eek! there's a mouse in my kitchen!

    I really hate cleaning. My kitchen always looks like a disaster area. So, when I can find something fun to help ease the pain, I usually buy it. Thus, the mouse palm sponge entered my domesticated life. It's cute, it sort of makes washing dishes more fun, and it's

P U R P L E ! ! !

weakly [bi-]weekly posting

Monday (during my morning break), I drafted this:

    Yeah. well. I don't really intend either condition. You would think with only four days of work last week I'd have been more on the ball. But, two of those evenings at home I didn't even turn on my comptuer! And why is it that as I fall asleep at night I can calmly think of all those things that need to be accomplished the next day. No problem. I'll remember. They are important. Then, I get to work and they are out of my head! I think all I did last week was try to stay warm. I got so cold at work my face was hurting (those were the nights the computer stayed turned off). I did spend a good day with my sister on Saturday; she heads back to Hawaii today.
    We did get all of Season 5 of 24 watched, but not the four hours of Season 6 on the DVR. Maybe by next Monday night we'll be caught up to watch the episode when broadcast.
1/22/07 9:20AM

    Obviously, I never finished it, nor posted it. Sigh. Did get all the 24 watched and am ready for the new episode. On the weekends I like to catch up on the prime-time things the DVR caught during the week; I really don't like watching them in the evenings.
    Son#2 is riding with me each day, as he has classes only on Tues/Thurs, but is now working at the library for the shelving supervisor. IF I could convince him to drive, I could at least knit for about 45 minutes eacch way! LOL But, I'm thinking about trying to go up early for a yoga class, which means he'd be sleeping. Yikes! I'm befuddle about what to do:
    I'd like to work 730-400, and get home early... but I'd also like to take the yoga class (one's early, 630; another at 415) AND I'd like to start sitting in on the Buddhism class at 1100. But, that means taking an hour for lunch, thus working another half-hour, and eliminates the possibility of the afternoon yoga class.
    The problem is, I don't think Work will let me do it one way for two days a week, and the other way for three days a week. And, of coures, until I'm sure what I want to do, I can't even think about asking the supervisors! LOL
    Oh my... I'm such a Pooh-Bear sometimes. For now, I'm going to try to split my day between pleasure, chores, and papers/reading. Two days of sunshine in two weeks of rain -- and now the rain (and cold) is back. Blech!

ETA: Forgot a photo! I (thought I had) posted my student id photos here (but can't find post or photo online), and meant to post my staff id photo before now, but here (are both):

June 2004

November 2006

    Yuck! I look miserable in both! Rissa, let's try to get a decent photo of me while I'm in Jackson next month, okay?

dueling socks

    Yesterday, after Rissa and Karin left, I wound off and weighed the ball of MegaBoots Stretch I bought at Yarn Barn (VA) in October in order to have two working balls. I am making Marguerite's Shetland Lace Rib socks. Since there is such a difference in the two green socks, I have decided to knit both socks of this pair at the same time. I've alread got about half the foot done on one, so I started the second one last night to catch-up.

    Oh dear. I drafted that last Sunday night at 10pm, intending it to be the beginning of my Monday entry. (I did manage to finish the toe for this second sock before I went to bed Sunday night.) Almost a week later, I am finally getting back to my blog. It has been a long week, and a physically exhausting one, though it began easily enough work-wise, as the university was closed until noon.

    We began this week to measure the library collection, that is, how much space on our shelves is being occupied by the holdings. My partner and I had half of the fourth floor as our assignment: approximately 54 seven-shelf sections per range and 16 ranges. We only got into the second range the first afternoon; then I worked alone Tuesday morning. We finished by Thursday lunch break. But then, I -- nor anyone in our department -- could not do my work because the network went down. Actually, it seemed like it was up and down all that afternoon. On Friday was working okay in the morning, but by the time I got back from orientation for new graduate students, it was crashed again. So, after lunch it was back to the measuring project.

    The good news was that I went over 7000 steps on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and over 5000 on Thursday. I haven't been entering my steps at walkertracker.com, but I average 3500 steps a day (i.e., without specific exercise effort). I'm looking forward to yoga classes beginning, and hope to check out the BD classes.

