sofido

2007-08-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, I headed over to VVC, with Alex in tow, to get my transcripts only to find the line wrapped around the building in triple-digit weather. Yeah…Nope, I don’t think so. Instead, we made our way down to lower campus and hung out with Kristy in the writing center until Mary's physical therapy appointment was over. I left my mark on the white board: "Sonya was here (I thought the meeting was on Monday)." Part of the plan to crash to meeting on Wednesday, hoping it was enough of a hint.

Alex went to another friend's house that night, so Mary and I dropped her off, then went back to Mary's to watch movies.

At midnight I got a phone call from Alex asking me to come get her. I knew her friend had changed for the worse since we moved and insisted that they have their sleepover at her grandparents' home. I was reassured that it would only be her and her mom at home so I allowed itbut told Alex if she felt uncomfortable in any way to call me no matter what time it was, and I would go get her. As it turns out, another friend came over, the two friends started fighting and Alex didn't like it. After I picked her up, Alex informed me that on top of that, the hosting friend’s boyfriend was there and…well…yeah, you get the picture. So, that didn't go well, and as proud as I was for my daughter’s responsible actions, I felt bad that her plans didn’t go better than she hoped for.

Tuesday we went to the mall so Mary and I could have pictures done together, then we met my adopted daughter and her family for lunch at Chili's. It was good to see them. Alex wasn't feeling well, so we went "home" to find out she was running a low-grade fever. I drugged her up, and put her to bed. Since we really couldn't go anywhere with Alex's minor ailment, we decided to be vegetables in front of the boob tube.

Part Three

2007-08-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

After another night bunking at T's, we got on the road to start our weekend in Victorville. We spent our first night, Saturday, with Mary's boyfriend, Blue, since Mary had to work that night. Sunday, Alex spent the day with a friend while I went to a Star Wars movie party with a few friends from the writing center, where I conveniently found out there would be writing center meeting while I was in town. There’s nothing like English nerd commentators during Star Wars! Incidentally, hero or not, Luke Skywalker is a whiny little brat who wasn’t disciplined enough as a child. Man, does he do a lot of complaining in Episodes four and five. First he’s angry that he didn’t get to know his father, and then he’s angry when he finds out who his father really is. And then there's that Skywalker-Solo-Leia triangle-thing going on. Dude! She’s your sister! Get over it! Shouldn’t the all-knowing Force he taps into give him some hint that his feelings for Leia are somehow…oh, I don’t know…wrong? (Stepping down now).

Part Two

2007-08-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Heavenly and I got to Mandalay Bay, picked up our tickets and while we were in line at Will Call, we looked out and could see the guys sound-checking. Unfortunately, I didn't have the digital camera to get a good picture.

Before leaving Memphis, I called to find out if cameras were allowed inside the venue and was told by some noob that only disposables were allowed in. Great! I bought one and was ready. When we finally got into the venue - the beach area - I discovered that many people had their digitals. Enfuriated, it was then that I realized I could have had better pictures of the concert if I had just risked bringing the digital camera instead of the disposal piece of sh** I had. Vegas wasn't as hot this time, but mostly due to the stormy weather, which nearly ruined what ended up being good times.

The top of the stage has a signal light. Green lights, it was all good and we could go into the water surrounding the stage; yellow lights, we couldn't go in the water because getting struck by lighting was a big risk, but the show would go on; and red lights, we were basically S.O.L., but got a refund for our tickets. Yeah...we all looking forward to that refund. What were the event staff thinking?

We were ecstatic to see green lights upon entering, but after Alex took a short dip in the deeper part of the pool, the lights went yellow and we were ordered out of the water. Many downhearted fans slogged our way out of the pool and up onto the "beach" area, waiting anxiously for green lights as we watched the clouds overhead dissipate. For a while it was like playing Red Light, Green Light. The boys were due to start at 9 p.m., but the minutes ticked by, passing the scheduled start time. They must love us as much as we love them; they seemed to be holding the show for green lights...and their own safety, I'm sure. Around 9:15, it was a go and a herd of fans stampeded back into the water. I took Alex's hand and dragged her to the front where I was right below Roland Orzabal's side of the stage. Everything went smoothly; green lights throughout the show, and a few smiles from Roland, made us completely forget the stress of just getting to Vegas. It was the "Closest Thing to Heaven." Alex had a blast and commented that it wasn't what she expected. She thought it would be boring because “they’re older.” Boy, did she get a rude awakening! Her favorite parts were the beginning -- they opened with "Mad World," which included an orchestral intro before Curt Smith took the stage to finish singing the song, followed by Roland -- and the encore -- "Woman in Chains" and "Shout" -- which is when it started to rain and made the evening seem even more perfect. One of Curt's daughter's came out to sing Shout with everyone, and that was awesome for Alex to see. When the show ended, we drove up and down the strip so Alex could see it lit up: her favorite is the Luxor. Should I be concerned? Then, we ended our perfect evening with a 1:30 a.m. breakfast at Denny's.

2007-08-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Part One
I topped off a long and virtually-but-not-quite-stress-free summer with a trip to Vegas and California. Around May, the month of my birthday, I found out that Tears for Fears would be performing at a handful of gigs between late June and late July. So for my birthday, I talked my parents and Michael into getting me tickets to the Vegas show. Before that, Alex, my 15-year-old, wanted to take a trip back to California to visit with the friends she left behind; except she wanted to go in June, and since I wouldn’t let her travel that far alone - being the paranoid parent that I am - I told her the only way she could go was if she went at the end of July with me because I refused to make two trips back to the High Desert. I left the desert for a reason. While in California, we were also supposed to go to San Diego and visit with some friends there.

One of my best friends, Mary, was supposed to attend the concert with me, but for personal reasons, was unable to make it. Since I’d previously taken my two oldest daughters to see TFF, I thought, since Mary couldn’t make it, that it might be fun to take Alex to her first concert. Fantastic! We planned our trip, flying into Vegas the night before the show, staying a couple of nights with another one of my long-time best friends, Tina, then heading to the High Desert in sunny Southern California. But to get there, we had to fly, and to fly cheap, we had flew standby.

It’s great that we can fly for free through Michael’s benefit package at Pinnacle Airline. Yay, right? Not so much. The downside is that we have to fly standby and we have to fly via Pinnacle or Northwest. So there’s this nifty little airfare called ZED Fare or Flat fare that allows us to fly standby using any carrier – for a nominal fee. So, if you’re current on your airline news, you know that Northwest Airline is having issues. One of the bigger one's being a lack of crew members to fly the planes. This has resulted in numerous cancelled flights. On top of that, current crew members have “phoned in sick” (yeah, right), resulting in even more cancelled flights. Paying passengers on those cancelled flights are rerouted to other carriers and generally take priority over regular standby passengers like myself. This is where my adventures began -- and ended.

I usually get a little nervous before flying, but I’ve never had the experience I had on 26 July. I’m convinced it was an anxiety attack of some form. Before we left, a couple of things were brought to our attention. First, there was the guy in Seattle who missed his flight to Memphis and made a bomb threat. Yep! He was flying Northwest. I didn't worry too much about that; he was angry and said something stupid in front of TSA and now he'll probably go to jail. However, what did have a direct effect on us was the lack of pilots Northwest currently has to fly the planes. I didn't think we'd get a flight out, let alone together. I worried myself into an anxiety attack the likes of which I've never had before and ran to the bathroom across from our terminal where the contents of what I’d recently eaten came back to haunt me.

I'm convinced it was Michael's presence (he can get past security with his badges) in his Pinnacle work shirt that got our seats...together in fact...and we made it to Vegas, got our rental car, and headed to Tina's. We got lost a block away from her apartment, and she had to come rescue us. While I didn't get much sleep that night, my nerves had time to settle before the next evening's concert festivities...

I'm it!

2007-07-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

The way I see it, Sofido does count as three people because I feel like being the devil.

I've been tagged by J. Rhodes.

The rules:
Players offer eight random habits/facts about themselves.
If you're tagged, you need to write your own blog about your eight things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to tag and list their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My Random Stuff:
I can curl my tongue.
I can tie a knot in my hair using only my thumb, index, and “the bad finger” of one hand.
I have three tattoos – five if you count each fish as separate tattoos, but that’s splitting hairs.
My drunk and drugged-out uncle pierced my ears when I was seven with a frozen bar of soap and a sewing needle.
I am incapable of driving a stick-shift – several people have tried to teach me and I just don’t get it. The idea that if a person has rhythm, s/he can drive a vehicle with a manual transmission is inaccurate.
I avidly play World of Warcraft and have a level 70 Night Elf Feral Druid named Badra on the Ravencrest server.
I had a painting in the Del Mar Fair when I was in high school that my teacher put a price on and tried to sell without my acknowledgement.
I’m a 35-year-old Gramms to two beautiful baby girls.

People I'm tagging:
Freddie
Donna
James
Mary
Jennifer
Cathy
Patty
Kristy

It is what it is...that is all

2007-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a wintery person, really. Summer disagrees with me on so many levels. While the humidity of the South is better for my hair (it's much curlier) and my skin (it's less dry), it brings out some rather nasty little vampiric creatures that flock to make a feast of me in under three seconds. Michael's answer to this is,"You're just a sweet person." Yeah, I'd like to know what he's been smoking.

Until our most recent rains, the mosquitos left me alone. I thought, Awesome, no bug bites, I'll just step outside and hang with my daddy while he BBQs burgers. Hmmm...no such luck. Mother Nature had other plans for me. I walked out, sat down, starting slapping at those little buggers, and high-tailed right back inside. I'm not sure my dad quite knew what to think. My mother was a little disheartened that I didn't stay out, but she tends to get like that when she doesn't get her way.

We took the kiddies to see HP5 yesterday after Michael, my dad, and my brother returned from letting a little white ball hamper what could have a been a morning better spent doing something else. Or, as Mark Twain supposedly put it: "Golf is a good walk spoiled." But did he really say that?

Anyhoo...I enjoyed the movie; I thought they did a pretty good job sticking to the storyline, considering. I've been informed by my 15-year-old, however, that she no longer wishes to marry Daniel Radcliffe as he's dropped out of school. She's moved on to Rupert, having lost all repect for that Potter kid. Oh, and she didn't like the movie that much for two reasons: 1. she read the book first, and 2. the people who sat behind her were rude, kicking her seat, whispering, crinkling their popcorn bag to much, and ruined it for her. She's willing to give it a second chance, though, when my sister-in-law drags her out to see it again. Little Miss Thang will hardly be kicking and screaming.

After the movie, my brother and his wife took all the kids swimming at the Y. Following that was the cookout where I became dinner for the mosquitos.

Next weekend will be busy as I have testing for four of the five state jobs I applied for, two of which are Parole Officer and Correctional Counselor. After that, I prepare for my trip back to Cali. Well, Vegas anyway, where I'll spend an evening with Tears For Fears. Then, I should be off to Victorville, visiting friends and tying up some lose ends. VVC makes getting transcripts a pain in the arse. I have to be back in time to start Miss Thang's soccer season off with a mandatory orientation meeting for all the parents. Yep, mandatory...I laughed too.

Ahem...On a more serious note, I've decided that I'm not ready to take the GRE, but I can't sit around waiting to be ready, so I start classes at the University of Phoenix in August. I'll now be getting my Master's in English Language Arts Secondary Curriculum, or something like that. It's a long name that I don't intend to memorize any time soon, but it helps me get a job teaching high school. Next year, I'll be better prepared to interview for a teaching position in one of the high schools for Memphis City Schools. In the meantime, I also need to take the Praxis exam, apply for the Title II teaching certificate, and apply to start subbing for my daughter's high school if the state jobs don't pan out, or to set up times to volunteer in her English class. Ooooh, she hates me for that one. Awesome!That's about the gist of my adventures at this point. Miss you all!

YAY IM BACK

2007-07-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

hey guys...Ive missed you. I couldn't get on for ages. Back in January when they changed the google account thing, I just couldn't log on so I kinda gave up. So happy to be on line again ... so much going on. Right now Im teaching summer school at the palm desert campus...Shakespeare 475 and English 306. Its so amazing but kinda nerve wracking. As for the rest of my life, after August, I have no idea what is gonna happen. Ive put in a few applications here and there but nothing yet. Its scary.

My thesis is written and JR signed off. Now I'm trying to locate the other reader... she has gone awol. It makes me a little nervous as first format review deadline looms. That whole thesis thing? I think I would have taken the exam if I had known what a pain in the arse it was gonna be...actually its pretty satisfying once its done, but I sweated buckets and my fickle boyfriend had an excuse to be even more fickle as I stayed up til the wee hours of the morning battling the Habermas/Foucault debate.

Had a really cool June. I went up to Idaho to direct a production of "the Who's Tommy" It was possibly the most fabulous experience, Ive ever had. I worked with a bunch of high schoolers and college students. We had a rockin' band and the singers were awesome. We also pretty much had a packed house every nite.

Well that's it for now
I'll be back
Fi

Sexy Drood...

2007-06-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

In my currently unmotivated life, dealing with kids who always seem to be ill these days, I escape to the World of Warcraft where I have leveled my Night Elf Druid, Badra, to 70 in The Burning Crusade (BC). I also have a flying mount and can shape shift into flight form -- perks of the expansion. Now if I could just earn the 5000 gold to get my epic flight skill, I could not only get an epic flying mount, but I could also begin my quest for the druid epic flight form. You have to love Blizzard: they frown on people (and even ban those who are caught) who spend their hard-earned cash to buy gold while simultaneously promoting it by over-pricing some game skills.

Whereas I was once one of the awesome healers for our guild, Paradox, shortly after the release of BC, I respecced Feral to do some serious ass-kicking. After finding out that there are end-game dungeons that require a feral druid to tank, I decided that I would be one of two druids in the guild to remain feral. I also have pretty awesome damage per second (DPS) in cat form. Some healers, who let my health drop below 40-50%, struggle to get me back up to full health. This is good because it means I have A LOT of hit points. It's bad because, if they can't get my health back up to at least 80%, I die...and that can easily become a 10 gold repair bill.

Another change came when guild drama got out of hand in February. I swear sometimes passions run higher than in, say, Passions. At any rate, devoted Paradoxians, like myself, moved the guild from the Perenolde server to Ravencrest and made a new home. Ravencrest is also a lot less populated and makes for smoother gameplay.

While it is highly addictive, World of Warcraft has served as a relaxing escape from life's realities lately.

I don't regret moving to Memphis; I'm near my family and my husband is closer to his, but the new climate is taking it's toll on the health of our kids. Damian, poor little man, is already allergic to just about everything in nature. He's had tonsillitis three times in about two months. Alexandra is also sick again. Gabrielle had her battle with tonsillitis as well, and is starting to get congested again. I would probably handle it better if health insurance had kicked in when we were originally told it would. Previous experience taught me that most company insurances start after the ninety day probation period; if you're lucky, it starts up right away. It was a rude awakening to find out that our insurance wouldn't start until the first day of the month following the end of the ninety day probation. Yay, right? Because my husband didn't officially get hired until Feb. 3. If he'd been hired at the end of January, we wouldn't have had to wait nearly an entire extra month for insurance. Needless to say, we've had to pay out of pocket for our kids to see a doctor and get necessary meds.

That, in itself, is enough to drive any normal person insane. But for someone like me, who is already paranoid, neurotic, and anxious, imagine the impact this has had. I'm positive that my hair is grayer in the few months we've been here than in the years it took to get the few white wires I had before. But I wouldn't know for sure because I try to keep my mousy brown covered in more interesting reds. At any rate, getting my kids adjusted to Memphis climate and culture, both physically and emotionally, put a pause on my own goals, which are also changing. Reading the most recent National Geographic article "The Big Thaw" doesn't help matters much.

