A Man who can COOK

I can just swoon.

I love him on romance book covers.

But what he does to food? Oh my Gosh. The part when he makes a fennel salad was too fast. I wanted to SEE how to prepare that. I've never had fennel. Seeds, sure, but as a veggie?
Wow, never crossed my mind.

And his smile? **le swoon**
And his wife? Can we say TALENT? How she decorates is totally awesome.
I have woods behind my house and I've NEVER thought to USE them in decorating.

It's got me thinking.

Watch his episodes.
I envy his pots and pans. I want them. Now those are tools to cook with!

I'm feeling low on iron

So I took this quiz.
It's been a LONG time since I've posted a quiz.
LOL

Ready for my results?

Your result for The What's Your Signature Weapon Test...

Greatsword

You preferred a weapon with 51% power over speed and 49% range over melee.

You use a Greatsword.

Do the words Zweihander or Flamberge mean anything to you? You prefer a Greatsword, a massive, heavy blade frequently strong enough to cut down the rides of mounted warriors. Though slow, the impressive length and heft of a greatsword makes it capable even of breaking through armor. Your enemies will run from the deadly arcs of your blade as you bear down on them.

Take The What's Your Signature Weapon Test at OkCupid

Now, All I need is a Highlander or someone equally savvy with these things to teach me the ropes. LOL
IF I could lift the silly things.
<>

Our Class' Weapons Instructor

Here are two videos of what I got to see yesterday. And what I had a chance to shoot with. I don't think my form was as good as his. <> At least YOU don't have to wear earguards and safety goggles to view these. LOLOL

I Fired my First Gun Today!

Yes I did and it was awesome!

Today was my class's day at the shooting range.

I got to fire a pistol, an AR-15
, a 12 gauge shotgun AND ...

A GLOCK!
Just like I read about in my favorite romantic suspense novels.

And get this.
Out of our class of 30, 15 showed up for the practice. And of those 15, five were women and all of us had never ever shot a weapon.

AND... ::drum roll please::

I was the ONLY female to get THREE out of four of the steel targets!! ME!!!
I can't believe it! I've never fired a weapon before in my life.
It was fun.
It was exciting.

And...I drew blood. My own.
LOL

You see, with a pistol, you have to hold it just right and keep your thumbs out of range of that slider piece on the top. Well, I sort of forgot and the top of my knuckle got skinned. Bled for three hours. Thank goodness I had a tissue to use to absorb all that red stuff. *g*

I view it as a badge of courage. I mean, I fired a GUN. WOOT!

When I was firing the AR-15, the instructor said, "Wow, don't let me ever get on your bad side." tee hee... there were five rounds to fire and each one went into the neck area. Not the torso, not the bulls eye, oh nooooo, I go for full stoppage.

I did take some pics. I'll have to load them on the other computer so I can post a few here.

Honestly, it was THE most fun I've had in a long long time.

And I just had to write all about it.

<<*VBG*>>

My nightmare

Yep. That describes my whole day.
DH was gone so I was all alone to enjoy the crisis.

Today I woke up with high hopes. Eldest was going to march in his first parade.
I bought his 'farmer' outfit, I had the chairs, the water bottle and the money for the rides all set. We were going to go to the fair after the parade. We even had ideal beautiful sunny yet cool-ish weather. Perfection.

All went well. I didn't think too much about youngest's wish to walk all the way up the main road until he came to the street his buddy lived on.
I should have.
All was fun and entertaining until my son and his band came by playing a very fun song. The first inkling of disaster came when I realized 1- he had NO idea where we were sitting to find us. 2- he was supposed to go back to the school to pick up his instrument case after they were done, to go by bus and be picked up from there.

Big issue with #2. My car was in a lot that I could not get out of because of the parade. HOW would I get him? He'd be left standing at this school for over 1 1/2 hours until I"d be able to go and get him?

And I had another child to think of. What do I DO? Beg the father of other child that my youngest was talking to and ask if my kid could stay there. He said yes and within a minute, I'm doing a brisk walk down the main street trying to catch up with the band, to get him before he boards that shuttle.

I make it. I also have to decide to have him leave the case at the school and hope it's there for him come Monday. Monday I'll have to figure out HOW to transport a trumpet without a case on a school bus. One nightmare at a time.

Now, we have to walk all the way back up to where I left my other kid. My eldest sees the buddy he's going to spend some time with at the fair and says'Mom, I need money." I give it to him and I said, I'll meet you at her shop!

Parade ends and I have to carry the chair and my youngest has to carry his chair and his hoard of candy he got from the parade participants. He loves it when they throw candy because most of it is peanut-free. It's so nice.

We get there and I have to drive out of the parking lot to find another parking lot closer to the fair. Still a decent amount of walking, but doable, until I realize that I have to walk from the new parking lot (at our local bank) to the shop. By the time I got there and dodged people, horses and more people, the shop was closed and the mom was just about to leave. My son and hers had already left for the fair across the street. I never had a chance to talk to him. Don't ask me if I talked to him when we were walking up earlier. I can't talk and walk - I"m that out of shape.

So, I and my youngest go to the fair. The next hour was pleasant. We went on the Scrambler and the Tilt 0'Whirl and a few others. We bumped into my son twice. Both times I tried to tell him, to remind him where our meeting place was and both times, he ran off with his buddy, never hearing me and a sea of people closed in between us and I lost sight of him.

And I really lost sight of him when it came time for meeting at the rendezvous spot and he's not there. Nor does he show up. I lost him. For over an hour I looked. I went to the police and the fair's Lost & Found and went to every person I knew who I knew, knew what my eldest looked like.