    The bad news was that I have been fighting sinus pressure and pain on the left side of my face and left eye since Wednesday evening. It is better this weekend, but still not gone completely. I took a variety of medications but nothing really seemed to help the pain; it was a miserable way to work. The spicy Thai sauce on my Basil Cashew Chicken wrap at lunch Friday did more to help than anything else!

    Between that and the weariness of the physical effort, I was in bed earlier than usual this week! The worst though is no time/energy to knit or anything else. I did, however, watch the first two discs of season 5 of 24, and am now DVR'ing the Season 6 opener tonight (and tomorrow night). Will pick up the next two discs tomorrow, I think, with a free rental coupon. Maybe by next week I'll be on track. I'm finding season 5 much better than 4!

    So, back to the socks. Here's what the second Senso sock looks like when stretched to "fit" (think Cinderella's Stepsister trying on the glass slipper):

    See how tightly my great toe is poking out the toe, and how the leg ribbing starts way down on my foot? Not good. Not attractive. Not comfortable.

Here, though, is how it looks when not forced to fit:

    I will be ripping back to where the heel begins, adding another round of pale green rows, and then start the ribbing further from the end of the heel--but if I do that, I'll have to rework the leg on the other sock as well...perhaps I'll pull the whole thing apart and try to work it more losely, like the first sock. I did the toe wrong, too. I'll try to remember to take a side-by-side shot of both socks before I rip so you can see how much tigher I knit the second sock.

    I suppose the lesson is that if I'm not going to work both socks at the same time, I need to check my gauge often to be sure the two sock are working up the same! And make notes rather than relying on my memory because I may not make that second sock soon enough to do so correctly.

a stitch on Sunday...

won't last a week!

    That's what Momma always said. And tonight it was true for me, for the first time in a long time. However, I think I discovered what I'm doing wrong on my sock toes. Updates to follow.

    Yes, Momma, I know. It is time to go to bed. Let me get the stitches back on the needles and ready to go for tomorrow. Just a couple more stitches...

12th night & ROC day

    Remember in The Great Gatsby when Daisy laments that she never remembers to have a party on the longest day of the year? Well, I always mean to celebrate Twelfth Night and rarely remember to do so. Now, thanks to spinning/spindling friends I know about ROC day: Return of Chores. The Christmas season is officially over, so back to work, folks.

    Momma never put up any Christmas decorations before December 1st, and once that day arrived it was a slow build-up rather than everything out that day. Tree didn't go up till closer to the 25th -- even closer for a real tree. But, come January 1st EVERYTHING came down and was put away... it was bad luck not to do so. I'm living proof that this is not true (or that it IS??), for I do not like to take down my Christmas decorations on New Year's. (I believe it is the principle of ROC that was also behind my mother's tradition of doing on New Year's day a little bit of everything you want to do all year.)

    Stephanie, like many others, says she does this on Twelfth day to avoid bad luck. But as I think about Twelfth Night celebrations and ROC, I'm thinking that you can't take down the decorations if you are celebrating the Epiphany! So, as I move the decorated mini-trees to itheir storage places on the top of the bookcases in the library tonight, I am ROC'ing. No bad luck for me.

    As for ROC day... well, it was nice to be with friends. Even better if Lisa had been along. It was nice to see the pretty wool and yarn. I was, however, hoping to find a spindle to purchase, and there were none that I wanted. What I want is one of Jen's Mantra spindles, but I have been trying to contact here since October without success. (Obviously, if anyone can help me reach her I would be grateful.) The day would have been better if Lisa had been along, and if there had been more vendors, and if there was... I don't know exactly what I had been expecting, and don't know what was missing. Perhaps it was only me. Still glad I went. Lunch was delish!

    Evenso, I did not come away empty handed:

This is 4.5 ounces of Gulf Coast wool from Running Moon Farm in color "Afternoon Tea," though heaven only know when and how long it will take me to spindle it all! The color is a much lovelier red-violet than the photo shows.