I completely believe in reincarnation, but this starting over business is the pits.

What did I get myself into?

I'M A GRAMMS!!!

2007-04-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Meet my new granddaughter, Kayleigh Marie! She came into the world on 12 April, at 7:52 a.m., kicking, screaming, and grabbing for whatever was available. She was eight pounds even and 20 inches long. She and her momma are doing fantastic and are home getting to know each other.

I only had a few minutes with her before they took her back to the nursery for her first bath. We had to get back to Memphis after Michael was notified of an emergency situation at work.

Proud Gramms!

Where have we been?

2007-04-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

I've been letting circumstances dictate the outcome of my situation, rather than taking initiative and getting things done myself.

It's not a perm; they're all natural: a little mousse,
scrunching under the hair dryer...humidity...and "Voila!" My new 'do. I got tired of blow drying it straight, only to have the moisture in the air bring out a curl or wave that turned the wrong way, so I went back to a simpler style. And I needed a change.

No luck in finding a house yet. I am just so picky, and I don't want to settle, but I may have to. We may rent a house till we find one to buy. There's a cute four-bedroom around the corner that we applied for. The owners said if we wanted to repaint in "[our] colors" then they'll buy the paint and we do the work. Not so bad. It has a nice back yard with a tree and a place to plant another one. Flower beds in front that need to be mulched and possibly replanted. No problem. We're just waiting to hear back and see if they picked us. To be honest, I won't be heartbroken if they choose another family. I don't know where we'd put everything.

Preparing for that damn GRE is slow-going as well. I need to get my bum in gear and get my education back on track.

I'm just trying to get used to the slow pace of everything around here...except the weather. Last night's thunderstorm moved in and out pretty fast, but the lighthing lingered, so we kept the computers shut down and sat up the the kids for a while. Gabby is afraid of thunder and lightning. I can't hold it against her since I was afraid of loud noises as a child, and still sometimes get jumpy. This morning, except the much cooler temperatures, the storm that went through was hardly noticeable.

Aside from all the boring news, we're waiting for the phone call from our oldest daughter, letting us know it's time to get on the road and head to Nashville. She's scheduled for a C-section on the 12th, but she's already have small contractions. If I were a betting person, I'd say we're going to have an Easter granddaughter.

Her birth will take our minds off the news that one of our cats we left behind walked a little too close to the edge and was killed by the neighbor's dogs. Puck always did have one paw in the his grave between fighting off other cats and chasing big dogs out of the yard. The other cat isn't doing well, and we may have to go get her.

That being said, life is what it is, and I'm struggling to regain some control over mine without disappointing my loved ones.

Happy Spring! There really is such a season in existence. Who knew? I hope you have a Happy Easter!

The Atlantic Ocean and a beach in Fernardina, Florida.

2007-02-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

Do, I'm sorry to hear your students are driving you crazy. I think it's in the water, or the air. It's also too bad you had to drop a class and I hope you don't have to take the F.

It sounds like you had a blast of time in Vegas. How exciting that everything went according to plan. I hope you have fun in Rome. Take some pics and post them when you get back.

Fi, the south is...well...wet at the moment. It's been raining since yesterday, but I'm actually okie-dokie with that. But, I do miss that creosote scent. Here the air smells fresh and clean when it rains, which isn't a bad thing, but it's not the same as that tangy aroma I’m used to. It’s warmer today than it has been, but I rather like the cold better.

We’ve been house-hunting, and looked at one down the street from my folks. We heard a rumor it’s a former crack house – oh joy! It’s so not worth the asking price, in spite of the new carpet, new paint, and bonus room. There’s a gigantic hole in the back yard that was once a pool; it’ll need to be filled in. The deck would have to be torn down, as well as the inner privacy fence. It needs a new stove, the plumbing needs to be unclogged from what I understand, and it’s just plain filthy – and not just from former residents, but from the guys who installed the carpeting and repainted. It’s just icky, and I don’t necessarily mind the work (I’d have help from my family), but the government would have to come down on the price, even with the VA loan and zero down. We’re interested in another house that’s one street over, and while it needs some work, we’re hoping not as much. I’m just waiting on a phone call from the realtor telling us when we can go take a peek. It also has more rooms than the “crack house.”

It’s good that you’re making progress on your thesis. All I’ve done is put some thought into what I might want to do. I’m seriously thinking of continuing with my tattoo project. I don’t know yet though. I am planning to finish my MA, but it’s a matter of time. I have to take the GRE, appeal for residency, get all my stuff transferred, reorder my transcripts, etc., etc. But, it may have to wait a bit longer.

I’m taking a break from the stressors of life and going to see my sister in Florida next week. I’ll be helping to get her new computer up and running (with Michael walking me through certain steps via the telephone), and I may get to see the tattoo for my back. The guy who did my first tattoo said he’s pretty much finished with the design, and he’s going to try to meet me somewhere between Orlando and my sister’s house so I can see it – and of course visit with him and his wife, who are both really good friends of mine.

I hope you both have a wonderful week…stay in touch.

So

I'm here!

2007-02-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies! I'm afraid I have been lax as well. This last moth has just been wicked. My students are driving me crazy! It has been so physically and mentally exhausting. I registered and went to class ( 650 -Carlson/Aesthetics 18thC America), but decided too late to drop. So now I guess I'll have to take an F. I need to email Prof. Pigeon.

On the other hand, some other reasons I've not been able to focus on class- Superbowl weekend we went to Vegas. My daughter and her bf were celebrating his 30th bd (you remember, she planned this surprise party for him, he surprised her with a proposal). The entire weekend went perfectly! They checked in at the Paris and without her knowing, Gabe upgraded to a suite. They went to dinner and a show(Fri.evening), then back to the hotel to change. When they got there, he had arranged for the hotel to have a dozen red roses, chocolate covered strawberries and champagne waiting. He proposed and of course she accepted. She was completely surprised.

On Saturday, we all got to his uncle's house (about 30 people, his family and us) around 5pm. Gabe and CHris arrived at 6 in a limo she rented. He thought they were to meet just me, Vinnie, Michael and Annie, his mom and grandma for dinner. Instead, we were all outside when they pulled up. He was totally surprised! He announced their engagement to everyone as well (Chris called us right after he asked her, so we knew. His mom and stepmom knew he was going to propose, but not when. We didn't tell lol). On top of all this, everyone won in the casinos!

Now I have to start packing. I leave for Boston Thursday night (red eye), then Chris and I fly to Rome on Friday. We're spending the week in Rome, sightseeing, shopping (wedding gowns, baby clothes to start with), carousing around. Her college roommate is flying down on Wednesday from Germany to visit with us for a couple of days as well, so we'll be three wild women on the loose!

The baby clothes are for Michael and Annie's baby. Yes, me the grandmother oy vay! The ultrasound pictures told us it's a boy. He's going to be the best dressed baby west of the Mississippi!

Well, I guess I've made up for not posting in awhile lol. I definitely want to keep up the dialogue! Weasley found a friend, next time I'll post his pic. I hope your back is better Fi, I can definitely empathize (car accident - dislodged lumbar discs). And I definitely want to hear about your thesis journey. So, what are you planning to do about finishing your MA? There are just too many unresolved conflicts in this story for it to end!!

Ciao donne belle!

Do

Are we still doing this?

2007-02-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hey kidlets...are we still blogging? Ive been lax I admit...but my thesis keeps me up at nights...its worse than going to bed watching Dracula flicks.
How's the south lately, So. I miss yer... I dropped the ghastly poetry class and took Rhode's WPA course instead. Lots of catching up but I feel at home and comfortable. I was never into creative writing. NO...I'm crap at it. Kim Costino wrote to me: "I would rather eat glass than write poetry" I share her sentiments. I am an essayist through and through. Ask me to come up with some poetic metaphor and I'm stumped...it's quite dreadful. I have nightmares about being a hostage and the hijacker saying soemthing like "make up a poem about flowers in springtime and I won't wack your kneecaps." I'd be dead meat...all the other hostages would be busy composing glorious odes and I'd be going "roses are red, violets are blue..." sheesh...enough with the rambling. Hope to see you both online soon......
Fi

"Behold the chariot of the Fairy Queen!"

2007-01-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

We're starting to settle into a routine of sorts, which is comforting on the one hand, and unnerving on the other. Routines become ruts, and I've been stuck in plenty enough to know that they sometimes breed tension and unrest, especially when one person's rut conflicts with another's.

No word back from my husband's supervisor on how his friend reacted to my notes. Either the author of the essays was pleased and needed no more help, or she was so offended, it's best not to tell me. Whatever...

Interesting tidbits last week: my 2-year-old niece fell off the toilet and smacked her ear on the bathtub, busting open the side of it. Luckily, she didn't bust her eardrum. Damian tried to use his pillow as a sled in the kitchen last Friday and smacked his face on the floor, breaking one of his front teeth in half before school.

Last semester, between reading for 609 and 658, I often found myself reading The Odyssey with Alex and helping her understand it. Now we're on to Romeo and Juliet. I'm against 14 and 15-year-olds reading about a "pair of star-cross'd lovers [taking] their life." I was hoping she would get to read about Odysseus again. My favorite part is Mercutio speaking of the fairy queen. Mab is said to come from the Celtic goddess, Medb (a.k.a. Maeve or Maebh), a fertility goddess who was demoted to a mere queen.

Well, I'm off to look online for some houses for sale in the area, then perhaps play some WoW. I hope you're both doing fabulous. Fi, I hope you're feeling better.

Ciao,
So

So, far away....da da da...get it?

2007-01-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

"So, far away. (that would be our "So") Doesnt anybody stay in one place anymore?" la la la. Oh never mind...my feeble attempt at humour is always a little crap. But the crappier the funnier I always say. Here's one. How do you sell a deaf man a rabbit? WANNA BUY A RABBIT? he hee hoho. Anyway...So, its so weird to think of you in Memphis twiddling your thumbs. The Dutch episode was some what funny...for me...I'm sure not for you. I thought you were going to finish your MA there...betta do it.

Let's see, what am I doin' ...Oh yes, Im tits up AGAIN...this time a suspected hearniated disc in my lower back. Im going for an MRI on Sunday...I think its something much less dramatic because when I take lots of drugs the pain goes away!! Ha ha. No really, one trip to the chiropractor would surely heal all...but the doc says 'No!' So, instead Im hobbling around like a granny while all my friends are out geting drunk and dancing on the table while I look on, wearing 'sensible' shoes. sigh.

My thesis beckons...oh dear. Perhaps I'll be one of those folks who takes 2 years to write it...I've actually given myself two quarters. In the meantime, I'm reviewing a hilarious book for the Sun Valley mag. Its called "The Mystery Guest" by Gregoire Bouillier. Its basically all inner dialogue and its great. Young man gets called, unexpectedly, by the woman who dumped him without explanation 5 years before. He thinks she wants a rematch but instead she is merely calling to invite him to a party to be "the mystery guest" for a photographer friend of hers. And that's all I'm going to say about that....

oh by the by...the photo is of me hiking in Hawaii ,before I went 'lame' (as we say in the horse biz)
okeydoke, better go
Fi

2007-01-19T06:56:00.000-08:00

How do you spell relief? Not having to work would be my guess. Or in my case, not being able to find work, which may or may not be considered relieving. In my case, it kind of is, though I'm itching to get back into education, whether it be helping others or continuing my own. Michael (really, he is special) brought not one, but two essays home for me to "correct" two nights ago. He waited till yesterday morning, 10 minutes before he had to leave for work, and asked me if I could "proofread" them real quick. Now, these were not his essays (he doesn't write much) and I didn't get paid for it. It was a favor for his supervisor, and they weren't his supervisor's essays either. No, no...they were essays written by a friend of his supervisor. Oy! I read the first sentence of the first essay, looked at my sweetie pie, and asked, "You need to take these back this morning? And what country is the author from?" I assumed Sweden; I was wrong...he told me yesterday evening that she is Dutch. I spent most of yesterday morning trying to help someone I'd never met, typed an email letting my husband and his supervisor know that I would have felt more comfortable sitting down face to face with the author, but I did what I could to help. The point to all this? I need to start tutoring again, or take a high school teaching position through a fellowship that will place me in a high risk "urban" high school, which Michael and my folks are dead-set against because it's...how'd they put it? Oh, yeah, too risky and dangerous.

So, the kids are settling into their new schools a bit. Did I mention Miss Alexandra's popularity? Within her first week attending a new school, ten classmates, approximately, nominated her for Homecoming queen for basketball. It was all so new to her, she freaked out and turned the nomination down. Poor kid; it was so embarrassing for her...so she said, anyway. I'm sure it boosted her up a little though. This week, her English teacher tried to encourage her to enter a creative writing contest after seeing a sample of her writing. She didn't think she'd do that well because all the other entries dealt with...what did she say? Something about: "they were all dark, and mine was fun and light." I told her that was why she should have entered, but she didn't. Grrr...how to get this girl to have more confidence and not so scared to do things when I can't even do that for myself?

While the kids are settling in, Michael is working on making his job more permanent with Pinnacle Airlines, the WoW expansion was released, and of course, I've been spending some time playing The Burning Crusade. I hear it's been getting some news coverage. Anyone check out Yahoo's article on it yesterday morning? Michael went out at 11:30 the night before to be at the store at midnight to pick up our copies. He's a pain sometimes, but then he does things like that.

My impression of living here so far...most people are nice and hospitable, it's a little slower (but I knew that already), the weather is as freaky here as it is there, I hate the elementary school and bus driver, but I really love being near my family. My baby brother and I are rediscovering the comfort in sibling rivalry...it's so much different when you're adults. Last week he threatened to come home from work and kick my ass when I wouldn't let him talk to Momma. I told him, "Bring it, Meat; let's go." He's such a chicken.

Peace, y'all.

Aloha!

2007-01-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hello from Waikiki! Yes, Vic Oldham and I are are sunning our jammy selves in Hawaii baby... which is an instant cure for the winter blues. Vic is presenting at the arts and Humanities conference here and I simply tagged along for the ride. Way back in Sept when her proposal got accepted she casually mentioned I should come along... little did she know I would take her up on it! And here we are! Here we are at some waterfall or other..sigh. Life is definately looking up this weekend. Juan Columbi and Jan Hudson are also here... as is Holly Henry. We havent seen Jan or Doc Henry but Juan bought two adorable boys with him and we have all been downing fruity drinks in our fave hotspot which is handily located on the second floor of our hotel. Yesterday, Vic went snorkelling...she saw pink stripey fish and octopus. I opted to flop about on the beach and turn my fair brit skin a deep shade of pink...bring on the baby oil!! Brits love to burn the shit out of themselves because we have all grown up so deprived of sunshine. And, even thoough I live in sunny southern cal...I still feel the need to peel at every opportunity!

Anyway, we are coming home tomorrow although we all want to forget school and stay here forever.

I'll post more pictures as I get browner!
Hugs
Fi XXXXXXXXX

2007-01-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Good to see you back, Freddie. We missed you! I'm sorry you had a terrible holiday season. And, yes, I think if the counseling is helping you, then you should continue. I think it's always helpful to have someone on the outside to talk to. Get better soon!

Donna, I had Carlson for Amer. Lit. 1 and Native Amer. Lit. (both the same semester). He's all right. It was the second time I took Amer. Lit. 1, and he made it really interesting because he's really into it (I tolerated it the first time I took it). A good friend of mine took him for the same two classes a few semesters before me and didn't like him, and she and I usually have pretty much the same impression of instructors.

Yeah, the weather has been a little warmer here than normal, but last night it got cold and today is chilly enough to need sweaters and light jackets.