Eventually, he was found by one of the mom's I'd asked for help from. Thank Goodness.
So, after crying and feeling completely, totally emotionally wrung out like a wet dish rag, I said, we're going home now.

Except, we could not.

Remember I had to find another parking lot closer to the fair grounds??
Well get this.

AS I TYPE THIS , MY CAR IS STILL THERE!

The attendents allowed my car to get boxed in and I could not leave!
I had to call my DH to come and get us.

And.
Just now?
DH just found out that our boiler is leaking. A valve or something let go.

CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE????

What a loss

I just heard that Patrick Swayze died.
He was only 57!!
What a loss.
I loved him in Ghost and Dirty Dancing. I think everyone has either seen the movies or at least heard of them. They defined an age.

He will be missed.

*************
I don't feel chatty right now.
I'll get back to you as to how the Citizen's Police Acadamy is going.
So far, we toured the station and got to look into the police cars.
We got an overview of what we'll be hearing and seeing.
It's not a surprise that the first class ran over 30 minutes longer.
LOL
Lots to ask questions about, that's for sure!
TTYL

I'm Allergic to What?

That's my question.
I just got those Disney Freeze Dried Fruit thingys for my kids.
You know, thinking it was a good healthy alternative to candy?
I tried the pears.
Youngest HATED them, said they tasted 'yucky'.

So, not one to let things go to waste if I can help it, I ate three.
And lived to regret it.

It came upon me so fast!
Mouth, tongue, gums, back of throat..a burning itch that reached
a screeching crescendo.
Sure, I have an Epi-Pen.
But I didn't get the sensation that I was having a systemic reaction.
I DID get that I was having a reaction that made me want to have a mouth transplant.

I raced downstairs, poured a cup of black coffee and searing my mouth and throat
with its heat, fresh off the burner, I downed half the cup.

I'm better. Throat is a little sore. Not known if it's from the allergic reaction
or the hot coffee.
I don't care.
At least I'm not having the horrid feeling any longer.
So, what I would like to know is.. WHAT AM I ALLERGIC TO IN FRUIT? DRIED PROCESSED FRUIT AT THAT?

You see, most fruit, once processed, doesn't bother me any longer. Fresh apples, pears, peaches, plums; all make my mouth itch. But this itch was exponentially increased. Yikes!

On the book front.
Read the final book in Emma Holly's Fitz Clare trilogy. Oooooh, I do like Graham. At first I thought it was Edmund who was the star. How clever that it's not. Seems throughout, I got to see Graham grow and evolve as a character. The last book finally gave him his HEA.

Emma is very sneaky.

Yep, kids are back in school and a different sort of chaos ensues.
The fight with the school system will continue.

Oh, the good news. That Zonagram medicine..even though it has the unfortunate side affect of suicidal thoughts, seems to be the ONLY medicine that has any affect at all on my youngest's epilepsy. Depacote, Depakote? ... did nothing.
All that tutoring during the summer I think helped. And in two weeks we'll continue it for a month since the first 2 months of school is usually a recap from the previous year. I think he'll catch up. He's a smart boy. :-)

OOH, and I'm a JAFRA consultant again! Yep, I re-upped. I really missed their products.

Whereas a lot of companies that sell perfumes and skin care and body oils use man-made chemicals to simulate the wonderful smells in nature, JAFRA is botanically based and their products have NEVER EVER caused my asthma to kick in. I've never had that choking sensation, like my breath is trapped in my throat, with any of their scents. So, I'm a big fan because of that. Do you realize they've been around 53 years? Yet loads of women and men have never heard of them!

Oh..and my DH is like,incredibly difficult to find cologne scents for. Most over the counter colognes require him to take a bath in them just for the scent to last most of the day. You can imagine how fast a guy can go through an 8oz. bottle while having to do that.
Not so with JAFRA. Nope. Four quick spritzes and he's good to go. And the bottle lasts for up to three Months, not one. I'm all for better value for the dollar. Especially during these times.

I'm a happy camper.

Oh! Oh! Oh!
And guess what? I was accepted to take part in our town's Citizens Police Academy!
Is that cool or what? I can't wait to start. It's very official and serious but I'm excited too!

So, that's my update. Lots of stuff going on and for a nice change, most of it is pretty darned good.
::knock on wood::

TTYL!

You think Monday was Bad? HA

Tuesday was another adventure in Life's Chaos.

Upon bringing the sitter home, my eldest holds out his glasses and says,
"Look, Mom!"
And holds out his new opera glasses.

Seems his eye glass bar, or whatever they're called, snapped right off.
We were supposed to LEAVE Wednesday night!

What eye glass place can not only order them but make them in Less than 24 hours?
Seems my local town does.

It was a 90+ degree day. Seems the little place's A/C was broken. We walked in and lo! turns out that if we waited 38 minutes in the sweltering heat, they actually had an eye guy there who actually took his insurance and had a cancellation! Not only that but with ten minutes to spare the next day before they closed their doors, we dropped by and picked up a New pair of glasses with a new prescription. Talk about service! Talk about Small town excellence. Talk about being really really LUCKY.

But honestly, think about all the crap that's been thrown at me in my family in a very short amount of time. It's amazing we're still sane. LOL

So, here I am... in a room, on a bay where I saw a dolphin play in its waters.
How relaxing.

It's amazing to be in a strange place and still have Internet, in my bed where I can look out over an ocean bay. Now if only the kids would stop jumping on the bed.
Reminds me of that book...Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed..except I only have two.
But that's enough. **VBG**

I figure, things have to be better. We went through so much to get here.
Oh and I got some great books!
I started reading an old story... The Forever Kiss by Angela Knight. Not that I've read it before but I guess it's been out for awhile. I hope it's good.