    Last evening, Rissa, Karin and I stopped by to the stash we'd heard someone was selling off. Talk about pay-dirt! I was very good and only bought a cone of dark rust-colored alpaca. The woman brought out some mohair and mohair blend when she heard me say I was a knitter more than a spinner/weaver. Then a pile of needles. I picked through to find the smaller circulars and ended up with 11 packages. I had to force her to take a very modest payment. She seemed so thrilled that we were so interested in her treasures (she is having to destash for health reasons). I found myself guessing that her own children/relative must not have any interest. Perhaps like me, she had only sons who aren't interested in fiber arts. It was kind of sad, but she is such a sweet lady -- and honestly, I think she is probably a hoot as well, judging by a few passing comments. We are all three thinking of having another look soon.

    An unexpected event along life's path, another person passing through one's life.

    Only a half-day of work tomorrow, though it's an afternoon half, not a morning half. The university football team is playing in a bowl game in Mobile, AL, tonight and the university will be closed until noon. I won't even try to make sense of this.

    I will enjoy an extra hour or two of sleep in the morning, have a long lingering cup of java at the coffeeshop near the college, run an errand or two nearby and have a bite to eat before I go to work.

better now?

    I think most everything is back where it is supposed to be on the sidebar. Just a quickie post to check it out, and to show y'all the photo From June Week that I promised yesterday. We weren't going to the fanciest of the dances, but it's the only photo I have of us dressed up.

    Time for this ol' lady to get to bed. We've got a lot of rain on the way, they say, but at least it isn't cold. Of coures, cold is good for cuddling. Don't go asking me how I know . . .

    (I hear the thunder rolling as I type.)

looking different

    yes, things are looking different today. I am fiddling with the template, so be please be patient. it will take me a bit to get the sidebar back in order.

    [photo for this post is the new banner, with artsiness by Rissa]

misty memories?

    On the job, I work with names. Names of authors at the moment. Every once in a while a name sparks a memory of someone I know with a similar name. Just now I came across a first name that brought back pleasant memories: Reed. First name in both cases, not last.

    More years ago that I want to count, I attended Heritage Baptist Church in Annapolis, MD. The church had a special outreach to the midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy -- don't judge me too harshly, but that IS why I went attended services there. Of course, there was an outstanding Mississippi Boy doing the preaching, and another good ol' southern gent running the Baptist Student Union. Thanks to my swiss-cheese brain, I can not bring either one's name to mind, though I can picture them both!

    So, it came to pass that in the Spring of 1975, I began to date one of the midshipman (not my first, but the nicest) and luckily for me, he not only was he a First Classman, ie., a senior, but he didn't have a girl back home. See, lots of those jerks, er, I mean fellows, only dated the local girls through the year, on the weekends when they had leave time. Then, when it came time for the BIG dances and especially June Week, The Girl Back Home was brought to Annapolis. Since the jerks, er, I mean fellows, who did this weren't so very upfront about The Girl Back Home it was usually too late when the local girl found out about The Girl Back Home. But, I digress.

    Because of Reed, I was able to experience that which is June Week. All the dances, all the parades, all the receptions, and finally, the graduation, complete with the sea of Navy (pardon the pun) dress white hats tossed into the air. We were never too serious, so I didn't pin on his wings; his mother got that pleasure, as she should have. I was just happy to be there. (My best friend's fiance graduated the same year, though the two guys didn't know each other well or run in the same circles.) I even stayed the week at the cottage on the water his parents had rented, it being much closer to Annapolis than where I lived.

    The internet being the wonderful place that it is, and knowing a little about what Reed did post-Navy, I was pretty sure I could find out something by searching Google. I did! Even found a photo; he still looks the same. He's working at a university in VA, is married with two teenage sons -- so he obviously waited a while to have children, as did I. I knew he was married, and that he was at one time in the past in foreign mission work (hospital administration) with the Southern Baptists.

    Will I contact him? Not likely. But it's a pleasure to see he's 'done good.' Not that I doubted it for a second. Hard-working and dedicated -- which, with what little I have learned online about his accomplishments, is still his personality.