Okay, so, I finally got all three of the kids registered for school, and for the first time in their lives, they have to take a bus. To be completely honest, for the time being, they really don’t have to take the bus, but it’s good that they get used to it because when I start working, they’ll have to. When I registered them, I made it clear to the office personnel, the principal, and their teachers that they needed to sit together on the bus at least until they are familiar with riding a bus, what bus stop to get off at, and perhaps meet some friends who live nearby.

Yesterday was their first day riding the bus, and was apparently traumatic for Gabby. So much so that she begged me, crying, not to make her ride it. When I asked what happened, she said she and her brother were not allowed to sit together and the bus driver was mean to the kids. This morning I spoke with the driver and explained the situation. Her rude reply was that she determines where the kids sit and my kids are old enough to handle the change. What?

It seems that I missed the bulletin about school faculty and staff knowing what the children can handle better than the parents. This especially applies to children who are new to the area. I was not aware of this before this morning. In any case, I pointed out that if my kids came home more upset today than yesterday, I would have no choice but to phone the district. She told me, “Go ahead and do that.” Yeah…see? Now, why would she go and say something like that? It was just the triple dog dare that I needed.

I came home, phoned the school, got the bus coordinator out of a meeting with the principal and proceeded to explain the facts of life. She promised to talk to the driver, who I was informed is not supposed to do that. I also learned that it’s the school’s policy to seat siblings, especially those new to the school, together. This afternoon, Gabby seemed much happier, and although they’re not sitting together on the same seat, they are right across the aisle from each other, which, I suppose, is as good as it’s going to get. Unlike his big sister, Damian is super excited to be riding a bus to and from school and didn’t let the incident bother him too much.

A boy in Damian’s class knew that they were supposed to sit together and when the driver separated them, he firmly told her that they were supposed to sit together because the teacher said so. We found out that he lives across the street, and his mother provides daycare to my niece and nephew. And, as it turns out, what freaked Gabby out was the bus driver yelling at him for persistently arguing the case for my kids. It only added to the anxiety she already felt about making sure to get off at the right bus stop. Did that all make sense? This whole experience with Gabby and Damian starting a new school has been horrific enough to make me wish for their old school.

Maybe now I can concentrate more on securing my own job and getting my own transfer done. I still have to take that stinkin’ GRE. Did I mention that if the tutoring doesn’t workout, I can get a special permit and teach high school English? The catch is that I have to be enrolled in education classes, which could potentially interrupt my getting a Master’s in Composition or my MFA in Creative Writing. If things work out, I'll be going to the University of Memphis.

Hmmm…

I think I’ll sign Damian up for Little League this spring and try to find tennis lessons for Gabby.

So

Welcome back Fi!

2007-01-08T23:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, make yourself a cup of really hot and sweet tea, you'll feel better for sure! As for the difficult holiday, I'm not the one to give advice (since I've been in the same relationship for 37 years now) , but even if you go to counseling yourself, if it helps-do it! What classes are you taking? or are you just doing the thesis work? I need to see Prof. Pigeon and work out this end of the program/thesis thing as well. I hope I can do the praxis in the summer. Do either of you know anything about that? Thank goodness I checked my email before I left for class this afternoon, classes cancelled because of wind! Woohoo! I wasn't ready to start today. Prof. Carlson sent an email, we still have a reading assignment (Part 1 of treatise 1 by Hutcheson). Have either of you taken any classes with him? This will be my first and last.

So, tell me about the left hand not knowing what the right is doing when it comes to transferring schools! Once the kids start back, when and where will you be going? Just where exactly are you living (city, state Tennessee?) At least it won't be quite as hard to adjust, with all the above normal temperatures back east. What was that about no such thing as global warming????

Keep smiling,
Do

I'm BACK!!!

2007-01-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry girls, I have missed you so much. I just got back from the vacation from hell. Russ and I went to Idaho nearly three weeks ago. My laptop charger died and I had to wait til my loans came in to get a new one because I ran out of money doing christmas shopping. I had no internet at home and then I was struck down with the shittiest bout of the flu you can ever imagine. All my bones are aching and I still have to take codiene medicine to make it through the night. Wah wah wah. Worst of all, Russ and I are barely hanging on by a thread...he has pulled the "break up" card at least three times...I have a lot of soul searching to do. Couselling hasn't seemed to help us much, Im hoping it will help me though as I feel I will be doing a lot of it by myself.
All in all, a bad christmas which is a shame because I love the holidays.
Anyway, Im back now and a new quarter is starting today. I have to get my shit together and work some stuff out...but really Im kinda flying blind. Anyway, Im so sorry I havent been posting...I just didnt have the means to.
I'll stay in touch now
Loads of hugs
Freddie

2007-01-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Good evening...how's the weekend going so far? How was the past week?

I spent last week discovering how hard it is to register a child for school in this county and the first thing (and only thing so far) that has made me miss living in sunny So. Cal. When I took my two youngest out of school, I was informed I wouldn't need anything; everything the new school needed could be sent for. NOT! Turns out, I did need that withdrawal slip, and wouldn't you know it! Their school out there is closed until Monday. On top of that, the proof of residency they require is a rental agreement or mortgage papers. What?! Last I knew, two utility bills were enough to prove residency. Since we're staying with my folks for now, not only did they have to request a copy of their rental agreement, but we also had to get a document notarized showing that we do indeed reside here for the time being. I'm ready to throw in the towel and homeschool. Grrr... And, I swear if we move out of this immediate area, I'm not telling the school that we moved. Here's hoping Gabby and Damian can start on Monday. They were upset they couldn't start last week (my kids are such nerds).

Miss Alex, however, was able to start school on Friday because Univeristy Prep was smart enough to give us her withdrawal form. She had a pretty good day. She was taking honors classes there at the very small University Preparatory. She's opted out of one of her honors classes here, which I'm okay with because she kept Honors English. That's my girl! This school is much bigger by comparison (UP was maybe 10 portables for three grades -- 7-9), but I think she'll be all right. When I asked her if she'd made any friends, I was informed that one "does not make friends on the first day." Apparently, I was not aware of this. Leave it to your teenagers to make you feel old; ya gotta love 'em though.

So I've lived in the same town as one of my best friends from high school for all of two weeks and still haven't arranged to see her. We've been in touch, but things just haven't worked out for us to grab lunch or coffee, or just hang out somewhere. Maybe I'll try for tomorrow.

I'm glad the link for the Chinese New Year was useful. And, yes, where has Freddie been lately?

I hope the new year is going well for you both. Later.

So

Happy New Year!!!!

2007-01-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year ladies! We spent a quiet evening home. Our daughter called just after 9pm (midnight on the east coast) and by the time it turned midnight here, we were both tired and really aggravated by the lack of live coverage for the west coast new year (CNN checked out at 10pm pacific time). A few years ago, the tv channels covered the Seattle, San Francisco, and Las Vegas celebrations, but no more. My daughter and I have started a Google document file
Basically, it is a word document that we can both revise. It's a list of what we want to do and see in Rome next month. We can actually both edit at the same time, or I can download the file and work on it off line, then just upload it again. Very cool. Well, after getting up with Vinnie at 4:30am! (he had a 6:50am flight to Austin Texas for business), I couldn't fall back asleep. Now I'm RRREEEAAALLLYYYYY tired and I should be grading essays-not gonna happen. Thank you for that link to the Chinese New Year site So, my best friend teacher is Chinese-American and every year I try to do something for him on the holiday. My birthday is in the year of the Dragon. Where oh where is Fi????

Ciao,
Do

HAPPY 2007

2007-01-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, chickies. The parade was...well...flowery. U of M's marching lines were a little bowed, but USC's were crooked too. Hopefully they'll look better during halftime. My favorite float: the fire-breathing dragons by Honda. My favorite attractions: Rocket Man and Medieval Times.

We'll probably have a houseful again, just with the five of us, my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, and their three rugrats (my parents live in a small house). The black-eyed peas are on, and dinner will be delicious. I plan to enjoy every bit of it because tomorrow I get to start eating healthy again.

I hope you both had a fun New Year's eve and made good resolutions. May the Year of the Pig (which starts Feb. 18th) be good to you. Take care.

So

Oof...is it almost the New Year already?

2006-12-29T19:40:00.000-08:00

Wow...time really flies when you're bogged down with life, right? Christmas was a good day. I got more than I bargained for, but none of it compared to just being home. It took a long time for Michael to grasp that notion, and he was often bothered when I said, "I want to go home." But no matter where I make my home with my own family, my folks' house will always be home.

My aunt who I haven't seen since my grandmother's funeral (12 years ago) came down from Paris, TN with a friend; my uncle (fabulous cook that he is) came up from Nesbit, MS. And my brother and his family were here. It was nice, but we missed my other aunt and uncle. We had a ton of food and three pies: pumpkin, chocolate, and pecan (I finished off the last piece of the pecan a couple of nights ago). I hope, after the New Year, that I can get back on my regular diet and start belly dancing again soon. My jeans are getting a little snug.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to muster up the energy to take Alex shopping and let her spend her gift card. I also need to find a place that does glitter tips so that I can get my nails done. I'm not sure how popular they are here.

The kids are supposed to start their new schools on Wednesday. Alex is excited, curious, but she says not so nervous. I don't know about the other two, but I think they're in for culture shock. The first being that the classrooms are all indoors.

My brother and his family moved into Shelby county from Atoka and my sister-in-law was shocked to learn that the kids return to the drudgery of learning on the 3rd rather than the 8th (earlier than Atoka schools). You gotta love her though. Anyway, I think I'm more nervous about the kiddies starting new schools than they are.

I have no plans for New Year's Eve, except to sit and relax at home, watching the annual parties on TV and hoping that there are some decent bands playing, toasting 2007 with the family, then sleeping till it's time for the Rose Bowl (GO BLUE!), ham, kraut (for prosperity), cornbread, fried potatoes, and black-eyed peas (for luck).

I hope you both had a wonderful Christmas, and that you have a good time ringing in the New Year. Miss you.

Christmas Day

2006-12-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas chicklets! Hope your holiday was filled with love and happiness. Since this was our first Christmas without children, it was a lot quieter and a lot less stressful. We're enjoying it even though we miss having the kids here. We saw and talked to them both this morning via iSight, the wonders of technology! lol.

So far this break I've not opened a book (for the Aesthetics class next quarter), or graded one paper (my students). This week I plan to finish my second arcade and lesson plans for the rest of this trimester for my classes. But then again, I did get a gift certificate to the Spa in the Mission Inn, so I'll definitely be there for a facial and massage.

Til next time, Do

Hey So!

2006-12-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

I'm very glad to hear you made it safe and sound. From your post, it sounds like you had an enjoyable adventure! I have been shopping and shipping, but I have to admit, now that the kids gifts are sent, I really feel so much less stress than I usually do at this time of year. I keep telling myself it's ok, because next year both of them are planning on being here for Christmas, with fiancees, spouses and baby (in some combination of those titles lol). Ah well, as I've been shopping, I've been looking at the baby stuff. What I have bought are the beginning of the baby's library. Borders had Dr. Seuss, buy 2 get a third one free. How could I pass that up?! I bought 6, and will probably go back to get a few more. This child will have a bookcase of books before it's born! lol.

Right now I'm watching the movie "The Sicilian". The story is about Salvatore Giuliano, a second cousin of my husband's father. It really gives you a sense of the relationship between the Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian people and the government in the 1940's-50's. It can be a bit dry at times, but a lot of the story is true. He was called the Robinhood of Sicily. He actually wanted Sicily to become a state of the U.S.!! There were a couple of articles on him in Life magazine in the '50's before he was murdered by the polizia.

Well, I'm off to work on my second arcade project. Did you check out the link I sent you on tatoos? Your project turned out really well. I keep thinking of other things to add to the one from class, but I'm really getting into the second one I'm doing. Next week I'm doing lesson planning, and I definitely am going to have my GATE students set up group blogs and work on arcade projects, I just have to work out the details.

Have a great holiday! I wonder what Freddie is up to????

Do

I'm here...

2006-12-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

...and it was a long, tiring journey, to say the least. OH! And, no thanks to driving long hours driving, my brand new tat that was healing marvelously is now irritated and broke out. It'll have to be fixed when I go to Florida visit my sister and friends, one of whom is also a tattooist and inked my first tattoo. I'm super sad, but I have hopes it will heal again. My brother is heavily tatted, and he's offered up some advice that I'll run by my tattooist friend.

Anyhoo...we stopped over in Oklahoma for a couple of days to visit with another very good friend whose 10-year-old daughter is best friends with my 10-year-old daughter. It was good to relax and just veg out in front of the telly. I caught up on Heroes and watched The Lost Room, which was super freaky but awesome. It was nice to have some one to watch these shows with who likes to pause and chit chat about it as we watch. It's amazing we got through the shows and movies we did, and did some Christmas shopping too -- all that and I got to sleep till noon. We also rented The Lady in the Water (super awesome) and The Devil Wears Prada (I love Meryl Streep).

Alex and I left Victorville on the 17th, stopped in Kingman AZ for a few hours to visit a high school friend of mine who has long been convinced Alex should have been hers because they both have red hair. Mwahahahahah. After getting back on the I-40, we made it to Gallup NM before my ass needed to wake up. We checked into Quality Inn (nice room) then had dinner next door at The Cracker Barrel. Yummy.

We woke up on the 18th with a dusting of snow on the car, were on the road by 7:30, and got to Oklahoma by 8 pm. Our "hostess" had to work the next day while her kids had school, so Alex and I were left alone with the chihuahua from hell. Chihuahuas...not just ankle-biters anymore. When they got home, we did some shopping, rented movies, and relaxed the rest of the night and all the next day.

This morning Alex and I had help from my friends oldest boy (he's 26) loading our car, and we were on the road by 8:30, made all of two stops, once for gas, and once for potty break and food. We made it to the Memphis area and my folks' house by 4:30. It's good to be home.

Off to wait for my sweetie pie (who told me one of my presents, the schmuck -- ahhh, ya gotta love him) to come home. I hope you all have Happy Holidays and Merry Winter Solstice from Tennessee!

New Pet!

2006-12-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

Say hello to Prometheus!

Do

2006-12-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

Here's the new tat. Lower back, and yup, it hurt -- it's over my spine.

Mary was the smart one...her's is on her shoulder. Her first, and she lived...Mwah-ah-ah.

1 down, 1 to go

2006-12-16T01:37:00.000-08:00

I haven't had time to get out much lately. The last theater trip I took was a few years ago when I saw Phantom; the last movie I saw in the movie theater was The Da Vinci Code (before, the last movie I remembered seeing was Tristan and Isolde, but Michael's purchase of TDVC dvd corrected that). The last time I visited a museum was last summer when two friends and I went to The Huntington (my favorite).

I've not read (or heard of) the book you mention, Do. But I might have to check it out. Speaking of books: I need to go to B&N tomorrow and pick up a birthday gift. I think I'll get her The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It's a fabulous read; even my son (who was 17 when I suggested he read it) fell in love with Charlie. He thought Charlie was cool.

I hung around the desert after I finished the semester in the writing center to attend two parties. One was tonight: the annual tutor Christmas party (which actually started today with pizza and pictionary); and the other is tomorrow night -- a friend/coworker's birthday party. I dragged Mary with me and Alex tonight; her boyfriend, Blue (he was her fiance), worked late, and I didn't think she should have to sit home by herself. We had a gift exchange, and the rules were that if we liked what someone else had, rather than pick an unopened gift, we could steal it. But, after a gift was "stolen" twice, it was no longer up for grabs. There were 17 gifts, 17 participants, and everyone was just too damn polite until number 13 decided she really wanted the M&M car that shoots M&Ms out when Red's hand is pulled down like a lever (number 13 ended up losing it to number 5). It was so on! All that thieving between tutors, teachers, and guests pushed politeness right out the window. Even my 14-year-old had her gift taken, and then stole someone else's. I was last to go -- yep I was number 17! So, I stole my daughter's original gift back -- from my secret santa.

