%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  Coffee and ideas bouncing off the walls.
|
|
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Grab a cuppa Joe and fall into a seat. Here you may find the latest news, a bit of gossip, a rant, or a movie review. You'll definitely see what makes me tick. |
| So I was folding clothes when I heard the howler monkey. She was talking to herself; it sounded like "oo" "ah". I figured she was playing a game on Playhouse Disney (her fave site). I yelled out of the bedroom to ask her what she was doing, and she came barreling in. "Mommy, Mommy, I'm writing you a letter! I sounded it out all by myself!" I read it, but didn't correct her because she didn't ask. She'll learn soon enough. She said, "Mommy I'm so proud! Now I'm a writer like you!" Here's her first original prose. *sniff sniff* I'm going to print it out and ask her to take it with her when she's the first president/anthropologist/doctor/rocket scientist in outer space.  i love you mom so i wont to gow wit you bcos i love you i wil giv you flawrs. Lasgow sopin bot no dogs r not alod. no cats r alod. We need to work on spelun, but she's off to a great start for kindergarden in the fall. And she obviously got the Chi shopping gene, too. Couldn't be more proud. |
| I was all psyched for a blue month, but the internet connection keeps going down. We need a new router and something else, I forget. I waylay my poor husband every evening when he comes home from work to rig it for me. We just have so much going on right now that shopping for computer stuff is on the bottom of the list. We're still in limbo here at Casa Chi. The living room is empty except for four hot workers pounding my...walls all day. Yes, we are dragging this 1940's house kicking and screaming into the 21st century. In the meantime, the kitchen, bedroom, and this computer room are overflowing with refugee junk. The good news is that we only have to do this once in my lifetime--the electrical outlets are now all grounded, the ceiling fan works, and the lights are on a dimmer. The hole in the wall is gone, and in its place is a lovely and unobtrusive cable outlet. Which means I'll have to find a new exercise program--I was getting pretty limber dancing over and around extension cords all day. I never thought I'd live to brag about this, but my husband (look up miser in the dictionary and you'll see his picture) is even more excited than I am. He's already planning the deck and computer room, which are next. He finally sees the benefits of a clean, uncluttered house where everything has its place. Eight years it took me to train this man. And that is what I get for marrying a 38 yr old bachelor. Our savings is draining faster than my 20 yr old washing machine, but it is worth it. I'm so in love with the new bathroom I'm writing a poem: "Ode de Toilette". I take several showers and clean it several times a day just to admire the tile work. This is my life. It ain't glamorous, but it kicks my old life's ass. |
| I'm overwhelmed by the kindness of my friends. I hope I've thanked everyone individually, but here's a collective hug for you. (((friends))) The bathroom is coming along ahead of schedule, but you know how that goes. I hope to be back in the house week after next. I hate that I'm so busy I can't mod, er, rate, er, whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing. I hope to stop by the house today and use a "real" computer. My list: 1. bring back chairs to sit on 2. buy an air mattress 3. buy pink bulbs for the vanity Doodle is having a blast with the other forty-leven rugrats in the hood. Ever seen a gang of 5-7 year olds parading their scooters down the sidewalk? Must be some kinda initiation--they've got bouncy balls, stuffed animals, and juice boxes and they look ready to rumble. *shiver* Thanks again, dear friends! I'll catch up with you guys soon, I promise!  |
| Is there any sound more delightful on a warm day than the pounding of sledgehammers or the clink of tile breaking into slivers? I think not. It seems I won the bet with my husband. He said they wouldn't start today as promised. It is pretty funny seeing three grown men squeezed into that tiny bathroom. They are obviously professionals since I haven't heard one curse or seen any blood yet. And since there were comments regarding packs and rats, I need to clarify. All the junk belongs to my dearly departed in-laws. We've slowly been giving everything away, because I don't really need 3 juicers, 2 waterpiks, and 100 highball glasses. My husband is the one who collects car parts, camera equipment, and computers. I have two collections: scrapbook supplies I never use, and books I never read. However, once we build