    I'll have to wait until tomorrow to post a photo of us from June Week. The scanner at home is not compatible with XP, so I'll have to do it on campus. Until then, another blast from the past . . . The univeristy has a special collection of children's books, DeGummond Collection, so I also come across books that we had in our house . . . like this one I worked with this afternoon:

back later . . .

blog resolutions

    Getting a little more practical and less esoteric, here're a few specific resolutions for my blogging efforts:

1. no more than one meme per week!
2. at least one photo per blog entry!
3. more knitting/beading/stitching content!
4. a little less blathering, i.e., try to write something worth reading!
5. remember to use the spell-checker!
6. learn to blog through my iPaq & email!
7. organize/backup my template so changing it is eaier!
8. change the template more often!

    And so that I don't break #2 right on the first day, here's another shot from commencement. #1Son is on the right (my left), #2Son is on the left (my right):

    If you are lucky, I'll have a new look tomorrow. Now, I want to knit for just a bit while I have my snack. I have everything but the cuff done on the pair of sock I'm knitting with the DMC Senso. I want to put both on the needles and do the cuffs at the same time. Maybe. I've not yet been able to work like that without getting confused. But I'll never get it if I don't keep trying.

    Oh! Did I mention that I got the result of my last blood test and my A1C was 5.2%? Sorry to repeat if I did, but I'm pretty happy about it.

   (I edited yesterday's post to add a photo of the 'sweetheart' I was talking about, so scroll back to have a look at my DH. It's been a while since I posted a shot of him. I even left it big so you can see him well. Go look. Go now. Go!)

no good deed/goals vs. resolutions

    My sweet hubby. I asked him to check to see if the clothes in the dryer were dry. Turned out my clothes were in the washer and needed to be put into the dryer. So, of course, he did that instead. Bless his little heart.
    When I heard the buzzer, and headed to the laundry room, he casually told me that he only put HALF of the clothes in because the dryer looked too full. YIKES!! I am waiting for my clothes to be done to GO TO BED. I am not just physically tired but am mentally and emotionally weary, and have been staying up a little later every night for the past week. But tomorrow I go back to work and that means getting up at 530am.
    So, now I am waiting for the second HALF of my load of wash to finish drying . . .
    Guess I should pony-up and write out my resolutions for 2007. Before I do that, I'll take a peek back in blog-o-sphere and see what I've resolved in the past... and with apologies to Rissa (whom I told I alway post resolutions on 01/01 not 12/31), I did post these on 12/31/2003 (but re-resolved and re-posted 01/01/2005):

(1) to remember birthdays ON-TIME
(2) to use my creative skills to give tangible results to those around me
(3) to delve deeper into my personal spirituality in order to attain resolution, for myself at least, over several personal situations
(4) to be content -- always my primary goal
Four is enough, I think: "Four has long been a number of completion, stability and predictability, as well as the representation of all earthly things."

And as I posted already, in January 2006 I didn't really make resolutions:

I read somewhere that the urgent things of life keep us from doing the important things. If I was going to make a resolution for 2006 it would be that I would make time for the important things.

    I still don't do well at doing things on time, whether it is birthdays, bills, or papers; meals, medicine, or chores.
    I still want to make things for people I love that they will use and love and appreciate -- yeah, I know. I'm expecting a lot from them.
    I still am deepening my personal spirituality, but for a variety of purposes.
    And living contentedly is still my primary goal.
    Perhaps the whole idea of making resolutions is to make one reflect, to make one ponder what it truly important in life. That is, if one will take time to reflect and ponder in the first place. People who do this daily, don't need a special time to do so. I think I like to do it just as an affirmation of who I am and what is important to me.

    The dryer is buzzing at me. Time to fold the clothes and go to bed--and bless his heart! Hubby brought them out for me to fold--I'm already an hour later than I wanted to be, and quarter hour later than is my usual bedtime. Fortunately, I do have the option of going to work a little later tomorrow.
Blessings to all!