One could argue that our party started two weeks ago when we drew names for secret santa. Imagine how hard it is to bring a gift without being seen when you work everyday with the person you're gifting to. The rules: 3 gifts -- 2 small ones and 1 larger one for today when we revealed ourselves, and at least one gift had to be a book -- any book, even a used book. Today, we broke down furniture (gasp -- did I just say the f-word?), packed up books, stacked computers on tables that are being kept, took posters and pictures off the walls, all in preparation for the new "work stations." We were done by 11, ordered pizza, tried to guess who our secret santas were, found out whether we guessed correctly or not when we received our final gifts, then played Pictionary. I guessed correctly, by the way, and got a little wallet, the 2007 Almanac and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Is there a theme in there? I have to say, the Almanac was my favorite.

So, tomorrow, I get to do laundry, pack, try to meet up with a friend, get pictures done with Mary, do some shopping, and go to another party. We English nerds are quite the party animals.

Blue is apparently completely jealous of all the time Mary and I have been spending together. Last night we got tattooed (yep I did it again, but I think I'm done for a while), and he's hardly said two words to her since then. He got home last night, went to bed without dinner, and apologized to her this morning. But tonight, I took her to the tutor party with me, and he came home and did the same thing. He even asked her if my daughter and I left yet. Whatever...I'm outta here in about 30 hours.

Ibsen, Munch, and Middle Schoolers

2006-12-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

Ah to be able to go to the theatre or museum again. My h. and I were talking about how we don't have a "life". In the sense that is of a life outside of jobs and home. We rarely go out and when we do we can't go out for long, especially if it is in the evening. Why, you ask? My dear 90 year old mother in law. She is a wonderful woman who had a difficult life, and my h. and I feel lucky to be able to make her later years comfortable. Unfortunately, it has gotten more difficult because of the stress we are both having with work, and the fact that she doesn't like to be alone when it is dark outside.

This Christmas is going to be weird because it will be the first without our children at home. My daughter and her bf. are having his family visit them in Boston. My son and his gf. decided they wanted to spend this one holiday alone before the baby is born. On the other hand, it will be a lot less stressful not having everyone here. I told my h. we need to really relax this year bacause NEXT Christmas everyone will be here lol. But really, even though my m-i-l takes care of herself, not being able to go out alone without worrying, or go away for the weekend, or having to worry about what we are going to do for dinner every day is taking its toll.

And then things happen like this. Two of my students from last year came back to visit (they are in hs now). They both apologized for being obnoxious and difficult when they were in my class. And they both admitted that I was right about hs being very different from ms in the sense that they are now lowly freshmen in a large school (our ms has about 725 students as opposed to the 3000 in hs.). Oh yeah, I didn't say "I told you so", just not necessary. One of them said I need to read "The Time Traveler's Wife". Have either of you read it? Even though I have a stack of books next to my bed to read, I think this is one I'll read first over the Christmas break. My student said she wanted to talk about it! Do you believe it?! Well it feels good to have students come back to visit like this, makes me feel like all the stress is worth it in the end.

Well I've got papers to grade and I'm ready for bed, looks like the papers will have to wait,
Buono notte,
Do

Ibsen, huh?

2006-12-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

So today is Edvard Munch's birthday. I was looking around at his paintings -- again -- and came across Two paintings that reminded me of your post: this one, titled "Henrik Ibsen In The Café Of The Grand Hotel." And the one below is titled "Props For A Scene Of Ibsen's 'Ghosts.'"

"The Scream" is, of course, one of his most Beautifully haunting Works, but he has many others that deserve as much attention: "Madonna"; "Vampire"; "The Kiss"; and "The Dance of Life," to name a few.

Its Monday

2006-12-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

Howdy do.
Russ and I went to UCLA last nite to see the New York theatre company Mabou Mines perform Ibsen's Dolls House. I was absolutely astounded by their production. Check out the link above and go to "productions" to get the gist of it. Anyway, at the end, when Nora leaves Torvald...well, today that's not so schocking right? But in the 19th century it was unheard of... to leave ones husband and kids...so to make up for the fact that leaving one's husband is just so passe, they reintensified the schock by having Nora, standing atop what looked like a "box" at the opera, surrounded by red velvet curtains, and so obviously 10 feet higher than her midget (yes midget husband...read the production bit), peel of her garments: gown, petticoats, bodice, and finally when she was standing stripped and sinewy, she pulled of her curly blonde wig to reveal a completely bald head. And she looked androgynous. It was intense. Her little husband (all the men were played by midgets) was left sobbing in a dolls size bed. I dont know if you guys have read Ibsen, but this interpretation was intense. Now I want to read all his plays again.

So what else? I'm enjoying my laziness. Tonite I watched four movies in a row...because I could! HA.
Catch you later...I'm so glad we are hanging in there with our blog
Fi

News and more news...

2006-12-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

I got a phone call from my daughter with news. They had an ultrasound and the doctor says they're having a girl. We were all kind of hoping for a boy, but as long as it's healthy right? If the doctor is right, she'll be Kayleigh Marie.

So she went in for her appointment, got ready for the ultrasound and her doctor asked, "What are we looking for?" Jenifer answered, "We're kind of hoping it's a boy." He asked, "Did you bring any Fritos?" She said, "No," and he typed on the screen: "It's a girl," and said "If you had brought Fritos, you could have had anything you wanted." He must do stand-up at night -- he shouldn't quit his day-job.

She called me back, and said, "Sonie, I've been looking at this stinkin' sonogram picture, and it looks funny to me. I think he took a picture of its bum." She's so cute. You gotta love her. My sister-in-law is getting the "family blanket" ready for the new baby. Yet she still asked if I wanted it for Jenifer after I made it clear, when I handed it down to my nieces (it's a pink quilt made by one of my good friend's grandmothers), that when my kids have babies, it comes back to us and stays within this side of the family. So when her girls are old enough to have babies, it gets passed on to them -- again -- for their babies. I have thought about what we do if two of our kids (this includes kids-in-law) are pregnant at the same time, and, yeah, I have no idea what we'll do. I guess we'll elect someone to make another one (or more).

The quilt was actually made for my friend when they thought she was having a girl but had a boy instead. So, they gave it to me when I was pregnant with Alex. I tried to give it back when she finally did have a girl, but she refused it, saying that it belongs in our family. I love the things that are kept, taken care of, and handed down from one family member to the next. I'm so nostalic; maybe it's the rum and coke. Off for another one. Just wanted to share.

Rawr.

My only day to relax...

2006-12-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday and I planned on doing absolutely NOTHING today, and that's just about what I did. I woke up around 9, ate, watched Dead Man's Chest (Johnny Depp is absolutely hawt) with my kid, Mary, and Mary's boyfriend, Blue, and I dozed during the movie. Around noon, I decided it was time to shower and dress for the day, I worked on Christmas card stuff, played some WoW, watched a sneak peek at the new HP movie, tried to watch Christmas with the Kranks, but Alex got bored (and the book is better, thought I'm not a fan of John Grisham), so here I am.

Hopefully when I get to Tennessee, I'll be able to relax. I had a dreadfully dramatic quarter, and it started over the summer. My mom and sister came for a visit, and my mom had a horrid cough. When she got home, it got worse, and after weeks of being told it was all sinus related, she finally found a new doctor and discovered it was what I had suspected: pneumonia. They almost hospitalized her, but didn't need to. During all the testing, they found a black spot on her lungs, so it turns out she has the beginning of emphysema. The notion that she might have to tug an oxygen tank behind her scared her out of smoking, and she quit cold turkey.

While my mom and sister were visiting, we got a phone call from our oldest daughter, who was living in Nashville with her mom, letting us know that she's pregnant. Her mother and everyone else around her lectured her, and advised her what she should do, when they should have just hugged her and said, "I love and I'm here for you." We couldn't hug her, and it wasn't enough to tell her over the phone "We love and we're here for you." That's all she needed to hear. We don't trust her fiance either.

After my mom got better, my brother got news that his spleen is 5 times larger than a normal spleen. They still haven't determined why, or even if that's normal for him, but they did find, after weeks of testing, that he had gall stones and his gall bladder stopped working. He had surgery a few days ago to remove it.

Michael's businesses weren't doing as well as we would like, and after all of the other drama, we decided that Tennessee is where we need to be. He and the babies left on the 7th, passed the truck carrying our stuff somewhere in Arizona, and then, whaddya know? More drama!

Turns out he started having problems with our Jimmy in New Mexico. We have good friends in Oklahoma, and he was able to nurse the truck to their house. I'm relieved that he made it somewhere I know my babies will be taken care of. They have a little girl who is our little girl's best friend. I'm glad they got to see each other because we didn't think they would. He's done some work on the truck, guided by my dad over the phone, and intends to nurse her into Memphis tomorrow morning. Once they're at my folks', he and my dad will start getting the Jimmy up and running.

Alex and I plan to leave on Sun. the 17th. I have those stinkin' boxes to ship out and the converter boxes to return yet. Then, I have to figure out how to stuff everything else, including my daughter, into that little car (no chance of strapping her to the hood and trying to pass her off as a deer). I'll figure it out. Mary and Blue have offered their garage for anything I can't take with me, and they'll ship it out. Leave it to a move like this to let you know who your real friends are, right?

I went to check the mail yesterday, and the new resident was there. It was weird to knock on my own door. The good thing is, we know him and he's a cat person, so he's keeping Suki and Puck. Yay! But he did tell me last night that Suki will have nothing to do with him. She knows who momma is, and I told him he's going to take some getting used to. She'll be fine.

Okay, Alex is nagging me to go rent some movies. Damanding little teeny-bopper, that girl. The next two weeks will be quite the adventure with her.

Trying to get into the holiday spirit...
So!

Later Saturday evening

2006-12-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

Good evening ladies,
I started to reply as a comment to your post Fi, but then I realized that I had more to write. From starting out as one who never "blogged", past the "get to know you" posts, to post class "I have to check the blog", this has been a unique and extremely pleasant experience. I can only attribute that to the committment we have made to this assignment, to the sense of humor we apparently all share, and the trust that allowed us to post without fear or trepidation. I've shared other classes with both of you, but not until this one have I gotten to know you better, mainly as a result of the blog and Prof. R's pedagogical style.

Fi, I can only imagine the difficulty of finding a relationship that works these days. Having been married to the same great Italian since '74, I think if anything happened to him, I'd just keep myself busy with books, traveling, music, writing, gardening, maybe a doctorate (lol yeah right).

So, when are you leaving for Tenn? And have you definitely decided on another tattoo? I've started going through you arcade. I've always been fascinated by them, starting with Queequeg (sp??) in Moby Dick. There is a NGC Taboo episode on tattoos that traces the history from the Pacific Islanders.

Now it is late again, and a certain other person says he can't fall asleep while I'm up on the computer.
A domani,
Do

Hi on Saturday

2006-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hey guys...it's saturday night and I'm at home feeling blue. I do this at the end of each quarter. ONce I get over the elation of the end of the quarter, then I realise I wont be seeing my buds again...sigh. Do, I left without saying goodbye...but I know I'll see you around. I'd like to keep the blog going if you guys are up for it. Wow, So...I cant believe this move you are doing...what a drag...I'll miss you but we'll stay in touch in cyberspace...I hope.
Here's a giggle, I drunk-and-mailed an ex last nite (really Im not a total alcholic...I really only need a couple and Im under the table.)Anyway, he sent me back the most pompus email saying he would like to be friends but he hoped I had no amorous intentions. I felt like emailing back...Oh stick it up yer arse. I just emailed him in the first place because I thought he was funny and so much time has gone by, I hoped we could be friends. Oh well. As my friend Jen said "I'll slap the shite out of you when I next see you!"...she said I deserved it for even thinking about being friends with him. I guess I do overromanticize my exes, but only because I feel when youve been so intimate with someone and they touched your life in some way...well, when you get older cant you just be freinds and be grateful for knowing each other. I mean it wasnt a horridly awful break up...he lived in London then moved to LA...but he was fickle, he liked to have a tantrum and say it was over. Well, after the 6th time of doing that I thought "oh screw it" and had a fling. Like Ross from Friends says "we were on a break!!!!!" He didnt quite see it like Ross!
Ahh my life is in session
Well ladies miss you already
Blog baby Blog!
Fi

I can breathe a little easier now...

2006-12-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Note to self: send Michael to his mother's in Dallas when I arrive in Tennessee.

Things to do:

Clean the house
Return the cable boxes
Get my car serviced (which Michael was supposed to do before he left -- I'm lucky he fixed the tire that kept losing air)
Load up my little sporty Spectra (try to get everything to fit)
Ship out 5 boxes (so far) of stuff that Michael left behind, which could have gone in the Jimmy with him.
Plan my trip (it helps to know where I'm stopping the first night -- the second (and maybe third) night will be with a friend in Oklahoma)
Finish Christmas shopping
Pack up the writing center for the new "work stations" (because we can't call it furniture) :-/
Christmas party with the tutors.
Friend/fellow tutor's birthday party.
Maybe get tattooed (again) with Mary (no matchy-matchy thing)
Try to go to Vegas to see a friend
Leave for Tennessee

Whew! *collapses into chair*

I'll still be available online. Visit the blog (visit my blog -- wow that looks conceited), email me, and I'll probably keep my websites up, and keep working on them...especially the ARCADE. I see potential for developing a thesis...perhaps. I could be wrong, but I see it, dammit, and that's what counts. O.o

I will miss all of the fabulous people I met in 658 (and 609). I'll miss all the fabulous people I work with. (I won't miss the desert).

I must find a way to take the scent of the creosote with me, and take it out when it rains in TN.

So stay in touch, try to keep me posted on how your graduate studies go, and your theses.

CONGRATULATIONS again Freddie!

Hope to see you both somewhere in cyberspace.

Breathe

2006-12-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Whaaaaa class is overWell chicklets, take a few deep breaths there is a little time to relax. I don't know about you, but when I left class tonight, I really felt a bit sad about it ending. This has been such a great experience, one of the best classes I've had in the MA program. Then as I was driving off campus, I realized that I didn't really say goodbye, especially to you Sonya since you are off to the wilds of Tennessee. It really just felt like another night going home from class. Everyone's Arcades look really interesting. I plan on spending time going through them all. My challenge now is to figure out how I can use the OOOs and the Arcades with my students. I know they will be really excited about it, especially those who want to learn a little about html. Tonight I am the best example of the definition of exhausted, time for bed. Do

Final assessment`

2006-12-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

It’s come down to this: blogging with Freddie and Donna has been a refreshing change from blogging alone. It put into perspective how asymmetrical collaborative writing projects could work, and I was also able to see how students could use something other than discussion board or email to bounce ideas off of each other. I think, in its microcosmic form, it’s a more relaxed way of having class discussions. It’s been freeing, and a good place to practice some HTML for the web projects. Freddie, Donna, and I used it more as a sounding board – a place where we could tell the world where to go when we needed to, as well as a place to talk about some things to do with the class projects. I’ve become a blogging fiend I think, and I don’t want to stop.

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies

2006-12-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

Hi Chicas.
Sonya baby, I feel your pain. I have moved FOUR TIMES in four years. Not because I wanted to but because my bf took advantage of the boom in the housing market - which came to a screeching halt sometime last spring - and moved us in and out of houses like we were running from the law. I finally put my foot down and refused to move my stuff out of a cottage that I have rented on and off for a number of years (we lived there briefly last year while we were in between Russ's projects). So now all my precious furniture, books and nic nacs live in my "studio"- a place where I can escape, meditate, write, keep the telly on all night, and have the dogs on the bed.