bookshelves and I don't have to rummage through 50 totes, I will read them. Or at least people will think I read them. I don't want you all to think my husband is an ogre, but he suggested I give away all the books, since I made him give away the 72 Chilton manuals for cars we no longer own. Because mine don't tell you step by step how to overhaul an engine, they have no practical use to him. I know--such thoughts spit in the face of the gods of literature! Please don't hate him--he's actually a decent guy. I'll turn him into a bibliophile yet. It started with my Tourn-a-rounds entry, which he read all by himself. He groaned at the appropriate places, and gave his highest compliment: "That's not too hateful." Yesterday I caught him reading Ask and it is Given. He thought it was--gasp--interesting. See, I've always believed in my man. He says he isn't smart, but he taught himself how to tear apart a car and put it back together. He has a good job in IT, and never took one class. There's different kinds of smart--and he's got mad skillz. Come the Apocolypse, he'll be McGuyver--creating machines from Coke cans and broken electronics--whereas I'll be the guy from Twilight Zone in a library with broken glasses. Together we can do anything. Even, it seems, remodel a bathroom. Update: I spoke too soon. They broke the water line, and now my basement is soaked. I just got the damn basement dry, though. *sigh* |
| Doodle is outside playing with the neighbors while I'm sneezing and wheezing in the bathroom. The bathroom and kitchen are the two rooms in my house I try to keep clean, but obviously they weren't as clean as I thought. There's still a lot to do--mainly finding homes for the stray junk. Where does one keep the five cameras we no longer use? Why are we keeping them, anyway? I'm taking a load of Doodle's old clothes and toys to my sister's house, then back to Home Depot with the truck to pick up the vanity. We had to compromise and get one in stock. We found one we liked at the bath/kitchen store, but it was $1900. That's right--2 grand for a sink. A similar one at HD was 300. In fact, the entire bill at Home Depot is about that much. Even with several hundred dollars worth of granite shower tiles. Believe it or not, hubby the cheapskate picked them out. He really does have a great sense of style. When he's ready to spend money, I keep my mouth shut. I promise to no longer use the term "Home Despot". Just this once, I don't mind if the stuff is manufactured in China. I'll make up for it by buying American clothes this year. That is, if we have any money left for clothes. |
| I should never have counted my chickens before they hatched. As soon as I entered yesterday's blog entry, the cell phone rang. It was the contractor. He's sick, and can't start until Wednesday. I'm not understanding why because he's the owner--he doesn't do any physical labor. He doesn't even write the estimates. But whatever. I told him as long as it is finished before Feb. 1 we're golden. As soon as I hung up the phone rang again. It was my favorite doc, with more bad news. Not only will she be out of work for at least another month to recover from spinal surgery, but she's moving back to her old practice in the country. It is a 2-hour drive and they don't take insurance. It sucks for me, but I know it is best for her--I've been telling her since we met that she works too hard, and she needs to slow down. So I have to start going back to all my old specialists, after I had found one person who does everything. I can still see her, just not as often, since the money will be out of pocket. I'm trying to roll with circumstances and not get so keyed up about junk. My husband was upset at first, but I reminded him we still had work to do. Instead of staying up until midnight packing, we took our time going through the entertainment center. We popped in each tape to see what was on it. In doing so, we not only found our missing wedding tape, but also videos of hubby and his parents in Laos in 1967. (I had them transferred from Super8 for a Christmas gift years ago.) Doodle loved seeing her daddy running around at her age. Plus, a friend came by with a truck and is taking all the furniture. If the workers were here we'd be in their way trying to load everything up. So it all worked out for the best. The junk is gone with less stress than anticipated, and we still have the entire day to shop for a vanity in spring-like weather. The universe knows how much I can handle better than I, it seems. |
As some of you may or may not remember, in another life I was an insurance adjuster. So naturally, I picked cars as the subject of my Tourn-a-rounds entry. I hope it gets at least 4/5 groans from the Minions.