one last meme

Year's End Meme by yours truly. I promise no more than one meme a week in 2007!
1AM: Did you make resolutions for 2006? Did you keep (any of) them? Sort of: “If I was going to make a resolution for 2006 it would be that I would make time for the important things.” My unwritten resolution is always to be more prompt with bill paying. I have made progress on that, thanks to auto-payments though, not my own efforts.
2AM: What New Year traditions (celebrations or superstitions) did you keep in 2006? None of the food ones, and we never stay up til midnight unless it is by accident. We sometime go to friends' early in the evening, but usually stay home. I suppose the one superstition I always follow is to do a little bit of everything on New Year’s Day that I want to do all year. Thanks, Mom.
3AM: Was there anything you did in 2006 that you had never done before? Bunches! Never been to Mexico or climbed a pyramid; never tried to spin wool or knit on two circular needles; never gone to a university commencement or applied to grad school.
4AM: How many calendars do you display/use? Where and what kind are they? There are always at least two displayed in our house, but like Rissa, my most used one is electronic. Mine is in my PDA. At work I use the Outlook calendar feature a lot, but I need to ask for my iPaq software to be added to my work computer so I can sync my desktop and PDA calendars. I like to have pretty calendars around, too. Have a cat weekly engagement type on my desk at work, and one where each month turns into a file folder for bills/receipts/etc. at home. I buy the pattern-a-day knitting calendar just for the patterns, but I may take it to work this year so my knitting co-workers can enjoy it too. I like those moon phase calendars but haven't seen one in years.
5AM: What is the most important lesson you learned in 2006? You have to work hard at being compassionate, and keep doing it every day.
6AM: Which color would you chose to represent 2006? Gotta reason? Turquoise. It's a calm and peaceful, yet intriguing color. It has mystical properies and it just plain makes me happy to look at it. Funny, though, I don't wear it often.
7AM: Of what are you most happy you accomplished in 2006? Knuckling down and getting the diabetes under good control.
8AM: What was the worst thing that happened to you in 2006?Having an emotional breakdown in the middle of the Mexico City International airport. It was a pretty good year really.
9AM: Did you renew or restore a relationship in 2006? I continue to try to accept my father's marriage and wife. I make a little progress each year.
10AM: What candy would best describe 2006 to you? Dulce de Leche, in honor of my study abroad adventure.
11AM: Where you more or less healthy in 2006 than the previous year? Am more healthy now than at the beginning, so would have to say more healthy than 2005.
12PM: What was the best change in your life in 2006? There are actually two: being diagnosed with diabetes and going to work full-time. My life is more structured, my financial situation more secure, and my post-grad education will be covered by employee scholarship – “future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades!”
1PM: What is your greatest regret from 2006? Going to that upstairs bar in Puebla to watch the last game Mexico played in the World Cup was not a good idea. But mostly I regret that my mother did not live to see my college graduation.
2PM: How did you celebrate your birthday in 2006? Hmm… had to check the blog to remember. I was pretty sure I dined with family and friends. I was right.
3PM: If 2006 was a member of your family, which member would it be? I have a small family. I guess I'll say #2Son: full of potential, procrastination, and some how everything usually works out just fine.
4PM: If you could, to which one day in 2006 would you return and why? The day I decided to pursue the second major. I wouldn’t. Then I would have graduated in May, still taken the trip to Mexico but under less stress, and blown off the two minors. Of course, the whole job/grad school-thing would have worked out differently. Eh. S’okay this way.
5PM: Did you fall in love in 2006? With whom or what? Yes, Mexico & Hispanic culture. Am trying to figure out when I can take DH and go back. But I'm also falling in love with Tibet. Heading there first, and taking DH this time, first time!
6PM: What is the most significant thing you read in 2006? Seems everything I read that His Holiness the Dalai Lama says/writes is significant. Reading newspapers and magazine and blog articles while in Mexico, from their perspective, aided by the cultural understanding the professors gave us was certainly important to developing a less USA-centric view.
7PM: Did you take a vacation in 2006? To where? Mexico in May/June; Richmond, D.C., & Silver Spring in October. Oh, also Saint Augustine with DH in October. Lovely year for travel.
8PM: What did you lose in 2006 that can never be recovered? Time and opportunity.
9PM: Do you believe you are a better person at the end of 2006 than you were at the beginning? Yes.
10PM: In your opinion, what was the most memorable world event of 2006? Silliest: the proposed 700-mile fence along the Mexico border. Scariest: Iran and North Korea's build up of arms and nuclear capabilities.
11PM: Are you glad or sad to see 2006 end? I’m always glad to see a new year begin. I like beginnings. Change is good. I try to be a forward-looking person most of the time. I’m not usually happy with out at least a half-dozen things coming up or going on in my future.
12AM: Have you made (or will you make) resolutions for 2007? Will you be able to keep them as well as those you made for 2006? I’ll make a few more; I’ll keep few more, I hope.