Do - I will find out about my thesis prop on Wednesday....consequently, I will either gloomy or elated in class. So what was my process...I think you asked that in a repsonse to the guy in the tire post. Frankly, I had absolutely nuthin' at the beginning of the quarter but my favourite class throughout my grad process was rhetorical theory. In particular I was fascinated by 20th century rhetoric. For my final paper I wrote a bibliographic essay on the theories of Jurgen Habermas and how they have been appropriated by compositionists. So, while I had kinda skirted around the idea of Nietzsche and rhetoric for my thesis, I ended up going with Habermas. However, my interest in Nietzsche was not put aside as I started reading, (suggestion from Dr R) about the debate between Habermas and Foucault (Foucault...big Nietzsche fan) and how compostionists use of Habermas seemed to fall short in some way --according to a paper Dr R wrote while in her doctoral programme.

To cut a long story short, I pulled that thesis propsal out of my $%^&! I didnt even have 1 paragraph at the midterm and I was freakin' out because I was DETERMINED to get going on this thing (and have been feeling a sense of urgency lately). So, if it doesn't get approved this time. I wont be too blue because it was all rather a rush. HANG ON! WHO AM I KIDDING! I'll be utterly disconsolate (sp???) *deep breathe fred*

Well anyway, better do some arcade stuff. How are yours going?
See ya this week
Fi

Sunday in the afternoon

2006-12-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

What have you got to lose?? Another windy day in southern California. Don't you just hate when adults act like children? My neighbor (and I use that term very loosely) came over to me yesterday when I was fighting the Saturday battle with the plumbago and purple hopseed on the hill between our front yards. He started with "I'm really tired of having to clean up after you". I said "Excuse me?" He mentioned some dead oleander that was his which was laying on my side of the property line that I had pushed back over to his. I told him all the dead oleander plants were his and I wasn't cleaning up his dead stuff, I had enough of my own. He then said that if something was on my side of the property it belonged to me. I said that was fine with me as long as the reverse was also true. Now what is he going to say or do when he sees the rug he had in front of his gate, blown down the hill and under my plumbago by the wind????? (evil laugh).Well, back the The Arcade.
Have a pleasant evening,
Do

Ah CARP not CRAP

2006-12-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

I feel your pain So. When we moved to CA from NJ, I had to pack up my whole house by myself (unless you count the help of an eight and a five year old). My husband was already here working and I didn't have any adult help. I couldn't imagine doing it now, but youth has its advantages lol. Can you take time for a Warcraft break?

Contrastvery effective So. I have to believe your use of size and color is a result of working on your arcade.

As I work on my arcade, I can't help but think about how I can use this concept with my students. I was sharing some of it with one of the teachers in a video on it and he was very interested in the project as well. Once it is "finished", which I don't believe will be by the end of this class since I intend to keep working on it until ???, I will translate the process and concept into middle school speak. I could see assigning an arcade to a group of students, perhaps on a story (we'll be reading To Kill a Mockingbird soon), or on poetry. Actually, I could see this as an ongoing project from the beginning to the end of the school year, something like a class arcade of topics we discuss.

Tonight I just don't have the patience to change font/color for one or two words. I think, in addition to the html color code list that I have, I'm going to create a list of code for font/color combinations that I like. That way, I can save time by just copying and pasting. Not before Christmas break though lol. Do

Nulla Dies Sine Linea

Packing, Projects, and Pizza...

2006-12-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

I have had it! I’m pooped from all the packing, I want to finish my projects, and I can’t wait for some pizza!

It is ammmaaaaazing how much CRAP people accumulate when they live in one place for any extended period of time. Ten years worth of dust, ten years of junk, ten years of memories in each dust bunny, box, and bauble. We’ve had an open trailer for three days, taking sh**, or poo, as Freddie would put it, to the dump and the stuff Mary’s taking off of our hands to her garage. I’ve devoted all of today -- minus the few hours I had to work -- to packing more crap, breaking down beds, and determining what else I can have Michael and our boys take out to the dump.

I’ve had tantrum number 2 today -- every time I move to another area to pack, I feel like I make a bigger mess than I started with, and I look over at my laptop, open and waiting for use, and am reminded of all the work I still have to do on the Arcades and the stuff for 609 (thankfully, I just need to fix and finish the proposal for 609, add a couple things to the annotated bib., and write up the stuff for my “homes”).

I’ve given myself a time limit. Today I pack, load, stress, cry on Mary’s shoulder, and pack some more. The truck just got here for us to load up with our stuff that we’re keeping; otherwise I think we would have had more done. Damn the construction down the hill! Tomorrow, I work on projects, stress, stop to give packing/loading directions, cry on Mary’s shoulder, and work on projects some more. I have to get most of it done then because Sunday is…

DISNEYLAND OR BUST!!!

I’m just glad that we found a home for the cats, but I’m still worried about my baby. Puck’s pretty resilient (he takes on Rottweilers and sends them running away with tail tucked between their hind legs -- well he would if they had tails), but Suki is strictly indoor and quite sensitive.

Okay, break’s over…back to the enslavement that moving out of state imposes.

2006-12-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

This guy looks how I feel

2006-11-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Ok Im going to sing the grad student dirge..."Im so tired" wah wah wah..."My husband/boyfriend doesn't understand me"....wah wah wah..."I ve got four papers to write by yesterday "wah wah wah...I handed in my thesis proposal...na na na na na na!
I'm effin pooped!
Fi

What's the world coming to?

2006-11-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is why people should keep clear of homeowner's associations: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061127/ap_on_re_us/anti_peace_sign.

OOHH SO!

2006-11-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

Oh my god So! Your tattoo looks really cool in person, I give you lots of credit for going through the process! Especially after seeing your pics on the arcade. The links you have are really interesting. I knew there was this whole subculture related to tattooing, (I watch National Geographic channel and they have a program on tattoos and culture) but I've never gone looking at any of the sites. I have been interested in the tattoos of the Pacific Islanders, and the relationship to the culture. Have you done any research on the current popularity of tattooing and our modern culture? What does it mean to put these symbols on one's skin in today's culture?

Well, after talking with you chicklets (thanks for that on Fi!) I feel much better. Not that I felt bad, but the suddenness of these events just threw me for a loop. Your quote So (we make plans and god laughs), really put everything in a different light. My husband was telling one of his fellows at work about our week, and this guy said, "Did your son tell you he had cancer? Did you get a phone call from the hospital saying your daughter was in an accident?" (His son was in a car accident a few weeks ago) Of course he was just helping Vinnie put it all in perspective.

Well, one more week or so left of class. I really am going to end here and work on my Arcade. When is our last blog report due??? Chicklet Do off for now.

YIKES SO!

2006-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

ok...that picture of you biting down on a piece of leather has put me off getting a tattoo for ever. What I really really have always wanted tho, is to get my nose pierced...but I am too afraid of the pain. If I could get an anathestic, I would do it. But I haven't yet met a piercing person who will shoot up my nose with a bunch of lidocaine.

So the monster in law was over for Thanksgiving (Im not married but it is sort of an apt description) and she caught sight of Russ' tat which he has in the small of his back. Oh my gawd...All hell broke loose. (she is very old fashioned...She walked to school uphill both ways with cardboard in her shoes to stop the "little rocks" getting in through her holy soles). We had to create a diversion quickly. It came in the form of her granddaughter...6 months sober (sigh) and thrilled about it. Grandma gave her the lecture about "addiction" being an excuse for lack of discipline...Needless to say I wanted to crawl under a rock just to get away from the family drama.

The hardest thing I have ever had to do is have a relationship (which I might add has been extremely touch and go of late) with someone who has kids. You have to get used to the fact that you will always (no matter what they say) play second fiddle. And if the kids are an absolute nightmare-which they have been in the past...Well one of them continues to be-it is even harder to have any empathy for them. It takes many many deep breathes and taking off for a "drive" to gather the patience to deal with someone else's kids...Especially if they act like horrid spoilt brats. If this all sounds kinda harsh...Sorry. But , if I ever do this relationship thing again, I will be extremely wary of dating someone with children. Or perhaps I will just be better prepared. Or perhaps other children are just nicer...I dunno. When you have made a decision not to have them, you get kinda selfish. Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of kids that are wonderful...How do their parents do it? What I see about these kids is that they have been spoilt rotten...To make up for the divorce situation I suspect.

Anyway, perhaps I will continue this rant another time. It makes me tired just to think about
'Til next time
Fi

Okay...I finally created the time...

2006-11-26T01:01:00.000-08:00

...and sacrificed time for other things, like projects for classes -- sort of.

So, I said I was going to photograph the process of getting a tattoo for part of my arcades project, and I decided that today was the day to do that. I had to go out anyway, so I dragged Mary out of the house and made her tag along and be my photographer (I bought her dinner to make up for it).

After about 30-45 minutes of excruciating pain (it really didn't hurt that bad this time) as Aly stabbed my sensitive skin, inserting the ink for my new tat: the Chinese symbol for wisdom (at least that what all the research I did said it was). My name -- Sonya -- means wisdom, wise, or sagacious. I found this symbol by accident after I put aside looking for something inspiring to get inked. I thought about centering it on my neck or upper back, but essentially decided that my wisdom isn't really centered, but slightly off-center, so I got the tat to the right of center for a couple of reasons: 1. I'm considered a right-brained person (though I often feel both left- and right-brained at times) and 2. I'm right-handed and so the wisdom I put on the page flows down the right side (if that makes any sense).

And our oldest flew in today, and his new wife follows in a week (she didn't have enough leave on the books to fly out with him). I'm still trying to get used to having one child a married man and another child preparing for motherhood. They're both still so young, and I'm still young; it's just weird for me. The day after my new daughter-in-law gets here, we're supposed to go to Disneyland, which means I need to get cracking on these projects for my classes. I just can't seem to get into them, as much as I find tattooing so intriguing.

I'm still hung up on the background for the arcades project, and my research question for 609 is probably going to change to reflect feminism, but I'm still not sure how to approach it. I've thought about it since Wednesday, and I can't get the question phrased the way I want it. But, I shouldn't be surprised; nothing has been easy for me this quarter.

Internal note

2006-11-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

Hi ladies, I wrote a blog entry, but chose not to post it. I left it as a draft for your eyes only. Hope you had a Happy Turkey Day! Do

Happy Turkey Day

2006-11-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

Gobble, gobble!

Romantic comedies

2006-11-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

I watched "Hitch" with the sound off last nite and after the show there was one of those interview with the cast type things. I turned the sound up for a mo...just in time to the voluptuous Eve Mendez (or whatever her name is) say "ooooh, I love to watch romantic comedies because you can always identify with the girl, you can always say 'I know just what she's going through'" EXCUSE ME?????? I'm sorry, but I don't think Eve Mendez is living on the same planet as the rest of us....I wish my life was a romantic comedy!!!!! I have never been in a romantic comedy, have never met anyone whose life is like a romantic comedy and even if I were in one, I want to know what happens to the cutsey little romance after the credits roll. Hrumphhhh.

Right now, "So I married an Axe Murderer" is playing in the back ground...now that's more like my life...not the axe murdering bit but the crazy scottish family. I think James, Abe, and I need to do sound bites from that film. "HEED! ...Its got its own weather system!...If yer want mah body AND yer think Im sexi" (sing along in a fake scottish accent to Rod Stewart song, then fall about laughing)
It seems the only way I can concentrate is by having the telly on mute while I write...cept, I'll turn the sound up for the Rod Stewart bit. I love this film!

oh here's my fave bit..."eve-el like the fru-its of the dev-eel"

Better go so I can talk along with the film
Oh yeah and happy bloody turkey day.
Kiss noises
Fi

Why plan anything?

2006-11-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

One would think that I would learn by now that I really can't plan anything; someone or something always manages to throw a monkey wrench into my plans. I wanted to get inked again over the weekend, but I got caught up in packing for our long journey to Memphis, and then bogged down in homework and other people's laziness. I hope that sometime this week or over the weekend, I can get that new tat and have someone accompany me to take photos of the process so I can put them on my arcade. I'm thinking of interviewing one 0f the tattooists, but I haven't decided yet.

I also wanted to take pics of the Farmer's Market to use as a background for my arcade, but I don't know if that's going to work out. We'll see. I have a hideous purple background right now that I need to change.

So, I didn’t get a new tat, but I did re-dye my hair. I didn’t actually do it, Mary did. My 8-year-old son came into the bathroom, and, seeing her putting “purple goo” in my hair, was convinced momma was going to have purple hair. 10 minutes into the timer, Mary and I heard him announce, “10 more minutes and mommy’s hair will be purple!” After all was said and done, he stopped dead in his tracks, his face melted, and he said, “It’s not purple; it’s red!” Poor little man. He so wanted it to be purple.

Our Turkey Day will not include pizza or two of the kids. One already came and went, and the other doesn't arrive until Saturday, just missing all the good food. After serious contemplation, we’re skipping the pizza and have since decided to go with the traditional meal, though we're foregoing the yams. Michael refused to give up the cranberry sauce (gross). I’m not a pie person, so I’m baking a spice cake with cream cheese frosting; Michael will probably pick up a couple of pies anyway because that’s how he is. Part of me is not looking forward to cooking; part of me sees it as a break from the monotony of other stuff.

Speaking of food…it’s almost my lunch break…

Sunday work

2006-11-19T23:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm tired. With my children coming home this week there are way too many things to do (like realizing I need to buy more towels, buy and put up new curtains, clean up the patio, plant the six packs of violas I bought 2 weeks ago). And on top of that (as I write at 11:24pm) I have a 7am appointment with my dentist to add more metal to my mouth. How are your arcade projects going? I have just finished the basic layout of the pages. Because we have no school this week, I will need to take pictures, video, do short interviews with the other teachers, perhaps write up a brief survey for those of us involved with the EETC grant.

At least, when we go back to school next week, we only have 3 weeks before Christmas break. It can be a rough time though. Kids who are in difficult home situations get depressed or start acting out in class. For me and my husband Christmas is going to be hard because our daughter will not be here for the first time in 28 years (her bf's family is visiting them in Boston for the holiday and she feels obligated to be there). I told her we will just have to use our iSights when we celebrate. That's the closest we'll get to having her here - realtime video and audio over the Internet. Well, now it's really late and I'm really tired. Til next time,

Ciao!
Do

Friday night Holiday WOOHOO

2006-11-17T21:28:00.000-08:00

School's out for Thanksgiving!!! This has been one horrific week. Between helping my m-i-l get around (caretaking/nurse), wound care for my h. (repacking and bandaging his incision -nurse), class, teaching (the end of the trimester, grades turned in today), I'm physically and mentally exhausted. It should have been 20 minutes and maybe 1 stitch to remove a cyst from Vinnie's back turned into 11/2 hours, a 2"incision, a cyst 2 1/2"deep near his spine, all closed up with 6 stitches. This type of incision has to heal from the inside out, so now that the stitches are gone, it has to be packed with gauze and covered until it heals. Oh well, what was that I promised?? something about "in sickness and in health"??

Now that it has been getting dark early, by the time I get home it's too dark to go out in the yard looking for Weasley. He did enjoy coming to class, didn't you Weasley? I think it was Freddie's attention that he really loved. Here's the link.

As I was leaving I stopped in the restroom. When I came out, Weasley was nowhere to be found! I turned the corner back towards UH041 and this is what I saw! I asked him what he was doing and he said, "I want to see if Sonya and Freddie want to stop at the nearest pub for a pint, they're such lovely girls!" What can I say, I scooped him up and whisked him out the door. It's hell traveling with a gnome. (sigh)

If this entry isn't evidence enough that my brain is fried, I don't know what is! lol Now I get to spend the next four days getting ready for the kiddies (aka adult children Christina and Michael) to come home for the holiday. I'll be back tomorrow night,
Ciao
Do

On the move...