Grammer n spellon count, so if you find a semicolon out of place, please let me know. And of course I'm always looking to insert another pun or fifty. |
SHERRI GIBSON  is finally out of the hospital! YAY! I miss her bopping around the site spreading cheer, but I hope she can finally get some rest, 'cause a hospital sure ain't the place for the peace and quiet needed for healing. Take your time, girl. Until then, we'll be missing you and wishing you all the best. |
| I’ve forgotten to mention—I got the best holiday gift in the universe, something I’ve been wanting for a while now—my very own sig shop! All proceeds benefit the Rising Stars. I won Sonnetwolf’s package in an auction, so no copyright issues. How cool is that? Some of her images are just stunning, and I’m delighted to be able to show them off. The best part is that I didn’t have to do a bit of work! So check it out and give me some feedback if you get a chance. Click me! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| The cable has been down since yesterday, so I'm using my husband's work laptop. The keys are too dang small. Anyway, I was hoping to do some reviewing today but that's okay. Maybe I can get a bunch of stuff packed and cleaned for the move. I have been so blessed lately! amaris put me on her Season of Giving wishlist, and Tigger thinks of Prancer  , through "Send a Smile"gave me a pretty yellow ribbon for my "desserts" folder, and a merit badge for variety! How awesome is that?windac, who shall forever be named "The Bee's Knees" sent me a package from the site store. It was so exciting opening a package, not knowing who it was from! And Cemetarykat says,Bring it on! gave me an angel merit badge for no apparent reason, since all I gave her was a review. This is such an incredible site. You are all fabulous creatures who keep me sane! |
| Last weekend we finally got into Gertrudes. Everytime we had stopped by previously it was closed or there was a private function. It is a popular place, and after eating there, I can see why. First of all the ambiance is lovely. I'd call it modern chic--dark and light woods, lots of curving lines. It isn't stuffy in the least, but comfortable. We went at night, so the second thing I noticed was the ceiling. We got to sit near the lighted constellations. Doodle thought that was the coolest thing ever. The service was fast--we got our drinks in two minutes. I order the "Mango Madness", thinking it would be a wimpy 9 dollar frosty-fruity. Instead, the mango was the underlying flavor--the rest was alcohol madness. I decided to have a second one. I didn't like that salads were ala carte instead of included with dinner, but I ordered one as an appetizer. It was decent--not the freshest, but similar to Earthbound Farms organic, with a nice mix of greens. The waitress brough Doodle's food out first--smart woman. I tried the kids' chicken fingers with french fries; the chicken was juicy, the fries were flavorful. Probably frozen, but it wasn't evident. So far, so good. My husband ordered the crab soup. Now, we're in Baltimore, so we expected an excellent crab soup--Balmer is famous for fresh seafood. Here is where John Shield's interpretation of Mid-Atlantic cuisine went south. Or north. Or anywhere but in Baltimore. While there were nice chunks of backfin, the sauce itself left a lot to be desired. It had no flavor. I didn't taste any sherry, and to me, that gives the soup a sweet finish. This tasted like a bowl of half-n-half. Not impressed. Thankfully, the second Mango drink was kicking in, and we were having a fine time. I think the other patrons probably wanted us to just shut up and eat. So we did. Silence for a full ten minutes after we got our entrees. I had chicken with peanut aioli sauce. Scrumptious! The chicken melted in my mouth; and the sauce was not oily as you'd expect with aioli, but delicate. Underneath the peanut there was a lovely cilantro flavor. I had a hard time choosing the entree because so many of the dishes contained lemongrass, cilantro, and peanut. I do so love Asian fusion. Our friend, B, had the gumbo. I don't like gumbo, but I tasted the sauce, and it held a nice balance of spices. Normally the seafood flavor is overwhelming for me, so I was impressed. I forgot what my husband had; I was drunk. But he said it was good, and my man knows food.Anyway, I can't wait to go there again, but it must wait until next year. It was a bit on the expensive side, but worth it for the quality of food. http://www.johnshields.com/restaurant/rest/gertrudes.html |
from everyday blessings! "Invalid Item"  came out of nowhere, and begged to be written. So I played with it and edited it, and I was pretty proud that it vaguely resembled what I had in mind; it's always a miracle when I get the words from the noggin to the page.But then--I won the Quotation Inspiration Contest for November. Color me delighted, shocked, and humbled. That's a hundred smackers to spend at Amazon! I mean, I could buy Christmas presents, but I deserve books on how to be a better writer. I can finally say I've "earned" something from my writing. Won/earned--same thing.  My husband said it is almost worth all the aggravation of "just a minute, gotta finish this paragraph". He sees that writing can be profitable as well as fulfiling. Whether it will be is another story, but I'm encouraged. |