abc of me meme

Rissa tagged me:

A- Available or single? Attached.
B- Best Friend? There are SO many levels of friendship. Standing the test of time (over thirty years) though, is my high-school friend, Mary.
C- Cake or Pie? Cake, which, of course, includes cheescake.
D- Drink of Choice? COLD skim milk.
E- Essential Item? My mind.
F- Favorite Color? Purple
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Ewww. Neither. Jujyfruits or gumdrops/jelly beans.
H- Hometown? Lakeland, FL
I- Indulgence? Three-layer chocolate cake with thick fudge icing--about two bites.
J- January or February? February. Valentine's Day, Camellias, Mom’s birthday (but unfortunately also the month in which her mother died), birth month of my first sweetheart and true love, and also the month I got my driver’s license. No wonder I love purple (amethyst).
K- Kids and names? Human: Lisa, Betty; Brent, John. Feline (past & present): Spooky, Morris, Magnum, Shadow; Brickle, Sasha, Nero.
L- Life is incomplete without? faith
M- Marriage Date? First: March 7th. Second: Oct 2nd.
N- Number of Siblings? One sister.
O- Oranges or apples? Apples.
P- Phobias/Fears? Heights and crowds.
Q- Favorite Quote? “Life has to be more than just a heartbeat. What we hold sacred gives life meaning.” (Written by J. M. Straczinsky for the character Jeffrey Sinclair in Babylon 5).
R- Reason to Smile? Every morning I wake up.
S- Season? In the south, winter (except for the short days); in the north, autumn, though spring is a very close second.
T- Tag three people! Lisa, since she’s blogging again, and any one else reading who hasn’t done it and likes meme (leave me a comment so I can come read).
U- Unknown Fact About Me? If I tell it, it won’t be unknown any more!!
V- Vegetable you hate? Never been big on vegetables, unfortunately, but I’m learning to at least enjoy them. I suppose what I hate would be one which was unseasoned.
W- Worst habit? Yikes. What an embarrassing question! Starting things and not finishing them. NO! Procrasinating.
X- X-Rays you’ve had? Normal ones… dental, chest, foot, wrist and hip. I had one of veins in my legs when I was about six months pregnant with twins—that was uncomfortable. And some really nasty GI series’ done. Do sonograms count as x-rays? Or that test that checks to see if your fallopian tubes are blocked?? Talk about painful!!
Y- Your favorite food? Lately, shrimp and beef tenderloin
Z- Zodiac? Moonchild (i.e., Cancer)