2006-11-17T21:12:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try to transfer my program to Memphis. I need to check to make sure 100% that they require the GRE. If they do, I'll need to get that out of the way first. By the time that's done, I should have residency and won't have non-resident tuition costs. I've told our "Captain" that if things don't pan out, I'll come back to this hell-hole and finish my program at CSUSB after all. There's always the MFA option at U of M as well.

So much for trying to by the ex-crack house down the street from my folks. The For Sale sign is gone. My dad's not sure if someone bought it, or if the bank repo’d it. He's thinking the latter because now you have go through "some special place" (my mother's words) to even look at it.

Hopefully our house sells faster after it's empty. So, my teenager and I will be shacking up with my friend Mary (and her fiancé, Blue) for two weeks. Yay! Four people, one bathroom! Ahhh…it doesn’t get any better than that. Well, at least her and I will get to hang before I make that move, and it things keep going the way they are for her, she might just pack up and make that drive to Memphis with us. I should be so lucky!

I have big plans this weekend: cleaning out the storage unit; packing up some stuff; getting rid of some stuff; possibly getting a new tat; and if there’s time left, arcades project, annotated bib., and reading. Did I mention that I have to find homes for my “babies.” Suki needs a nice person who will tolerate her whining and constant need to be scratched. Puck needs someone with a doggy door, lots of food, and tolerance for shedding – he chases strange animals off the property, including rather large dogs. Or, they’ll have to go to a no-kill place (I won’t accept any less because they both deserve good homes).

Well, I’m off to try to kill the chances of that teenager of mine going on her first “date.”

Sonya dear heart...

2006-11-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

So, if you're leaving forever, what about your MA? Are you going to finish it in Memphis? A mohawk huh?... I want to get my nose pierced but i'm too chicken. (I hate pain.) I think it looks so cool but all my friends think it would be a dumb move. Their first question is always "what happens when you get a cold?"

Hmmmm....I'm not doing anything exciting this weekend except working on my arcade and thesis prop...oh and my annotated bib.

My horses came in from Montana about a month ago. They got a bit of a holiday and now they have to go back to work. They are so fat that people are making disparaging remarks. I just say, "if I hadnt spent so much time working all you bastards horses I could have got mine going earlier...so there."

I have a love hate relationship with polo these days. I grew up with it. Not that my family had anything to do with it, but our house was next to a polo club and I used to stare longingly at the horses from my bedroom window. Then I worked as a groom, trainer, polowife (ugh..the dark ages) for years. Now, I keep my horses at the Ritz carlton of ranches and ride everyday in exchange for their board. However, like any equine discipline I suppose, some polo players are real bastards. I am forever on the look out for abuse, both on the field and off....but polo on the whole retains such a colonial attitude... towards women, foreigners, and horses.
Where is Weasley these days? Is he offended that I looked up his dress? I'm sorry Weasley...I'll buy you a drink next time we meet.
That's it for me...for now at least.
Have a t'riffic weekend
Fi

2006-11-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those weird moments when you’re thinking of someone, the phone rings, and it’s the very person you were just thinking of? I really hate talking on the phone, but this almost always happens with me and one of my best friends (her name is Lynn and she lives in…drum roll please…Memphis) – but not on the phone. Most people email these days, and we do too, but we’ve also sort of made a pact to write letters to each other because they’re more memorable and real. Yes, I’m talking about hand-written letters on pretty stationary. We buy each other stationary for birthdays and Christmas; we buy ourselves stationary just to have because it’s pretty, and just in case one of us needs to jot off a letter to the other one. These days we’re both so busy. Me with family, work, and school – okay and gaming too; her being a newly divorced single mom and working (she just got a cool promotion). So, once in a while we lose track of how long it’s been since we’ve talked. And when that happens, it never fails that one of us will receive a letter from the other just as we’re sitting down to write our own letter to the other one.

Lately, I’m not home to check mail, so Mary (one of my other best friends (I have a few of these) – the one jealous of Freddie) tosses my mail on my desk. Yesterday I brushed off the catalog begging me to buy something I don’t need and went to bed. This morning, I stopped at Target for Starbucks and bought some stationary in case I got a moment or two to scribble a quick I-miss-you-and-get-in-touch-soon note to her. I didn’t get that moment or two, but I got home, was looking for something on my desk – oh yes! Mail! – and wouldn’t you know it? There’s a letter from Lynn. Knowing I probably wouldn’t have time to write back to her before those December dates, especially with all the other writing (and reading) I’m doing, I swallowed my – what would you call it? – loathing ridicule of the impersonal quality of the telephone and called her.

Yes, I have more than one best friend – I’m not allowed only one (and I was told this by another “best friend” years ago). Most of them are friends I went to high school with and we are all still in touch in one way or another. Lynn is one of them. She is originally from Memphis; her dad was stationed in SD and we met sophomore year on her first day of school…in biology. In our senior year of high school we went to Reno with my folks for the weekend and had a huge fight. My mother found us just as she was pushing me away and I was ready to hit her. A few years back, I met up with her in Reno again (she was there for a scrapbooking convention), and we made amends with the stinky city (we’d made amends with each other two weeks after the fight). Ahhh…the drama of high school. Lynn is like a sister and it’ll be great to be able to hang out with her almost all the time again.

And it’s not that I won’t talk on the phone, but I have to be really familiar with someone – my husband, my mom, my sister (the one I like), Lynn, Mary – hmmm…that’s about it. But ask me to call that guy back about the job or to order pizza or whatever else, and it’s like pulling eye teeth– fergit it! (I don’t understand that – is it really harder to pull eye teeth than other teeth? Things that make you go hmmmm… [that was a song in the nineties])

Anyone know when the next blog assessment is due? Maybe I’ll write that along with my annual holiday letter this weekend – yes, I’m one of those people who send out an annual letter with Christmas cards to let people know what’s been happening because getting me to talk on the telephone is like keeping my husband’s cat off of my side of the bed.

I’m mulling over getting a Mohawk; whaddya think?

"Triumphal Progress"

2006-11-16T18:11:00.000-08:00

I'm quite familiar with Barely Breathing; we’ve met on a number of occasions...even my horrid horoscope reminded me to breathe yesterday. Maybe there's hope for progress after all. Freddie seems to be triumphing over her thesis proposal draft (she should reward herself by printing up a Tigger coloring page and coloring it); I got some much-needed research started, some reading done, and part of the next 609 project partially done (I'll reward myself and go kill something in WoW). How about you Donna...are you making any progress? What's Weasley been up to, still on a treasure hunt for liquor? I feel like joining him.

On the home front, we've set dates for our road trips to Memphis. So, either Fi or Do asked how long I would be in Memphis. The answer is, for now, indefinitely. I have family there who need me as much as I need them now. Yes, we're packing up and getting the hell out of the high desert -- finally. I may already have a job lined up, but I don't have all the details yet. The director of the facility did reply back with a message for me to get in touch with him when I "have boots on the ground here in the Memphis area!" A job is good, a house would be awesome, but it’s a buyer’s market right now and we’re having trouble unloading our house. Argh!

We've been talking about moving to Memphis for years, threatening, planning, and now we're making some progress. The hubby and babies (they're not really -- 8 & 10) plan to be on the road by December 5th. The teenager (who often acts like a baby) and I plan to be on the road by the 17th. I'll miss many of the really awesome people I've met, my current job, and the smell of the creosote when it rains...that's about it. Omigod...I'll miss San Diego!!! I wish I had a suitcase big enough to pack them and take them with me. Anyhoo, if you ever find yourselves "walking in Memphis," email me, get in touch, or look me up.

Every Thursday there is a Farmer's Market near VVC. I think I'll take some time and some snapshots of the market as it looks much like an arcade. I may use it for my background. We’ll see. Then, I’ll get some Kettle Korn and go to work. Hopefully, I have time to get the picture. I don't know if they'll set up on Thanksgiving. I'm also thinking about dragging my husband out this weekend to take pictures of me getting inked. I haven't decided yet. I thought that I could use pictures of the process for my arcades project as well. I don't know how I will incorporate it yet (or even if I'll get around to going to a shop to get a new tat). How are your arcades projects coming along?
Still trying to catch up on sleep...fear that won't happen till I get to Memphis. --Til Tomorrow then.

My Thesis proposal

2006-11-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Our fearless leader, Dr Rhodes, has that cool online journal which looks for articles about the living breathing bodies who write. When I last looked, I am a living (barely) breathing body that writes and this is my process: Get up 6:30, go exercise a few nags at the polo track, stress about thesis proposal, go home and wash horse poo from under fingernails, stress about proposal, check out zits from stressing about proposal, eat chocolate for comfort from stressing about proposal, get more zits from chocolate, drive to work or school, stress about proposal, sit in writing center with students who are stressing about their proposals (ok essays), drive home and get stuck in traffic jam cos dude got shot, stress about proposal and not dude who got shot, get home at midnite and write proposal. Drink coffee, get more zits, but happy because midnite endeavours have paid off and proposal is looking like a first draft .
Thanks, I feel much better now...
Fi

Humdrum and humble

2006-11-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

It's one of those days. It's kind of slow in the WC right now (I'm sure it's slow in the water closet too). I'm tired...sleepy really. My eyes are burning (I should consider putting those reading glasses to use once in a while). Every time I try to read for class, I feel like I need to pull out the kindergarten mat and take a nap. I keep trying to get our facilitator to stock up on those mats, but so far I've been unsuccessful. I'm also pushing for a microwave and mini-fridge. Again...no success. There may be a break room in the writing center's future though, but I won't be here to enjoy it.

So, in about a month, I'll be on the road to Memphis (isn't that a song? -- or is it Walking in Memphis?) Millington, to be precise. Who's coming to visit? -- We'll drive three hours and visit Nashville's replica of The Parthenon. I guess we can go to Graceland too (it's really not all it's cracked up to be). Part of me can't wait to get out of the stinkin' desert and back with my peeps. The other part of me is sad to leave the fabulous people I've met here. (If it were up to me, I'd go back to San Diego.)

So, my daughter and her fiancé left yesterday. They weren't supposed to leave until today, but he wanted to get back to see about two job offers. Flying standby made it easier to leave early. It was so good to see her, and I really hope that she's doing all right. I guess I'll find out soon. Her fiancé seems really nice, did I mention? Too nice. I hope it's because he was raised by his grandma.

Okay...have a tutee...'Til Wednesday...TTFN!

Hello chicklets

2006-11-12T23:16:00.000-08:00

We'll Ive recovered from my night with The Who...recovered but still in awe. I mean really. I am an avid concert goer...when I can I do...even if it means scrabbling around the back of the sofa for pennies that might add up to the price of a ticket...anyway, my point is that I have ben to many many concerts and that was by far the best. If you can go to a show and be completely transported, I mean, when nothing else matters or exists except for the music...well, that's an almost spiritual experience...oh listen to me getting all sentimental

Today was good. I went to the barn around 7.30 (gawd I cant wait to sleep in at the end of the quarter) and then Russ and I went to his daughter's "alumni" brunch at ... the Betty Ford center. Sigh...oh yes girls it been a stellar year (i know what youre thinking...it was how much? We got a big discount) Fortunately, all is well now...shes safe and sober and eating brunch at Betty Ford with Keith Urban. sigh.

How is your quarter going gals. Are you crispy yet? I am fried to a deep golden brown. I still havent got my thesis propsal completely written although I have drafts of it EVERYWHERE. Today however, I feel as tho I made a breakthrough...we'll see if it presents itself in my propsal.

I ws going to write about the arcade project but my eyes are droooping and Im melting, melting, melting. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Huh? oh yeah, see yas tomorow
Nite,
Fi

Holy S%$##%^^^%$##Y

2006-11-12T00:17:00.000-08:00

Ok Guys, I just went to the effin best concert. Look, so what if they are 100 and only two of them are still alive. Roger Daltery is still the sexiest bastard around, 2nd only to DB, and whats more he can still sing like nobodys business. So, they have a new rock opera out called "Wire and Glass" please buy it...it's classic Who. Pete Townsend was so funny..he was like "so bear with us while we do our new stuff" and then after he said "ok we think you'll be able to sing along now" When they did "Feel me" (this is so lame) but I felt like crying...I get very emotional at concerts. My throat is sore from yelling and smoking malboroughs ...I know I know only occasionally. Anyway it was spectacular...for a couple of old farts they really still have it. Amazing, I feel like Im on a mega high...kinda like So must feel when TFF does "Everybody wants to rule the world". That song really takes me back to highschool and what a time it was, huh?

Feling a bit verklempt this week. The BF and I had a horrid summer, he dumped me and then came back, but it's hard y'know? Feeling resentful and like all the fun and romance went out of life. And of course all I do is work, and work, and work...except for tonite of course...nooooo, tonite was for Roger and Pete and not even Jurgen Habermas and Foucault could keep me away from those too. I wish I could be a rock star. sigh.

Im sorry I havent posted since the hedgehog poo. I got a curt letter from my editor at the Sun Valley Mag saying if I didnt have my latest story to her by 9am on wednesday, I was toast. Consequently, Tuesday nite I was up til 4 and then again on Thursday nite for a project I promised...oh I dont know who. Needless to say I have been very cranky the past few days...sleeplessness and too much chocolate is not good for one.

Right, well that's all for now...perhaps if you are very good I'll do my Pinball Wizard for you on Monday. I wonder if Weasley is into Rock 'n' Roll or perhaps he prefers a good yodel instead.

Cheers
Fred

What happened today?

2006-11-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

Well I thought this was SoCal! Today was more like a fall day in New Jersey! I did some regular stuff (like grocery shopping), and went to the nursery. I've been on this gardening thing on weekends, really just like meditation in a way. I start digging and trimming, planting and moving, raking and sweeping, and I don't think of anything else. I did take my digital camera outside with me. I got some interesting pictures of a hummingbird that visits regularly. It was all puffed out because it was COLD out this late afternoon. I have to laugh, in New Jersey cold started when the temperature got down into the 40's during the day. Tomorrow I have to finish my grading and lesson plans for the week. I just found out that Google now has a video forum (not unlike YouTube). I can upload a video, make it public or private, and link to it from anywhere. Now I have more stuff I can do on my website. I still haven't figured out how to add audio to this blog.

Have you seen the new Weird Al White and Nerdy? I don't know the song he's parodying, but his is hysterical!

Oh there's Weasley again! What's that you said Weasley? You haven't found anything to drink yet and sitting on the air conditioner is the next best thing? What does that mean? Oh you get a rush when the fan goes on and and spins around, vibrating ?! Weasley, you are incorrigible!
I'm off to add to my OOO. A domani, Do

It feels like Sunday

2006-11-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Having Friday off made it feel as though the weekend should be over. It's felt like Sunday all day. On that same note, having Friday off has allowed me to relax a little -- not much, but a little.

I've done very little reading for class, and I can't really blame WoW for that; I haven't played any more than I normally do on the weekend. My daughter and her fiancé are in town (they leave tomorrow), so I've been spending some time with them, trying to assess the future son-in-law. I suppose he's an okay guy; he's really nice -- a little too nice, like he's hiding something. I could be wrong; I hope I'm wrong.

I took Jenifer shopping so we could talk and spend some private time together. Ya know mother/daughter stuff. I bought her some maternity clothes that will grow with her. One of the blouses is really cute. Why couldn't they have made such cute maternity clothes when I was pregnant? Then, we all went out to dinner at a really good Chinese restaurant (of course, I only go for the tea). Then we made a pit-stop at Starbucks on the way home -- Yummy. Well, all of us except my 14-yr-old -- she went to Knott’s with a friend and her friend's grandparents today and still isn't back yet, but they’re on their way.