AND, I found the latest Christine Feehan book, the latest in her Drake Sister's series. I hope that is as good as the rest.

Right now, the Pacifier is on and I enjoy that story a LOT. Must be the Navy SEAL that Vin Diesel portrays. Anyway, that's the scoop!
Have a great Weekend!

My Day Went FUBAR

Oh yeah, it did, in a big way.
Thank goodness I have a blog. I can VENT.

My day started when I left at 8AM.
Tutor at 8:30 - 10AM
Trumpet 9:30AM
MD appt 11:30
Car repair 1PM

It's that car repair that made everything else go FUBAR. I want to scream.
Ever hear of a domino affect?
Oh yeah, it's real.

Made it with a minute to spare for the 1PM car appt. Seems when we had the tires installed, one of the mechanics was a little too happy with that little automatic screwer-on thing, and stripped one of the lug nuts.
We went to have the car aligned.
The tech had the bolt snap off in his hand.
So, it needs to be tapped out and another replaced.
We were assured it's a 45 minute job.
HA

Today, we waited 2 HOURS for it to actually be brought into the bay.
30 minutes later the guy comes out and says, Gee, we can't do it today.
You have to come back and LEAVE the CAR!
They don't provide loaners.
We were going on a long trip and were going to use the car.
He says...oh, you should be alright to use the car, but the manufacturer did put five lug nuts on there for a reason. You should be safe enough but before you start back..re-tighten all the nuts to make sure they are secure.

Hello! Who wants to go 65-70MPH down a highway with even the thought of a possibility that your tire will pass you on the road???

I work. My DH works. And the guy tells me it will take a Minimum 2 HOURS to even do the job, the whole hub assembly needs to come off to do the repair.
That's not counting the time it takes to get IN the bay!
Who can sit on their ass all day like that?
Who can afford to rent a car to add More of an expense on top of car repair?
Just so you don't have to wait for hours with Two Kids!
Not fair, Not fair, not fair.

Sooo, we have to rent a car. Now we have to cut a day off of our mini vacation. We don't even get to take full weeks anymore. We were going to have 4 days, now it's down to three.
Sucks... big time.

And here's the domino affect. The rental car needs to be returned Monday AM. Then, since we will be leaving my blasted car over vacation at the car repair shop, we have to go and pick up my car at the repair shop for when they open at 8AM. BUT I'm supposed to have Tutor at 8:30AM and Trumpet at 9:30 Am and the thing you need to realize?

The car rental is in one city, the car repair is across the river in another city and the Tutor is in a different town 55 minutes away in the other direction.

::bangs head::

All because of a stripped lug nut! Make sure, any of you, that when someone uses that automatic screw-on thingy, they are not overzealous or YOU will end up having a FUBAR day too.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

An Actor Makes His Own Mark

A couple of years ago, through this very blog, I connected with an up and coming actor, Mr. Nate Golon. He's been busy since then, learning and honing his craft in his chosen career. It's a tough road but he's determined, energetic and always looking for that edge that will propel him towards his goal. I'm proud to announce and share a milestone with you. He's been hard at work and is an integral part of a new Internet series that has its debut this week. Please check out this link: WORKSHOP SERIES If you are a longstanding reader, you may remember Nate from way back when. Let me know if you spotted him because he IS in there...live, in color and with his charming and high-wattage smile totally in view. Have fun!

Find the Happy in Botany

OK...a bit of nature too. LOL....





Some posts just do not need words, since nature tends to express herself so well.
Take some time and marvel.
You'll be glad you did.

Haggis Rocks!

Well, you don't have to agree with me. LOL
Yes, I ate haggis at the Scottish Festival.
When the vender suggested I eat my haggis puff with some steak sauce, I only put a dab at the corner. EWWWW.

I like my haggis straight And they make the BEST fish and chips there. Sure it's a bit pricey, but we budgeted for this. I look forward to this every year. This is the third year in a row we've gone.

And I got my airbrush tatoo too.

I took some awesome pics of the caber toss and the weight throwing contest. Can you imagine throwing a metal ball weighing 65 pounds, overhead behind you, up and over a 14 foot height? Yep, that's what they do. Well, try anyway. Tee hee

Did you ever see the bicep width of these guys? Hmmmmm.

.

OH and did you notice? Under the kilt? Just a regular ol' pair of athletic shorts. *sigh*



Like I said... it's HARD to throw that kind of weight backwards. HOW do they train for THAT?
Whoa.
Is it any wonder these are my favorite things to see?

What's up?

Not much except clouds and bees.

What do you see when YOU look up?

Anyway...I love my library. Yeah, I know, I've said that before. But I borrowed some books on general laptop info and I discovered the Fn key! What a handy little button!

I've been able to get a few green beans from my garden, lettuce and peas. I'm sharing my chard with the mustard colored slugs. Guess what? They are compact little critters and they fly really far when you throw them. I can't kill them...ewwwww! So...I give them permission to sprout wings and if they can fly back to my chard, they can have it.
I'm fair.

I just remembered something ...

I saw this guy in a pick-up truck drift over to the rumble strip on the highway the other day... I estimate he was going about 60 MPH. Do you know why he drifted? Nope, he was not drunk. He was on a cell phone. As much as I don't like another law being passed to tell us what to do for our own benefit...texting and talking on the cell has become an epidemic of ridiculous proportions.
I would have thought that taking your eyes off of the road longer than it takes to sneeze would be avoided, as in common sense. As in, realizing that a driver has the responsibility to maintain control of his/her vehicle at all times and be aware of their surroundings and react accordingly.