more meme

    I got this from Rissa, who got it "from Deb over at Red Shoe Ramblings, but she got it from someone else. I thought the questions were interesting, so I decided to play along." Ditto.
Do you own a gun? Technically, I guess so, but I don’t really consider it my own possession.
What do you think of hot dogs? Only good if grilled or broiled and not boiled, bun-size, fat ones. I’d really rather have Polish or Smoked sausage. Must have mustard.
What’s your favorite Christmas song? Sacred: Away in a Manger; Traditional: Good King What’s-his-name; Modern: I’ll be Home for Christmas.
What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Hot chocolate made with milk.
Can you do push-ups? Been wearing underwires since I started wearing C cups. Never have tried those water thingies—what if they spring a leak??
What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Something expensive.
What is your secret weapon to lure the opposite sex? I don’t know about luring, but isn’t or@l sex every woman’s secret weapon? As for getting my way, Daddy always caved to a pouty lower lip and teary eyes.
Middle name? Sue. Pet name, Susie.
Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:
1. What IS Rissa’s middle name?
2. I’ve already seen this episode of CSI:Miami.
3. Shit! I hate that Grissom is leaving.
Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
1. Diet Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper—too much
2. Coffee—usually only in the morning at work
3. Water – but not enough
What time did you wake up today? Around 10 AM
Current hate? Corruption and Stupidity.
Favorite place to be? Home of mine, friends or family.
Least favorite place to be? In a crowd.
Where would you like to go? To where I’m not already planning a trip? That would be Italy, Scotland, and somewhere to see the Northern Lights.
Do you own slippers? Yes, but it has to be REALLY cold for me to wear them.
What shirt are you wearing? Black short-sleeved tee-shirt with Pink Ribbon decoration (breast cancer). It was the only clean black shirt I could wear with a black & white sweater I bought yesterday that I wanted to wear today.
Do you burn or tan? If over-exposed and unprotected, I burn, otherwise I tan. But it fades fast.
Favorite color(s)? Purple, mostly.
Would you be a pirate? Only if Jack Sparrow was my captain.
What is your favorite holiday? Used to be Thanksgiving. Now, I think maybe Valentine’s Day or my wedding anniversary (25 years last October). Life’s getting to be about me and DH now that kids are grown but there are no grandkids yet. Mardi Gras is a fun time to be off work, but I’d never spend it in NOLA.
What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever the last song was I heard before turning off the clock-radio. Yeah… I want a radio for the shower!
What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Something from under the bed.
What’s in your pockets right now? No pockets right now, but usually it’s my work/student ID and keys.
Last thing that made you laugh? The animal videos we watched on Animal Planet tonight.
Best bed sheets as a child? I’m too old for ‘character’ sheets, but the dark lavender ones my mom dyed for my new room with the canopy bed, French Provencal furniture, purple carpet and frilly bedspread would have to be the most special.
Worst injury you’ve ever had? I have been very lucky with regard to physical injury.
Are your parents still together? Hopefully by their heart-strings, but Mom passed 7 years ago this month.
Do you wish on shooting stars? I wish they’d go to jail for their crimes.
What is your favorite book(s)? One that makes me think.
What is your favorite candy? Green M&Ms
What song did you have played at your wedding? 1st: Trumpet Voluntary; 2nd: none.
How is the weather outside right now? Wet, rainy, humid.
What was your first thought this morning when you woke up? To take my sister shopping and enjoy the day with her.

mini movie reviews

    We've watched a few rental DVD's in the past couple weeks. I'm batting 500.
    One night I picked up Take the Lead and The Break-Up. The latter I didn't even watch half-way through. It was like one long crappy sit-com. The former, was good, but not enough Antonio for this ol' gal. I thought it a bit to coincidental that the same music was used for the hot tango (he and his up-town student) in this film as was used in Shall We Dance (Gere and Lopez). It was a fun movie and so good to see Banderas again.
    Then on Saturday I picked up Lake House and Scoop. OMG! Even Hugh Jackman couldn't save the latter weak effort by Woody Allen (of whom there was WAY too much in this film!). I lost interest way early. Even though you are supposed to know the outcome from the start, like the heroine you are supposed to be hoping that it isn't true. Yawn.
    But! But! But! Lake House was WONDERFUL! Right up there on my list of romantic movies with An Affair to Remember (an old classic) and Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail (newer classics). Even though I knew from the... hmm... I guess I really can't say without spoiling it for others. It's a wonderful story, even if the "physics" of it don't quite work. Of course, I'm a Keanu Reeves fan. YMMV.
    And then tonight it was MI:III and X-Men 3. I'm not much of a Tom Cruise fan, nor a big action movie fan, so I read blogs and only tried to follow the story line (of which there was little and no surprises). X-men was lots more fun to watch, perhaps simply for all the fantasy of the special effects. Handsome Hugh more than redeemed himself as Wolfie, bless his little self-healing heart. I did not like some of the turns the story took and am curious how the story line will develop if there are any more X-Men films.
    So, it seems I manage to pick only one good one out of every two we rent. I love the in-store exchange program that Blockbuster has started with their online/mail program. I'm glad we changed from Net-Flix. Two free in-store rentals a month and now the in-store exchange program make it a great way to watch new and old movies, and all those series I need to catch up on! Try it free for a month, if you like (I get no benefit, nor am affiliated in any way, just a happy customer):
One Month FREE for friends and family!
Expires: 12/31/2006
Enter promo code: friend1
www.blockbuster.com/friend1