Anyhoo...Jenifer leaves tomorrow. I'm sad, but I know she has to get back to Nashville for work. She's actually not leaving till Tuesday (wasn't that an 80s band?), but they're staying with her airline friend for a couple of days. The fiancé wants to see more of LA. I had to ask why; does he like to chew his air before he breathes it? Ahhh, LA...“where the ground moves faster than the traffic.” (Who said that? I can’t remember).

You know, I keep thinking of things I could have added to my OOO too. My use of a cell phone even though phones aren’t a big deal; I hate to talk on the phone unless it’s my husband or my mom. There was something else that came up earlier, but now I can’t remember. I think of these things when it’s completely inconvenient to write them down, like when I’m in the shower. By the time I get out, I’ve already forgot.

I watched Click today. Okay, I watched part of it. It was funny. Of course, when “Everybody Wants to Rule the World started to play during the movie, everyone turned and looked at me. Why? What were they expecting me to do, a trick? This is my family who I see everyday, yet they still seem to expect me to react in some outrageous fashion when there’s a TFF song in a movie. The best one though was the end of “Who Killed Tangerine?” in Fever Pitch when Drew Barrymore runs across the field to What’s-his-name.

I’m babbling now. I feel like I’m getting sick again and it sucks. I can’t afford to get sick again. Last time, which was only a few weeks ago, I had ear and sinus infections + bronchitis. It was pretty bad.

I think I’ll have a Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate with White Mint Square, a cup of hot green tea (or more), watch The New World, and go to bed. I’ll try to read tomorrow after the house-hunters leave and my husband takes Jenifer and her man to LA.

Till Monday then. I’m outty. Peace, y’all! (I’m practicing for when I move the Memphis).

Aries the Ram

2006-11-11T00:23:00.000-08:00

Yep that's me. I don't usually subscribe to astrological beliefs, but I possess many of the characteristics ascribed to those born under this Fire sign. Now what is your sign Freddie? Do either of you know more about astrology? I only know what I know from reading the paper (horoscopes) and my mother in law (every year she gets a copy of Sidney Omar). It was nice having today off, we slept in- that means 7:45am! I didn't get as much done as I expected to, but that's ok.

I have been thinking a lot about my OOO since I wrote up my reflection. I keep thinking of other things to add, but I also am having second thoughts about what I'm putting out there for the online community to view. Tomorrow I will do the reading on the arcade, as well as the billion other things I have to do (like grade papers, report card grades need to be turned in by this Friday, plan lessons for the week, work in the yard, etc.) I'd also like to get some writing done. Last Saturday we had our first follow up meeting of the IAWP Summer Institute and I have a number of pieces I started there, but haven't worked on since. Have either of you taken any creative writing classes or done any? I hadn't until last spring when I took the class with Prof. Brown and then the workshop in July. It really has made a difference in my teaching. What middle school student doesn't have something to write?! They really are enjoying it. This next trimester, i'm going to require a specific number of finished pieces (as well as forms) for a portfolio, maybe we'll put together an anthology. Well, it is almost one am. I'd better get to bed.

Ciao,
Do

To Virgin Podcasts

2006-11-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Bravo Freddie!!! Let's put a short podcast together on Monday. Maybe interview that Weasley gnome.
Do

Tired deux

2006-11-09T01:33:00.000-08:00

I'm still up (1:26am). Last night it was 2:30am and tomorrow it's 75 middle school kids. Thank god Friday is a holiday- 3 day weekend yeahhhhh!!!! It took me an hour and a half to get home (usually 25 minutes). The 215 was shut down around Mill st. for "police activity". I am just finishing up my self-assessment. Hope tomorrow goes quickly. We are having a student-staff hockey game (no, I'm not playing!), so it's a one lunch schedule. This is not the best, the kids get all wound up when we change the schedule, as well as it being the last day this week. Come hell or high water, I'm sleeping in this weekend! later,
Do

I'm an air sign (Gemini) who has to be reminded to breath...

2006-11-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised that I never held my breath during a temper-tantrum as a child. I've always been more apt to fill my lungs with air and let it fly. But, when I'm stressed, I often catch myself holding my breath. Not in the form of a tantrum, just not breathing regularly (no wonder I suck at Yoga).

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inha...*cough, cough, cough.

My daughter and her fiance arrived today. He seems nice...too nice. It was so good to see her though. I have a few days to assess him and how he treats her (I heard a rumor that he's "mean to her" -- secondhand information from a 14 yr old who's the biggest drama queen I know, and I ought to know; she's mine too). And I'd like to say that I'm not holding my breath, but I am.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inha...*cough, cough, cough.

I'm exhausted, can't sleep (thanks to stress), going on 3 hours sleep, have to work in the morning. Tomorrow's Thursday so I know I'll be seeing particular tutees who always come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The good thing is that they've had their tutoring session, it's documented in their files, and they'll be doing mostly independent study, but I know two of these students because they almost always want to work with me, and I know that they'll have questions and they'll be chatty, as usual. ("Do I need to separate the two of you?")

It's a stressful time and I'm tired. I'm breaking out (I'm 34 and I still break out like I'm 17). I'm sleepy, my eyes are burning, but Fried Green Tomatoes is on Encore, and I really like Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates (wasn't she wonderful in Misery?), and Cicily Tyson(sp?). The book (Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg) of course is way better, but it's as misplaced as The Ice Queen.

My 14 yr old has been mad at me for 2 days (like I said, drama queen); she's trying to ditch school again tomorrow so she can "spend time with Jenifer while she's here because I never get to see her." OH! And I made one of her friends cry because of some stuff she had on her MySpace that I thought was inappropriate for a 14 year old. I'm on a roll...

Movie's over...rant is over...I'm going to sleep. Peace...I'm outty.

Let's link our OOOs!

2006-11-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Missed Freddie in class last night. I didn't get to see either of your OOOs. I think we should put the links to each of our OOOs on the sidebar with the other links. Who cares of they're a work in progress?! I don't think mine will ever be finished. I'll go first.

:-P

I don't know where the picture came from...some website that has all kinds of them...but I thought this one especially hilarious.

A How-to for UH at CSUSB?

2006-11-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

I was checking MyYahoo and on my Wiki-How-to, there was a How to Waterproof a basement article.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

My latest obsession

2006-11-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Is this the cutest or what? I happened to be fartin' around on google and decided I needed to learn everything I could about hedgehogs. They are my new obsession...I want one. Trouble is, no hedgehogs allowed in CA...bastards.

Here is a little info on hedgehog poo:

Disadvantage #4: Hedgehogs do not go to the bathroom outside or use a litter box.

In reality, while some hedgehog owners are fortunate enough to have a hedgehog that uses a specific area of the cage, and are able to put a litter box there, most are not. In fact, most hedgehogs seem to prefer to use the restroom while running on their wheel (leading to messy feet and possibly a messy hedgie) or as soon as you wake them up to take them out of their cage (leading to a messy human). The later disaster can be almost completely averted by waking your hedgehog up, holding it for just a minute or two, then putting it back into its cage for a couple of minutes to do it's business before you pick it up again. This is not a guarantee of a poop free encounter though. Hedgehogs quite simply seem to like to poop on their people occasionally. If the thought of this, even on a rare basis, makes you want to go take a shower, then a hedgehog is probably not the pet for you.

Is there an advantage?:

If you can live with the occasional "oops" on your clothes this is one pet you don't have to take for walks in the rain. And to be honest, with all the hedgehog handling we do around here, we don't get pooped on all that often. If you shop well for your cage, weekly cleanup is quick and simple, and a hedgehog that has a regularly cleaned cage has almost no odor at all.

Doncha just want one????
Fi

OH NOOOO!!!

2006-11-05T00:04:00.000-08:00

I was all set to write about my last few days when I read about the Garden Gnome Liberation Front! I thought immediately about Weasley, but then I realized that he was in my yard, not on my front lawn, and he does a great job of disappearing! In fact I had a hard time finding him, but there he was, hiding in the plumeria.

Yesterday I went to an all day district workshop for the remedial reading program I'm teaching (called Language!) It was really a good workshop, since we shared practical strategies for teaching these middle school below grade level (at least 2 years) students how to read. Many of them just missed qualifying for special ed, others missed too much time at school when reading was being taught, or went to several different elementary schools so there was no continuity in what they were learning. They've developed a variety of coping skills, none of which work in my class, since there are only a few (15 and 19) students in the room and all we are working on is reading. This in turn causes some of them to act out in very negative behavior. It's been a real challenge needless to say. But the workshop gave me some really good ideas and it's always encouraging to talk with other teachers who are dealing with the same issues.

Yesterday (it was today when I actually started this post) I went to the first follow up meeting from the Inland Area Writing Project Summer Institute I attended this summer at UCR. It was great to meet with the other fellows, catch up, and find out that I wasn't the only one who hadn't been writing very much. All of the fellows are teachers, elementary, middle, and high school and the beginning of the year has been busier than usual for everyone. I really do need to work on a few pieces I started. I am putting a few of them on my webpage (one or the other)

How about Meatloaf?! and the new iPod commercial!

I realize that this is a rather long entry. I actually started this last evening, but my dear h. insisted I shut the computer around midnight. Today I have been working on my site (the .mac site) and that is another story. Twenty minutes alone on trying to get a link to load correctly! Ah well, I just saw Russell Crowe's interview on CBS as I'm typing this. Oh yeah...

There's nothing else to say right now (of course there is, but for some reason I seem to be distracted)..............Do

She couldn't make it easy...

2006-11-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

So I've known our writing center facilitator, my boss, for a few years now, having formerly been one of my professors, then suckering me into tutoring. In the years that I've known her, I've only ever heard her mention when her birthday is once, and it was quite a few months after the fact, so I quickly forgot about it. This is a woman who generally keeps her birthday low key.

After finding out when her birthday is, one of my co-workers, who's been a tutor a little longer than me, thought it would be fun to surprise our boss on her birthday. We decided, since her birthday is on the day we observe Veteran's Day, and since we have a weekly tutor meeting every Friday anyway, that we would throw this little surprise shindig today (a week before her actual birthday) during the meeting. She's pretty diligent about keeping up on our weekly meetings, so we knew she wouldn't cancel the week before a holiday prevented a meeting.

We knew we had to keep it a secret so she wouldn't try to talk us out of it. We were doing pretty good too, and we owed kudos to our ring-leader for pulling it off -- taking up a collection to get a small gift, card and cake -- even though she got sick at the beginning of the week.

Now, I work in the Basic Skills lab on Friday mornings just before the meetings and since we're always slow in there on Fridays, I planned to leave half an hour early to help set up for the surprise party. But an hour before, the party ring-leader came in and I knew that our dear facilitator cancelled the meeting. Time to start freaking out...

She talked to the head of the English department, who talked to our boss and convinced her it was absolutely imperative that she be there anyway to help her out with something. It was a good thing too that she succeeded because we were coming up with all kinds of over-the-top stories to tell her just to get her in. Things like, "So-and-so is dancing naked on the tables, and such-and-such is freaking out and on the rampage, and our Instructional Assistant is locked up in the office smoking, and someone broke out the liquor. It's a freak show and we need help. Of course that never would have worked; she would have seen right through it. But, there was always, "We have a situation that needs your immediate attention." Whew!

No matter, the head of the department got her in, and we pulled it off. She never suspected a thing and was super surprised. Woohoo!

Party, party, party!

I certainly hope Weasley is staying out of trouble.

My poor husband has to get up bright and early in the morning and take our 14-yr-old and two of her teammates to a soccer game at the Blast Complex in the morning. Then she wants me to take her to have her nails done. I confess, I need a fill, and it might be a nice break. I wonder if they'll change the color of my glitter for me.

Okay...now I'm babbling. Thank goodness tomorrow is her last soccer game of the season. And thank goodness she is done with The Odyssey! Maybe now I can get a little more of my own work done. Hmmm...but probably not.

ARGHHHH

2006-11-03T09:01:00.000-08:00

ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I FED THE DAMN FISH !!!!!
FI

Tequila anyone?

2006-11-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

So, I think you are right about the picture...I do look like I've been at weasely's tequila. Is this the kind of image I want to present to the world? Hmmm. As for you two...So looks like she has a big fat secret which she is very ahppy about and Do...well, Do looks a little crazy. Drunk, enigmatic, and nuts...that's us.
Talking of Margaritas, I went for a drink with a fellow writing center tutor last night and we had a bucket of perfect margaritas. They were yummy. You know we have been having the same situation in our writing center in palm desert...usually we are so busy I dont even have time for a wee, yet this week Ive been sitting arond twiddling my thumbs. What's going on? We are desperately trying to expand our WC and have been very smug of late because of heavy traffic...looks good in the log book for future funding efforts. So I get a little freaked out when its quiet...
Oh So, I hate the IRS too, so much so that I havent talked to them in a year or two. I know I don't owe them any money, infact they probably owe me some...but I have a talking-to-my-accountant phobia. I need to get a new one because the guy I used last time was about a hundered with dyed red hair and a lecherous demeanour. Don't even ask me to do them myself...that would be worse than encountering a black widow. I HATE FILLING OUT FORMS...it is the most hateful exercise in the world. Anyway, when anyone mentions the IRS I get a litle nervous.
Well that's all for now.
Did you guys like the french gnome story...Weasley needs to stop being so naughty.
Fi
ps the fish is still looking good

Weasely better watch his step...this could be him

2006-11-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

Homeless gnomes gather dust in France

PARIS, France (Reuters) -- A French police station has been stuck with a room of homeless garden gnomes, victims of a wave of gnome abductions, after a new bid to trace their owners failed.

Only a trickle of people showed up for Monday's "gnome return day" at the police station in Saint-Die-des-Vosges, near the eastern city of Strasbourg, and only one person was reunited with a stolen gnome, police said.

About 75 kidnapped gnomes were recovered in 2001 after a group called the Garden Gnome Liberation Front released them, leaving them on the steps of the Saint-Die-des-Vosges cathedral.

Police have yet to reunite 43 of the gnomes with their owners.

"In wanting to set them free, the Liberation Front has virtually imprisoned them," policeman Sylvain Brucker told Reuters, adding the local prosecutor could decide to sell the kitsch garden ornaments in a police auction.

"Perhaps there are people with gardens who would like to adopt them," he said.

Does this count for tomorrow's post?

2006-11-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

In trying to avoid the Annotated Bibliography for 609 and my OOO, I've been thinking about the discussion Do and I had last night about our blog photo. The more I look at it, the more I'm convinced Fi has been into the Tequila that Weasley was looking for.

I'm reminded of Harry Nilsson's "Coconut." Maybe I'll add the song to my OOO (I'm such a rebel).

I think I'll curl up with a Scooby Snack and watch Practical Magic when I get home (if I can locate it in one of the four boxes we've packed the DVDs in). Though the book is better (it always is), I can't get over Sandra Bullock knocking the hell out of Nicole Kidman.

And speaking of Alice Hoffman, I bought The Ice Queen just after it was released, never got to read it, and now I can't find it after packing it up for the installation of new flooring and repainting the livingroom/diningroom. I've cleaned out my boxes and book shelves umpteen thousand times looking for it, yet my husband (he really does try to help) insists that I'm overlooking it. Not likely. I'm convinced it grew legs and feet and ran away for lack of attention and care. Books tend to do this at my house. I've seen their blurs as they round the corner down the street. Though I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't find it in my friend's possession or somewhere in one of the kids' rooms. My girls do like to "borrow" mommy's pretties.

Sometimes I wish our regulars would do their assignments and not chit chat with the tutors so much. Maybe then I could get some of my own work done when we're quiet -- like now.