Their first thought should be that they are in a mobile weapon, capable of maiming, destroying or seriously injuring people, property or animals and drive with respect to that.
Their LAST thought should be who is calling, must answer the call or " OOH, look at that accident, I simply HAVE to text/call (insert unlucky name) and tell them all about it!"

Because people have increasingly put their phone first and safety last, now laws have to be written to correct people's inherent stupidity and arrogance - It can't happen to me, I can do three things at once, I'm always in control, you can't tell me what to do, it's my phone, my car, my decision.

No, it's not. Not when it affects too many other drivers and pedestrians who innocently believe you are alert, in control and and are paying attention beyond the thing held in your hand or attached to your ear. Driving is a skill.
You can't hunt bear while on a cell phone, that kind of inattention will get you eaten.
You can't jog a marathon while talking on a cell phone, you'll lose; not enough regulated breathing to moderate your pace.
A painter/artist cannot paint/sculpt or create the next masterpiece while talking on a cell phone.
It will look like one of those paint by numbers jobs by a four year old.

Why then, why do people think they are doing a great job of DRIVING when they are talking/texting on a cell phone?

Can you tell me??

Quick

Hey!
I went to mountainous, rainy Vermont over the 4th of July weekend.
They had a Triathalon at Killington.
I actually got to see hunky guys running.
Downhill.
So they went fast.
I was eating breakfast at the time and we had a window seat.
So I guess you could say I had a room with a view.
lol
But DH and the kiddos were with me. I had to keep a fork in my mouth.

***
I brought my laptop with me. How fun it was to type away IN my room!
I didn't have to suffer watching stupid TV. Blech.
****
Did you know that if you check the chair cushions in your hotel/motel room, you stand a good chance of finding loose change?
I didn't.
Until the kids found enough, bored donchaknow, to play some video games in the arcade.
Go figure.
******
Did you know that Killington, which is famous in the area for skiing, is a hot spot for mountain biking?
I kid you not. Hot guys came down splattered with mud. It was so caked on at times, you couldn't see their butts. OK, so I exaggerate, you could see them, but they WERE totally muddied.
And sexy.
It's all that protective gear they wear, makes them look like warriors. Very cool.

OK..that's my drive by post as I rush off to work.
Have a terrif day!

Rain

It's raining
Again.
What's up with that?
No. Wait. It comes down.
What's down with that?
Flooding.
My okra rotted.
Of nine plants, only two survive.
I'm bummed.

Humid weather wrecks havoc.
I bought a watermelon.
Left it on the floor of my kitchen.
What?
It was BIG!
Anyway, my youngest says, "Mom! Something spilled!"

Um...nope. Something split.
Said watermelon had had a rough patch on it and that patch was a blemish
which allowed for early rotting.
It split.
Brownish slimey goo had sneaked out of this crack and oozed its way into a puddle.
EWWWWWW!

So....heave ho!

It was only five days. Sheesh.
I've had them there for a week and a half and be perfectly fine!

Oh...plans for 4th of July.
Yes, I have some.
Yes, I will take pictures.
Dang if they are STILL predicting rain!

What's up with that?
Ah, Right.
Down, I'm Down with that!
Happy DRY 4th of July to everyone!

I'm a cricket, Hear Me Chirp

A very quiet Chirp. You see, I'm going to try to be a better blogger. Even if I have nothing to say, I'll try to pop in every few days and tell you about nothing just so you have something to see about nothing, so you won't get used to seeing the same nothing every day. So that's something. So, as you can imagine, I have nothing to say. I'll make something up. The sun actually made an appearance today. Yay~ I saw a live bunny. A dead Opossum. I almost hit a deer - jumped right in front of my car about 4PM in the afternoon. Man, they bound FAST. My kids found two snakes while looking for their missing soccer ball. Never found the ball but the snakes were cool. We had a second person die of Swine Flu in my state this week. I am sorry Billie Mays died..he was young, but I won't miss his yelling delivery. I got very stressed listening to him. I DO like Oxy-clean however. I'll miss Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to his music the same time as the Osmonds. I feel my mortality creeping up. How much gray hair do you allow before you start coloring it? And do people really pick their noses when no one is looking? Betcha they do! So, that's it. A whole lotta nothin' to fill this blog with something. Aren't you glad you dropped by? ;-)

Why?

Why do kids have to go through things that break a parent's heart?
Why are there things we absolutely cannot protect them from?

My little one? His seizures are still not under control, despite being on the highest dose he can be on the current medication. So, they've added a second.

Last Monday he had 24 hour ambulatroy EEG. It showed 26 seizures in that period. ON medication. Can you imagine how many he must have been having before he was diagnosed? That is why he was failing school. If the seizures can last up to 8 seconds...and he lost whatever instruction was going on directly preceeding the incident, day in and day out throughout the school year, it's amazing he learned anything at all! I mean, I 'd heard Absance Seizures/Petit Mal can occur up to 100 times a day; guess it's true,




This second medicine comes with scary side affects so I'm watching him close.

IN other, better news...



We went to our local farmer's market this past week. The local farm that sells meat products was serving up cooked burgers and it was supper time, so we decided to eat there. This elderly guy walks up with his own half eaten burger and tells me and my kids, "You are going to love your hamburgers. I swear it's the best I ever had! But I don't think I have enough money to buy another one. Let me check"


He proceeds to count out four one dollar bills and folds them in half. "You know?, he says, " I could have sworn I had a bit more money than this."


When he Unfolded the dollar bills, they had all changed to TWENTY Dollar bills!! The guy was a MAGICIAN! How cool was that? VERY. And, the hambergers were pretty darned good. LOL


Later on, after we ate our burgers, one of my kids turned to me and said" No insult, Mom, but their burgers Really Are Better."