| I had a fabulous Samhain, hope everyone got enough treats and no tricks! As usual, we had less than 20 kids. That's the beauty of a cul-de-sac. I chatted with the neighbors as Doodle made the rounds in her Tinkerbelle costume, her wings blinking as she flew through their yards. Cute as a button! But no--that wasn't enough. She wanted to go on the main street--where the action is, where the "big kids" were. So Daddy took her out again. Gotta say, this living in the city is great for kids during Halloween, not so great for my thighs. It was a fab day. I'm most excited about our basement--we now have a French drain and a sump pump! That means no more water seeping into new carpet; no more fresh mold spores; no more soggy scrapbook paper. By spring I hope to have a place for Doodle to play and a place for Mommy to play. But wait--there's more! We found a handyman who will put a deck across the back of the house for less than 1/2 Home Despot's estimate. There are no guarantees included, but I know where he lives... Do you know what this means? Hubbie says not to get my hopes up, but then he shouldn't have suggested it, eh? Can you say "hot tub"? I knew you could. Needed for medical reasons, of course--my chiropractor is 30 miles away.  If he gets a flatscreen TV, I get a hottub. That's the dealio.It takes my husband forever to make a decision, but once he does, it all falls into place. I've waited 8 years to fix up this house, and I'm going to do it right. We'll be broke, but who cares? What good is money in the bank if you have to live cramped up in a teeny house? I also won my first 50K awardicon in the Pagan Writer's Circle contest for "Harvest". It helps that only Dragonblue and I even entered, but still, I'm proud of both of us. Mainly I'm proud that I finished something for a change! I look back to last year at this time and my harvest couldn't be better. When I came to this site I was very ill. I lacked confidence in my writing skills and had no outlet for my creativity or my angst. And now--let's just say I've re-discovered myself, and I'm harvesting the fruits of my new attitude. An attitude of gratitude, and an opening to change. There is a Chinese saying used a lot in Feng Shui: "If you want to change your life, move 27 things in your house." It helps move the chi. Now ain't I the poster child for that concept? |
Yes, there are typos. No, the characters are not vivid. I ran out of time and chopped 700 words to make the count. I will edit it this weekend and add stuff back for the Quotation Inspiration contest.
|
| Okay, just one more and I'll stop playing around with pictures. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| While the bride was featured in most of the photos, these two were the second most popular catch of the cameras. I don't understand not wanting children at a wedding--babies I can understand--but little kids are absolutely the life of any event. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I'm writing today. (Big flipping whoopie, girl--this is a writing site.) Yeah, I know that. But I haven't been writing. No journal, no blog, few reviews and e-mails, and zero actual "working on projects". I don't even have a silly poem with which to play. I was dialed into domesticity for a while--dolls, dishes, and dollars. I've got a handle on my housewife persona, so I felt the urge to call the fiction hotline for some hard, hot fantasy. Check out this month's
I'm inspired to write something--anything! It isn't hard or hot--it's my normal attempt at uplifting humanity through maudlin nature worship--but it has a beginning, middle, and end. And I will finish it. And I'll even have the courage to let you pick it apart. Productivity, thy name is "contest". Common sense, right? You think; therefore you write. Right. You'd think so. But common sense is neither. It is more like "rare sensibility". We learn through filtering our physical sensations through the scientific method. When we see a pattern, we start putting together a picture. While this is common in the animal kingdom, we are the rare species who can multiply hundreds of variables in our brains to derive an answer. It is actually hard work, this "thinking" thing. We have the fasted CPU of the animal world--and it still takes us years to figure out something basic, like: "just do it." Maybe to Nature we're all idiot savants. That idea would explain 9/10ths of my writing. {duh.} |
| The wedding was an incredible success! Our camera died, but I'll post pix as soon as possible. I apologize for inadvertently lying to ya'll. I'm off to the beach for a week, but I'll try to catch up on reading blogs and I'll definitely work on the Rising Star reviews. Have a great weekend, everyone! |
| I'm off to the hotel for my niece's Big Day. I'm manied, pedied, coiffed, and bejeweled. I'll update with pix on Sunday if I'm not hungover or otherwise incapacitated. Have a smashing weekend! |
| I'm off to New York City for my niece's bachelorette party. None of us are big drinkers, so we'll be eating and shopping. On Sunday night we'll be in Atlantic City! I despise gambling, so I hope the rain comes and goes so I can get some beach time. If not, there's always writing and reading! On another note, I'm sponsoring my first Rising Star. Please visit D.L. Robinson  's port, and review an item if you are able. She's a talented author!I'll be back Tuesday to let you know how it went. Have a fab weekend, everyone! |
 Log in to Leave Feedback |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
Not much help, I know. If I am stuck in one of them where I don't really know anyone very well, I lurk toward the back of the group. *sigh* If you figure out the big secret, let me know!
