly what movies to put in my 5-disc DVD changer to elicit the tears needed to deal with Pesky Mood Swing - Cry-baby.
4. I have hidden my soon-to-be 15 year old son's birthday gift in the dishwasher.... pretty sure he won't find it between now and his birthday on Friday.
5. Dunkin' Donuts coffee really tastes the best, straight-up black....no cream or sugar needed.

I'm pretty sure there is more corroborating evidence to support my brilliance, but I've got to finally drag me arse to bed after waking up in the middle of the night with the need to document my high level of ability to WOW and WOO my audiences with my ever-exciting adventures and stories. G'night me friends!

Subtle differences

Subtle differences can easily go unnoticed. I suggest that we pay more attention to them.

Did you know that the word for marry in Swedish is "gifta"? (pronounced yifta). The word for poison is "gift".... something to ponder about the derivation of words.

There is a difference of only 1 letter between winner and wiener. Think about that when you think you've picked a winner, you may have misspelled your selection.

I note the above not to scare or encourage bitterness. Just make sure you think before you act, and buy yourself an updated dictionary.

Too Old or Too High Tech?

Which is it?
Am I getting old? I'm having trouble remembering my username/password. Is it serious? Do I need to get to a Neurologist for testing?
OR
Is it that fact that I have 4 email accounts, 2 blogs, 3 Social Networking sites, 3 Wiki sites, 1 Social Bookmarking site, 5 financial institutes.....and, that doesn't even touch on all of my online shopping sites.....could that be part of the problem? I don't always sign up with the same email account, and I don't want to use my financial passwords for my social networking sites, and some of them are work-related sites....

Oh, the angst of being one of such high intellect, technical savvy, and mass popularity. Now, can someone tell my how to work these damn motion sensor nightlights!?!

How high? How high?

Why is it that some people think that will be the answer when they say, "jump"? Instant gratification, folks! That's what they want. There is no regard to the fact that others may be swamped or involved in something else that someone else asked one to "jump" on. Perhaps the problem is in the asking. There are many ways to ask one to jump:

• Can you jump for me?
• Please jump.
• Do you have time to jump for me right now?
• I could use some help jumping, are you available?
• JUMP, Asshat!

Some of these I would be more likely to respond to with a smile, others with a finger gesture. Feel free to use this as a matching activity in your spare time...... see, I just let you know that you could "jump" on an activity if you wanted to.

Now, I do realize that some things you are not able to opt out of and they must be done. But, let's evaluate whether or not it is URGENT. Urgent means that it has to be done right now or someone will die, go to jail, or lose funding. Those are pretty important. If no one is bleeding from the eyeballs, then maybe it could wait until I am finished.

FINAL WORD: Ultimately, my problems, issues, needs, etc. are bigger, more urgent, and more important than yours anyway.

Am I having fun?

Because time is flying!

It is already February. The second month of 2009....really?

So, this year, my daughter will turn 12, my son will turn 15....what??!!?....and I will be one year deeper into my 4th decade.

Here are some of the other events of the year:

- I've suddenly gotten really into cooking. I enjoy getting home, chopping vegetables, potatoes, and prepping food for dinner.

- February will be my first month without a car payment since I paid my Honda off 1 year early.

- I will lose the 40 pounds I started to gain over the last 18 months (already 5 down after only 1 week back to journaling all my food with Weight Watchers).

- I will work toward paying off my debt (already consolidated on my card with the lowest APR).

- Things are going so well with my job, and they are only on their way to getting better with the team I am on. My team is interested in focusing on each of our strengths and making sure we are doing things at which we are most suited instead of "fixing" our weaknesses. COOL!

- I'm adopting twins....

Although this is not a picture of my girls, this is what they look like. The solid girl will be called Lacey Grey and the white/blenheim, Zoe Bailey. The middle names will only be used when they are in trouble :).

Anyway, I have so many good plans for myself this year. There won't be as many vacations as last year, but I think things will still be good for me and the kids this year. I'm so looking forward to it and ask the powers that be to stick with me.

Wow...I suck!

Has it really been since November? I posted nothing in December? That was the month I finished my first semester in the Adult Learning Graduate Certificate at Hopkins, went to London (England, that is...), and then there was that little thing called Christmas...and New Year.....
So.....quick recap......
Relief
Amazingly fun, special, father-daughter bonding
Family, hysterical, food....foood......food....
alone....shocker!

Okay, there it is! I'll add some real posts coming up. I'd love to say it was because I was so busy, but I must blame it on the Wii. I am now addicted and feel that I may need to quit my graduate studies, and possibly my job in order to keep up with the Wii in the way that I would like to.

Stay tuned for fun info and awesome pics....maybe I'll even look into using some of the Web 2.0 tools I'm learning more and more about.