Um...gee thanks. :-)



*************


My last post, I had mentioned that I"d post a pic of my son's scorpion project. Here it is. He got an A. I'm proud of him. :-)

Meow

First, before I say what I was purring about, I will say in reference to the previous post, no, I don't have pictures yet. The scorpions are still drying. When the clay is sturdy enough to pick up, I'll place them in better lighting. So, stay tuned for that. If you are interested. :-)

As for Meow. I just got a sneak peak at the new New Moon trailer, the next in the Twilight series and I have to say, WOW, Jacob sure got buff! I had heard the actor worked on getting into the role he has to play since he has a bigger part in the second book. But oh my! Meow indeed! And they wanted to replace him? Are they Nuts???
He's perfect as Jacob! IMHO

Also, I feel bad for Susan Doyle. I also think it's understandable. I mean, talk about condensed chaos! When she first came on the scene, she was spunky, enthusiastic and clearly loved what she was doing. She was there to do something she loved and clearly, as we all now know, was good at. Still is.

I cannot imagine anyone, thrust into the media fray as she was, coming away from this unscathed. The scrutiny, the constant barrage of media talking at her or about her and when it turned nasty...nasty sells as we all know...it got to her. This woman, following a dream, was very sheltered from the crap that is paparazzi and Glam. She has no rhinoceros thick skin against the trade, she has no experience with people being two-faced to such a heighten scale. I know I would not. I'd be mentally, emotionally and physically drained too.

I sincerely hope that she gets her second wind, her love for singing just for the sake of it returns and she someday reaches her ultimate dream, to sing before the Queen. Susan deserves it just for being brave enough to start the journey in front of millions in the first place. IMHO.

And she most Certainly, has talent. So there.
**********************

I'm in withdrawal. I've not read a book in a week. I have 2 I have to read and 3 I have to review, but for a TBR pile? I have none. Sometimes, I think it is a curse to read so darned fast. And what is the difference between the 2 I have to read when I say I have nothing to read? Doesn't make sense does it? But, it does. To me. You see, I have no PRINT books to read, to hold, to inhale that sweet smell of paper and ink and to sigh over a partially dressed man in close up detail - if he's yummy enough that is. What's a girl to do?

****************
I had red rice the other day at a restaurant. My question: Is red rice Really Red? Or is it dyed?

Ah, Monday. It's almost over. Chaos reigns for the rest of the week. How'd I get so lucky?

Men and Clay

I am greatly amused by man.

What is it with men and clay?

Youngest has a scorpion project. Has to do a report on it's habitat and the scorpion cannot be a store bought plastic toy. Nope. It can be made with anything you want, but it has to be homemade.

I had to work so I asked my DH to help out youngest. Good gravy!
It became "The Project"

He SHOPPED for the right clay,
He ORGANIZED the items he'd need; stood there and basically said, "Rally the troups, I need...rattled off a long list of stuff that had me scurrying all over the place to find the stuff. Why me? I seem to be the ONLY person who knows Where Everything Important Is In The House.
Married Women or Women who do Domestic Sharing the world over, know of this syndrome.

Then he referred to the pile of books I picked out from the library.
Obvioulsy, I chose wisely. There was the perfect detailed picture he required for his masterpiece.

He then proceeded to make his OWN scorpion whilst youngest watched and sort of copied the technique yet making the little critter entirely his own creation, including sticking a piece of tooth pick in the tail for the stinger.
Nothing like a little reality. ::shudder::

In the end, the result was pretty impressive. DH was SO into it too -- it was pretty funny.

If/when he decides to commit to something, he is 100% focused.
And he likes to play with clay.
Who knew?

My Favorite Kid Quote

I guess my last post was a bit...macabre.

*grin*

I have a variety of interests.

Today I'm going to share my favorite quote from this past weekend.

When stating the intention of tracking down where the sky divers/jumpers we'd been watching spiral and float to the ground originated from, the young man said:

"Oh, I've done that before. I'm an expert!", chest puffed out in pride.

I looked at him aghast.

"Your parents have let you sky dive? You had lessons? When was that?!"

"Oh, well..." chest deflates. I've actually done it on Play Station 3.
But I'm REALLY good at it!"

You have to give him credit for enthusiasm. *giggle*

Just remembering the look on this young man's face as he boasted with the best of them, keeps me giggling long after it happened. Art Linkletter sure had it right.

Kids really DO say the darndest things...