Another day, another dollar, right?

2006-11-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

I hate the stinkin' IRS. Grrrrr...

I did my taxes online and now they want me to fill out some form and send it back to them. What? It's already been almost a year. Why not make that sucker available online when we do our taxes? And, it's not enough that they take our hard-earned money, but they want me to provide the stamp to send the form back to them, rather than providing a SASE. That would be the least they could do, considering, right?

My daughter (the pregnant one) phoned on Hallowe'en, but no one answered the phone :-(. Her message said she had good news. I gulped when I heard that, and gulped more when I made my mother tell me that my daughter's boyfriend (the rat-bastard) proposed and she accepted. Now, this might seem like good news to some, but I know some things about that boy (because he most certainly is not a man) that make me want to...well...those are illegalities that I probably shouldn't mention in a public forum. I'm probably in enough trouble just admitting that I HATE THE IRS!!!

It was quiet in the writing center a little while ago, but now students are starting to trickle in. Although normally we're busting at the seems by 10 a.m. Hmmm...perhaps we've frightened them off (it is the week of Hallowe'en). Afterall, "NO, we absolutely, positively will NOT proofread or edit your papers!" .

So I take my daughter (the one in high school) to school this morning, as I do every morning (but we skipped Starbucks). As I'm driving along in the direction of the rising sun, even with my sunglasses on, it starts to get a little too bright for my pale eyes to handle. We stop for the red light, I reach up for the visor to pull it down, and out of the corner of my eye (more the top portion really), I glimpse a black spot on the ceiling just above me. For about a half second, I think, "Oh! A black spot on the ceil....," then out of my mouth comes, "Holy sh*t!" My daughter, slightly confused, asks more calmly than I'd like (why can't she freak out with me?), "What's wrong?" I practically scream, "There's a f***ing black widow above my head!" As soon as the light turns green, I speed into the closest parking lot, ease my way out of the car, grab for napkins in the door pocket (I'm a mom; I almost always have napkins in the car), and hear "CRUNCH!" Yes, I killed her (the spider) and buried her in a Hefty Handy Sak (which I also keep in the car).

Of course my husband, bless him, just can't fathom how that little lady got into the car when all the windows and doors were shut tight. As I said, "Bless him." I wonder how Weasley would have handled such a situation?

Off to check the online tutor and earn some much needed "play" money (ROFL).

Remember not to feed the fish...

2006-11-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

da da da daaaahhhhh...
let's not feed the fish for a few days and see if he dies!
A Halloween experiment
(ha ha ha ha)

More Hallowe'en Pics from ages ago...

2006-10-31T23:06:00.000-08:00

When I still had my "Crash-landers." (Three different ones).

Headstone for the crash-landers.

My baby, Suki, when she could still semi-fit on top of my monitor (when I had a monitor she could lay on).

My Halloween...

2006-10-31T22:48:00.000-08:00

I gave candy out to my students, but I didn't get dressed up. Dealing with 2 people in my house who need nursing is taking its toll. I hate this time change, it's dark by the time I get home! I did find Weasley

What was that you said Weasley? You have the limes, now can I get you the tequila out of the freezer??? I don't think so! Don't you have some place to go tonight It's Halloween!

I keep having the feeling that I'm missing something in class. Tomorrow we need to have a "rough draft" form of our OOO, is that right? I know neither of you might read this tonight, but I just had to write it. I'm off to do the podcast.
Buona notte,
Do

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T16:59:00.000-08:00

I thought this was very appropriate for me to post as a Happy Halloween card to my fellow bloggers...I love poo jokes. I never grew up in that department I suppose. Well...talking of poo, I have to pull a draft of my thesis proposal out of my*^%& by tomorrow morning. This is going to take alot of coffee and invention...and its Halloween. I'm so bummed. Don't these thesis folks KNOW its a national holiday and there is punch to be drunk and apples to be bobbed...for. Sigh.
Do, I adore your gnome...please keep me posted on his whereabouts. Have you determined if he is a rare chap or just your common run of the mill garden variety?
Ok...I we have an assesment due so I'd better get going on that. It's amazing how confident I've become in the last few days...I mean it sound so stupid but remeber how much whining I did when we were creating links...I cringe at the thought of it. Now I'm a link creating fiend
Anyhoo, better get on...
Fi

2006-10-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

I'll try to post other Hallowe'en pics later, but I'm at work so this is it for now...

I hope you both have a fun and happy Hallow's Eve.

comments, comments, and more comments

2006-10-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

Is anyone reading the comments to any of the blogs?

Just curious...

...back to the books now.

Now what

2006-10-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

I have a dilemma. Should I continue with my geocities website, or tackle a new site on .mac? I'd hate to waste time working on one if I can't get my whole OOO on it, and then have to start all over. I'm thinking, does geocities allow links to other sites? I vaguely rememberr something coming up about this in class. I guess I'll just have to do the "try it and see if it works" method on this one. In the meantime, I've played nurse to my dear h. since Friday when he had a cyst removed from his back (should have taken 20 minutes, ended up taking 11/2 hours). Instead of 1/2" deep, it was 2+" deep and very close to his spine. Needless to say, he's been doing the typical man thing. (You know needs to be taken care of stuff). 5 lovely stitches, his new name is The Tingler.

I took a video of my plumbago. When I tried to upload it to my computer, the battery died lol, so I'll add it to the last post when it's finished charging. I need to go back to my work, so I'll post again later.
Do

Where did the day go??

2006-10-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

No matter what my best intentions are, the weekend never turns out as I planned. I really intended to start working on this blog, type up my part of the assessment, work some more on my OOO, so what did I do most of the day? I was chopping back purple hopseed and plumbago plants on my slope. They got too tall. My neighbor said that I can't trim them because the plumbago has grown over his dead oleander and if I cut it back, he'll see the dead plants. C'est la vie. He also said I couldn't be on his property! So I stayed on my side of the lot line and started hacking. I'll add a picture tomorrow.

I spent the better part of the evening searching out pictures for my OOO. I finally settled on an organizational strategy for it. As I was working this evening the thought occured to me that this assignment is not entirely fair. I have a much longer history to go through than probably everyone else in the class!! I think I'll probably link my geocities to my .mac pages. I need to add some video, podcasts, and other stuff. How are you two doing on your OOO's?

Well that gnome is still appearing in my garden. This time I found him up in the apple tree looking for what? Apple wine he says?? There aren't any apples on the tree!! He said he'll wait. I suggested he move on.

Now he's in the honeysuckle. What did you say? You're waiting for the honeysuckle wine? Ok there are a few flowers right now, but I really don't think there is such a thing as honeysuckle wine. You need to move on!!

Now it's late and I'm tired. I'll be back in the morning! Do

It's that time of year again...

2006-10-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

...remember to set your clocks back an hour.
Is this done anywhere else but America? I think even some states chuck the whole idea of Daylight Savings Time. What is that anyway? What is the point really? Is it necessary in our modern times to change the time like that? What are we doing? It seems like we're trying to change the natural order and cycle of things.

Okay, I think I'm done with my little rant. It will be good to "sleep in."

Mother Nature...

2006-10-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

I sometimes love when she does something unexpected or what many would consider "unorthodox." While waiting for my teenage daughter to get ready for school, I ran across this article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20061026/sc_space/amazonriverflowedbackwardsinancienttimes

I thought it was interesting, and it made think of our own Mojave River, which flows North (and East apparently) rather than South as well as underground.

Good Dog! Bad Kitty!

2006-10-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

What another rough week! Left work Tuesday only to get a phone call from my mom informing me that my baby brother was hospitalized for an enlarged spleen (apparently five times larger than a normal one). They've ruled out stomach cancer, but not Lukemia. They also suspect Mono (I told him I was telling his wife on him and asked who he's been kissing besides her). Oh! And his acid reflux is worse (he should really stop smoking). I'm just glad he's finally home, but he can't go back to work until he's a blood doctor for more tests.

On the bright side, I got a phone call for a tutoring job I apped to in Memphis. Unfortunately they need somone, like, yesterday. Fortunately, they said they'd hold my app till I get there in December. Yay! Here's hoping, right?

Okay, so, I love Skidboot. I'm not a dog person, but I would love to have a dog like that. So smart! Good doggy! Sit, stay! Alas, I'm a cat person, but lately my cats have been bothersome.

My best friend was doing laundry at my house yesterday. She took freshly dried clothes out of the dryer, set them aside in a basket, and turned to move the other clothes from the washer to the dryer. In the meantime, my husband's pain-in-the-arse cat decided to jump into the basket of clean clothes and...well...leave his mark. We didn't name him Puck for nothing, and I'm surprised he lived through getting caught. Needless to say, the next load of laundry had to wait for the ones Puck "liked" to be rewashed. What a naughty kitty! Outside with him!

'Til tomorrow then.

Check this out !

2006-10-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

this is skidboot's story...

Late night with George

2006-10-23T00:07:00.000-07:00

Good evening, wasn't today just beautiful?! I spent time working, but I had to take breaks, go outside and do little gardening things. On one of these breaks, I came across a gnome! Since the last time I encountered one of these guys was in the Weasley garden, I decided that would be his name. Seems like he enjoys playing the flute.
I rushed inside and got my camera. He's sitting next to my Thoreau rock pile (all of them found in my yard). He's a slippery little fellow though, as soon as I snapped this he disappeared!
Tomorrow I have my biannual observation so I've been working on a knock out lesson (you have to get really creative with kids who don't want to have any to do with reading). They really engage when I have something for them to do on the Promethean board. On the other hand, with this Language! program, most of the lesson is direct instruction. The one we are working on tomorrow has a reading selection on Elvis Presley, so I'll be playing some of his greatest hits while we work.

What was that?

Testing testing...

2006-10-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am going to try something which is pretty rad for me...if I get it right guess which one is me.
Dancers...
If I dont...sorry
Stevie was so fab I cant stand it...I think I would have fainted if she'd done her own stuff or some Fleetwood Mac stuff. But last nite it was all about Tom. I do think she needs to rethink her headgear tho...she wore a variation of this hat...except last nite it wanted to fall off.
Fi

translations and jealousy

2006-10-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, this may not help much, but here goes... MC = Molten Core -- it's a part of the game that requires 40 people to "run"/raid it, but we did most of it with between 30-38 people. The people are part of my guild and come from all over...one is even from Australia, and another works for NASA and lives in Florida. Places like Molten Core are called instances, and once a group is in an instance (walk through a swirling, sparkling portal-type thing), it's ours, essentially. Other groups have their own Molten Core instances.

Cenarion, Tier 1 gear is the first set of awesome armor for druids. Each class has its own unique sets. There are usually 8 pieces per set: helm, bracers, gloves, leggings, chest piece, boots, belt, and spaulders. Tier 2 -- Stormrage -- is the next best thing, and of those 8 pieces, I already have my helm. The pieces "drop" off of "mobs" (monsters in the instances) when we kill them. Some pieces only drop off of the "bosses": big meanies. So, for my Cenarion, I have my bracers, gloves, spaulders, and boots. I still need the belt, chest piece (vestment), and leggings. I won't "roll" for the helm because I have the one for my next set already. Did that make sense, or did I confuse it more. I tend to overcomplicate the simple and make things more confusing than they should be.

Anyway, so my best friend was over today, and she was talking about her sister's blog and her sister's latest idiotic entry, so I had her check ours out. I have to say, she's completely jealous of Fi. She is a die-hard Stevie fan, and she so wanted to see her with Tom Petty. Her addiction to Stevie rivals my addiction to TFF. And right now, along with that jealousy, she thinks Fi is the luckiest person on earth.

Doh!

2006-10-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Chicas,
Ok Do, I went back and fiddled with the html code to change it from black...I know I know...dumb move in the first place...so I changed the code...but it DIDNT WORK...I'm sure it is the computer's fault and not mine.
Tee hee
Please show me tomorrow Do (in my most grovelling tone)
Fi

Found it

2006-10-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Fi, Just thought I'd take a break from working (you know lesson planning for my students, homework from this class), so I checked out the blog. I looked at your html for the Petty post (very cool by the way) and found that you had the middle paragraph color set to black! Kind of difficult to see against a black background lol. later, Do.

Tom Petty was amazing

2006-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

So a last minute decision really....My friend Tiff and I decided to try our luck and get Tom Petty tickets last night....he was playing at Indian Wells which is a big tennis stadium 'bout 20 minutes from home. So we stood in line for about an hour and paid 75 bucks...holy crapper...for a ticket...gulp. Oh well its not everyday you get to see the great T with special guest start.....STEVIE NICKS no less. I just about wet myself. I was totally blown away...there had been rumours (ha ha) that she might show up. Anyway, when they did "Don't come around here no more....la la la" I was instantly transported to my final year of high school, (wht we Brits call sixth form college), and my then bf...my first love who was from NJ...I thought that was so cool. Anyway, we used to lounge around and ...well y'know...and listen to that song...and well, y'know. sigh.
Do you know Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been together for 30 years?
So, your dog story was so heartbreaking...poor lil guy.
Do, I am reimagining you as Bill Murray in Caddy Shack.

Ok so now I'm playing around with italics cos I don't know how to undo what I just did.
I think this would be a good place to sign off...see yers
Fi

Another Saturday Night

2006-10-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, the time is just flying by. I spent today fighting a war. We have gophers living under our front lawn. My dear h. has been trying to chase them away with a variety of unpleasant things. Unfortunately, our neighbors don't care about the mounds of dirt on their lawn. I was pulling out oxalis where the gophers live (our house is on a hill, so the front has a small slope (maybe 10 feet) from the house to the street), and started sinking. Apparently, the gophers have a palace built under my lawn. Calling the experts in on Monday.

So, Talk about speaking a different language, your game playing sounds interesting, but when you start using terminology specific to the game....I'm out of the loop lol.

Your story about the boy and dog reminded me of a similar incident. My son was about 4, playing in our tiny backyard (this was in NJ.), and a big black dog wandered down the walk toward the yard. My son started screaming, I ran out and chased the dog away. To this day (he's 25 years old now), my son remembers the incident with the same emotion. Fortunately, he did not develop a fear of dogs!

I was reading Wysocki earlier and decided to take the suggestion to play with this form of writing. I know, it's only manipulating fonts, color, and size, but what the hey (I did go out and adopt a fishy for us, I hope you are feeding him on your posting days!) I think I'm going to have to figure out how to move him to the sidebar, otherwise he'll disappear into the ARCHIVES!!!!!
A Domani! Do

Another post

2006-10-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to a movie on so long I can't remember the last movie we went to see. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in a day, a week, a month...blah, blah, blah. The last one I remember is Tristan and Isolde.

I hear a lot of people are thinking about taking the exam rather than writing a thesis. But there's also the guilt-laden notion that we're cheating. The major is in Composition with concentrations in Lit., TESL, or Rhet./Comp. Most especially for those of us in the Composition-Composition program, it seems even more like cheating. Here we are trying to get a degree in Composition and instead of composing a thesis, we're going to take an exam. I don't know...is it cheating? Who are we cheating? Ourselves? Our potential audience? Future generations?

Too much to wrap the mind around at this hour.

So, on the lighter side, and I know I'm probably the only one who is interested, but after being talked into going on another MC run in WoW, I picked up another epic piece for my toon. She's now 4/8 on her Cenarion gear (Tier1 druid armor), minus the Tier 2 helm (moose antlers and all) and looking better every time.

I got a few vidoes in the mail: Jillina's Level 1 Instructional Bellydance; Tribal Fusion Belly Dance with Rachel Brice, and the one I've waiting for: Pretty in Pink: The Everything's Duckie Edition. Off to finish watching that.

See you on Monday, have a fantastic weekend!