Vampirism vs.Water

Vamps. Vampires. The romance paranormal genre or sub genre is alive and still biting. Intelligent vampires are sexy when they bite responsibly. I'm sure you've heard the slogan, Drink Responsibly? Well, vampires need to bite responsibly. If they existed. I'm only talking about the fantasy ones...the unguys that appear in romance books. I'm not touching the box with the people inside who think they ARE real, or indeed think themselves as potential living un-undead. Do two negatives make a positive? Do two UNs make a living vamp, an un-vamp? ::ouch:: Brain hurts. Anyway...I'm talking about vampirism in general. No wait, I'm changing the subject is what I'm doing. Vampirism in the natural world. Natural. As in animals and stuff. Everyone knows about ticks and leeches and mosquitoes. Very common blood suckers that help man but gross out man at the same time, as in the case of leeches. Or impart deadly and debilitating diseases via tick and mosquito bites. And of course, I'd be remiss in not mentioning everyone's favorite mammal, the vampire bat. But if you've not caught some recent discoveries on TV, let me enlighten you to some newbies on the block: The Vampire Butterfly The Vampire Bird. Yep, they exist. The final two ended up evolving that way, so the experts say, as a means to survive in a drought ridden area. That makes me wonder. Someday, it is predicted that drinkable water will be scarce. And yes, the technology exists now to reclaim water from salt water and water mixed with...body fluids, as in the space station. That occurs with some high costs though, doesn't it? Just think...in the future, if water becomes worth more than gold; if water becomes a commodity only the oil-rich, politically-rich, drug-rich, armament-rich populace can afford, where would that leave the rest of the masses on the planet? What other sources would we use for hydration? What resource is abundant and all around us since it would no longer be water? Other people? Blood then. Would we turn to the lessons of nature that forced a butterfly and a specie of bird to turn to vampirism to drink blood for its moisture content alone? So, for the genre that writes apocolyptic stories, dark romantic fantasy stories, what would the romance journey look like? Would mythical vampires be in competition then, with humans who have had to turn to blood drinking for survival? They, the living, to continue to live, turn into living monsters, the very things they reviled? And feared? How could there be anything romantic in that? It sounds like a nightmare. But then again, the power of love transcends a lot. I wonder what it would read like. I'm not the sharpest stake in the bag, but I can say I'm not the only one who thinks of such things. Frank Herbert, in his DUNE series touched on that. Those suits reclaimed body fluids and I thought it was a great idea when I'd first read the series in the early 80s. The thing I found most fascinating was that when a body died, its fluids, its water, was reclaimed so that the family the person belonged to had their water - or the victor claimed that moist treasure as spoils of battle/war. But that was a book, a sci/fi fantasy. I wonder. What will be our reality? Blood for water? Body reclamation? I hope water never becomes that kind of bargaining chip because, personally, I'd prefer reading about it in a fantasy. At least I'll wake up from that one. What do you think???

Thoughts of Were

I was cruising in cyberspace and came upon the coolest tidbit about Werewolves. One of the myths is for when a werewolf dies. Did you ever hear that when a Werewolf dies, it becomes a vampire? What a cool concept. Why haven't the paranormal romantic suspense writers jumped on that bandwagon? And I was thinking.... yes, yes I know, bad thing. Silver bullets were not always around. Guns have only been propelling balls of metal through the air for a couple of centuries. What was used back in ancient times? Silver didn't make for a strong sword, did it? What did they do, make silver balls and use a sling shot? I can't say that would be too effective when the weres have super speed. And lets face it, women back then did not learn hand-to-hand combat, so a silver knife would have been a joke - on the woman. And hand-to-hand anything is too close to teeth and infection. Right? Hmmm, silver barrettes? I'm going to style your fur in a killer coiffure? Naw..too silly. I cannot think of a single long range weapon that can be utilzed quickly and be made of silver that could have been applied in the ancient days. Can you? So that means, werewolves had the right of might on their side until the invention of the gun. What a culture shift that would have been! Anyone with a writing bug can see the possibilites in this, right? And yet, and yet, as the myths unfold, werewolves never gained a majority. So what held them in check? Slayers? I can't see them being too effective prior to long range weaponry. I think I would enjoy others' take on this. Sure, it's a fanciful and unrealistic topic. Then again, some of the best and well loved tales and movies of the past deal with vampires and things that go bump in the night. What I would like to know, what bumped them right back?? Care to share your thoughts? LOL

I threw the clock out the window

And time really flew!

Look at the calendar.
It's May.

We have a graduation, a Confirmation and our anniversary this month.
We've had a sleep deprived EEG and another coming up before the end of the month.
Why?
It's been busy. My youngest was diagnosed with Petit Mal seizures.
Then he ended up having a Grand Mal on the school playground.
Imagine a young person who goes unconscious one place and wakes up to awareness in an ambulance speeding to who-knows-where, surrounded by strangers, strapped to a gurney with an IV sticking out of your arm.
Terrifying.

The school reacted very professionally and with consideration. The rumors that started were almost immediate: His head split open, he broke his leg, amongst a few. Kids sure can be creative when it comes to drama.

My eldest had a M.D. appt which required him to be taken out of school early.
What do you think happened?
One of his peers called later that day and asked him why he had to leave school so suddenly, did he have Swine Flu?

Sheesh! Kids seems to be fascinated with dramatic mortality.

As far as a favorite thing, books, I've discovered Christine Warren. I ordered every book in the Other series and I read them one after the other. I love when I can do that. I feel like I'm immersed in another world, getting to know the characters and unlike soap operas, it doesn't take a year to make a point. Well, when I come in late to a series it can work that way, LOL

I saw Star Trek yesterday. Oh my GOSH! How did everyone keep the secret? I LOVED what they did!
I try to talk to my DH about all the great parts but he's not into dissecting things. He was OK with the movie. Okay because he expected more like the old series whereas I was wide open to the possibilities. I was not disappointed in any way. The action, the characterization, the subtle hints and jokes that only the fans of the original series would get, it all worked and I had a blast!

At one climactic point, I saw one young person put their arms in the air in a Touchdown! motion. When um... when the Live Long and Prosper sign was used, the girls next to me, three of them, all put up their hands and Did the Vulcan sign right back! LOL
Even my kids did it. My DH is the ONLY person who cannot do the Vulcan Hand signal.
Ha!

At the end of the movie, Guess who started the sold out audience to start Clapping?? Me! Me~! I started them clapping cuz I started it first. I was so enthused, I could not keep it inside. Star Trek ROCKS!

I started a garden. Planted seeds mostly. Peas, lettuce, 2 kinds of chives, green beans, cosmos flowers, and radishes. So far the peas and lettuce are coming up. Waiting on the rest.

I've won two free ebooks lately. That was awesome!
So, that's what happens when time flies - you live and experience and the blog sort of gets dusty.
Sorry about that.

But I'm alive and around
Hope you are too.

nope, no update today

that's right.
I've got nothing to say. I'm out of the habit of blogging.
Sad isnt' it?
I've been here since 2005 and a few years later--I'm poof.

What happened? Life. I'm still reading. It's remains a favorite thing.
I'm still playing with my camera - still a favorite thing.
I can't wait until the snow is gone, then I can do garden stuff - a favorite thing.

I'm still working - more than ever and I still like it. Am I one of those people who can say 'Work is a favorite thing?' I am not sure, but I like my boss, my co-worker and the work I do. I like going to work and I don't mind working a Saturday when I have to. I guess that means I like work?

I started another story and I love love love the first chapter. It has drama, it sets up the story and the conflict between hero and heroine and you know there suprises on the way. As for my other story..well..it's been so far on the back burner...it's not been touched. That doens't mean I've not thought of him. Oh no. I found THE picture, the picture that IS my character, Speedo and all. I would print it out and make a poster board...but, well, I have... young eyes around and they might be traumatized. LOL. So it stays on my PC buried deep.

I'm stil on Facebook and loving it. However, I finally am finding myself not so addicted. I'm limiting myself to a few applications. I am not 'friending' left and right anymore. And I Have found two FB'ers that live in my local area. One is a writer so we can talk 'writer' talk...and horses. I talk poop, she talks tack. LOL

I can say,Happy St. Patricks day to you. Hard to believe we've been through two holidays already. I've been good though. Not much candy eating. I've been bad though, too many Ding Dongs. They don't have peanut cross contamination.
Oh that's right!
Did you hear?
Scientists are working on making kids tolerate peanuts and being safe around them! There is hope!
There is a future free of fear of food!

I am So very excited. I realize it will be years before it goes mainstream, but the resutls are positive. And that has got to be a favorite thing. GOOD NEWS!

I hope you receive good news in your near future, if not today.
Thanks for stopping by.

And I had no update?
HA

Are You Having Trouble?

Are you having trouble opening my blog from time to time?
I am.
My own blog and I can't open it. I seem to be able to post but when I want to view it? I.E. says it can't.

I used to be so consistant with blogging. It was a habit, a routine. Since the internet problems for two months and now I.E. AND not being home like I was when I started this blog, it's not often you see updates anymore.

Well, that's interesting. While typing this, Blogger is going up and down with being connect to the internet. What gives?

Just an update.

We got twelve new inches of snow.
Jaid kicks my butt on Wordscraper on FB.
Marianne kicks my butt playing that new Mini-Golf addiction.
Mike leaves me in the dust in Soduku...
Eddie says my updates aren't droll and boring afterall, Yay me!
I like poking Dru and Amy - um, not for REAL...sheesh!

I took my Mom to see Paul Blart-Mall Cop. Once the movie got over setting up the background story, it was really quite cute. Unrealistic, but cute. Enough laughs to make it worthwhile to see it at the early matinee.

Did I mention that I had another short published at LASR? well I did. It's archived now.
I read the funniest short story this past week! The Ghost Shrink, the Accidental Gigolo & the Poltergeist Accountant by Vivi Andrews
I got it from Samhain Publishing.
I thought it was a hoot!

I read Night Shadows by Cherry Adair. It's the wrapup of this trilogy and it's INTENSE. The whole series was but this is the book that wraps up the loose ends that wove through all three books.

I also read Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole. That was good too. I'm glad Rydstrom got his HEA but he sure had to work for it. LOL

I'm still reading and reviewing for LASR and Whipped Cream. Can you believe it's been over two years? Where'd the time go?

Cats. I like cats on Treadmills.
Links: Two Cats
The cat that refuses a Treadmill

And then we have humans acting wierd with their cats....


What can I say?

Being Quiet is not an option

I know that I've often said that I won't speak of politics or religion. A few things have come to light recently that have me sitting up and taking notice, and not in a good way. For instance is this article I just read about President Obama's transportation secretary coming up with this "great" idea about charging us motorists for the miles we travel. Tax our Travel This is the excerpt from the link that has me scared, wary and concerned.

The system would require all cars and trucks be equipped with global satellite positioning technology, a transponder, a clock and other equipment to record how many miles a vehicle was driven, whether it was driven on highways or secondary roads, and even whether it was driven during peak traffic periods or off-peak hours.

This opens the door to abuse. This opens the door to our rights being curtailed, and in the future, taken away. Think I'm overreacting? I don't think so. I think they (ok, think X-files conspiracy) are testing the waters. How strong are we as Americans? How alert are we to threats to our way of life? I don't care if it's a 'fellow American' promoting the idea, it's still wrong. It still smacks of another time, another place, another war. I mean, think about the quoted section I posted above. Can you get more specific than secondary roads? Why would they need such detailed history? Americans love the phrase "getting away from it all". That freedom would be taken away in a very subtle and rational-sounding progression until it was too late. Can we get more watched? Start on this slippery slope and the answer is YES. It will lead to our travels being controlled and monitored. Human nature being what it is...you know it's possible. I'm going out on a limb here, and state that if the Nazi's had had this kind of technology, they would have used it against the Jews when they started culling the population to pursue their evil and twisted reality. If the Nazi's had had the ability to track every civilian vehicle back then, the Underground's success would never have been what it was and many more innocents would have died. Hitler was a German, one of their own. The enemy within is what we need to be ever vigilant against. Yes, I admit to being very worried about these ideas and my choice of example is a bit extreme but I feel strongly about this. And if that is not bad enough, there is something else that stinks in the wind. Re-instating the Fairness Doctrine. I will admit to not being totally fluent in its ramifications but the bottom line is this: I hope that this in no way can alter our access to Freedom of Speech. Again, this is sounding like a subtle infringement leading to total suppression of our rights -- say the wrong thing on the wrong topic in the 'wrong' way and talk show hosts will be penalized. And what will those penalties be? Well, we certainly know what happens in other countries - people disappear. I know, I know, the law was around before. But it was discarded for a reason. Why do we need it back? We have the freedom to change the channel at any time and we have choice. I personally do not enjoy talk radio, but that doesn't mean it should not exist. I think the choice should be there if I change my mind. Right? Maybe the talk show hosts of various political beliefs and TV evangelists are being overly worried, but then again complacency is in itself a dangerous thing. If we don't rattle our sabers and respond, indicating that we will defend that which make America so unique and special against those who would seek to undermine from within, then they will have won. I think preserving our freedoms is worth talking about. I mostly read and review romance books. In that genre, there are many new and established authors who are pushing the envelope of what is written. We are now seeing M/M romances, Menages, BDSM and other alternative living and loving lifestyles. Do you really think that if the spoken word is controlled, monitored and/or suppressed that the written word won't be far behind? I happen to love the changes and the freedom. I don't want to lose it. So, I'm spouting on a subject I never thought I would have a reason to - politics. Now my head hurts...

Heart be still - My Stomach is in love...

I have been a fan of this romance cover model since I saw him on Sherrilyn Kenyon's
story of Alexion. I think it was him...it's been awhile. The one thing I have NOT forgotten is the cover model.

I found out his name about six months after the book came out and ever since, he's exploded onto the romance cover scene. He's been a Indian Warrior, A Scottish Highlander, a hunk in the Dark Hunter Universe;you name it, he's been it.

The one thing you don't get from romance book covers is a sense of the man -- the person behind the face and costume.

I have found a delightful link to share with you that will not only give you a glimpse of this person but you will hear his voice, his sense of humor and get to meet his very beautiful and gracious wife. THE most amazing talent he has, modeling notwithstanding, is his natural flair and technique for COOKING! He makes it look so easy.

Oh my Goodness! I want to eat at HIS HOUSE! LOLOL

Ready? Listen and get to know the great talent of NATHAN KAMP!

This video is not for the faint of heart...

OK...I do NOT, as a rule, put this type of stuff on my blog

But , I almost peed my pants... I laughed and snickered and snorted and ...
I probably should have felt bad for the guy but Sheesh...come on!
People do anything to make a buck, but this?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA



Did you see what I meant?
This video makes me cringe and laugh all at the same time......

I'm around

Yep , I am.

Just..not much to say.

We got snow.
I had to work this Saturday so my weekend, wasnt' very refreshing.

Met my neighbor...well, on the phone. Found out she has Facebook and Live Journal.
What's REALLY weird?
I now look at what I write and realize...someone reads it RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME!
For five years, no one I personally know close to home...family or friends... ever uses their computer for social networking.
I mention Facebook and they say WHAT? I mention MySpace and they look at me like I should grow up.
I mention chatting to authors online and they are like... Why don't you LIVE your life?

Excuse me?

Like I'm ever going to meet famous authors? This is BETTER than when I was a kid and I'd write to Donny Osmand and never ever got a response back.
This is better than hearing about someone famous and wishing I could get just an autograph.

Through this here blogging and social connection in cyberspace, I've gotten autographed books from authors! I've MET one. I"ve TALKED to one. All because I AM on the computer!!!

I even get to play word games with my all time favorite erotica author who got me hooked on the romantica genre! I mean, come on! Trading word knowledge with a Literary Diva?

WHERE else can that happen? Tell me.

I love the world wide web. I believe it enhances me..so what if I talk about people I'll never meet. That doesn't mean they don't touch my life or enrich it..they do!

So....How did I even get on this soap box anyway?

Gah

OK...yes I am here. No I haven't read any books lately. Darn.

But my neighbor is now a pillow's throw away.
On Facebook.


**grin**

It's about time!

I have internet!
It's been cold and yet I remain online. Can you believe how long it took?

They had to install a thicker cable. If only they'd figured out the issue back in November, they wouldn't have had to stumble though eight inches of snow to do the job.
Silly men.
LOL

So, how were your holidays?
Mine went quite well. Got to see ALL of my family. My little sis came up with her family from Florida and the cousins had a rousing good time.

I got a couple of nice gifts from Santa DH.
I ate lots and lots and made my very first chocolate fondu! It came out great!
Leftovers makes great sauce over vanilla ice cream too. YUM.

I won an Ebook from Shelly Munro's birthday bash that she held during the entire month of December. I just found out yesterday. Major squeee moment, let me tell you.

OH, and how did I enter if I didn't' have internet? Work. I have internet access during my lunch at work...though never long enough to do anything of great length. Just enough to contact me and tell them I was still alive. *grin*

I submitted a short story (1,000 words) and found out yesterday that it was accepted at LASR. Should be posted in January. Color me EXCITED!

Guess all that downtime from being offline was good for something, eh?

During the holidays we didn't do much. Generally we just enjoyed the downtime. School for my kids has been rather stressfull and tough, so this short reprieve has been much welcomed.

I took LOTS of pictures, but I can't share any because they were mostly of family. I can share our tree though. The kids totally decorated it. I only did the lights. Not bad, eh?
We fit the tree in where we can, in a place that is colder than the rest of the house. Mostly because a wood stove would dry up it up in record time. It always ends up our family mud room. ::shrugs:: It works.





Anyway, Happy New Year!
Oh, and for any who are wondering...No, I did not make any resolutions.
Bah Humbug...like I'd keep them anyway?
LOL

How about you?