new beginnings

    Part of me always feels that the 'new year' begins the day after Christmas. The hassles are over and my mind can clear a bit. I have a full week to waste, um, I mean accomplish so much! This morning I at least started off right...
    Even after begin up early and quite active all day (forgot to put on my pedometer though), not getting to bed until after midnight (!!!), I still got up just a little after 9AM. Got my 8+ and didn't zonk out for half the day as I expected to do. Perhaps because I had a few things I wanted to get done -- and I feel quite rested, except for my eyes which are almost always tired. Yes. I need to get them checked.
    First thing accomplished was to get my husband's XM satellite radio activated. I'm looking at him now, across the living room from me, enjoying it immensely, happily clicking that record button every time something good comes on. His station of choice is "Willie's Place" for old country music. I want to get him one of the headsets with the antenna booster in it. He has to remove his hearing aids to use the earbuds. His ears will probably be sore shortly, but then he is used to wearing the hearing aids all the time, so perhaps not. I also got us a car kit so we can listen to it in the truck. AND, I get to listen to it online at work (or wherever).
    Next is to order #1Son's iPod Shuffle. I want to get it engraved for him, so I have to wait until he gets up to know what he wants on it. He surprised me actually, by picking that as his gift instead of the front-end mask for his car. But, they are SO cute, I can't blame him at all. I'd get one for myself, but I already carry around too many electronic gadgets!
    I don't always get my kids a lot of gifts, so we try to make the presenting of them fun. This year, I wrapped the Shuffle (that I had on-hand whic is a 21st-birthday gift for DH's grandson) as one gift, a printout from J.C. Whitney for the car mask and $50 as another, and put those two wrapped items along with a plain white envelope with some Marble Slab Creamery gift certificates in a box and wrapped it. Inside too was a note which said something about how it was time to play "Let's Make A Deal" and that he could have the small wrapped box and the plain white envelope or the wrapped envelope, to choose wisely because one was twice as valuable as the other. He wouldn't decide right away. He opened other gifts and later on decided on the small wrapped box (the Shuffle) and the white envelope (the GCs). It was fun for him I think. In the end, I gave him the cash too because it made the difference with what his brother's gifts totaled.
    For #2Son, in a large box, was his guitar stand, in pieces, and new strings, some tool for restringing and some string conditioner, along with a gift card for Circuit City and a bag of Hershey's Peanut Butter-filled Kisses. He got the Creamery GCs too and some for CiCi's Pizza, too. I'd seen this little Smiley Face bank at a dollar store and got it, because his dad always buys Smiley Face stuff for him. But I didn't want him to know what it was as soon as he took off the paper, so I tore the box apart at the seam and turned it inside out. Then I used copious amounts of heavy box tape so he could not get into it easily. He was appropriately frustrated, and greatly amused at his momma.
    My husband loves coconut, and especially all candies coconut. A few weeks ago I brought home some Hershey's Coconut Creame Kisses. He loved them. But he also said later not to get him any more because he just ate too many of them. Well, of course I had already bought him some more! I had a three-tiered candy jar put back as an 'emergency gift' so put one bag of the candies in each of the BOTTOM two glass containers, leaving the top on empty. We are known for putting gifts in boxes which are not what it says on the box, so when he was all "great, a candy jar" I reminded him of that habit, and he puzzled as he took out the foam I had added that would keep everything tight and wouldn't let on the candy was in there. He kept taking out the pieces and finally got to the candy...I'm sure he could smell the chocolate -- as could our sweet-toothed kitty, Sasha! That and the Jeff Foxworthy Redneck Christmas book I found on the BAM bargain table gave him good chuckles.
    All in all, a rather successful day of gift giving. Oh! Me? Well, two lovely books, Tazo Chai tea bags, both dry-roasted and SF chocolate covered macadamia nuts from DSis -- also violet soaps from Scotland, beautiful blown-glass hibicus ornament AND rosewook DP knitting needles, size 2 and 3 -- which I am about half afraid to use after breaking the Brittany birch 1s that I borrowed from Lisa (Remember to order those replacements for me, please, Rissa.) My sister ALWAYS overspends on Baby Susie! At least we got a lot done on her laptop yesterday too. Trying to get her anxieties relieved and her comfort level raised. She has a very nice wide-screen Dell -- just needs the junk cleaned off of it. LOL
    Now, on to other To-Do's. Blessed day to all.

christmas finally

I'm really NOT into Christmas.
    I just wrapped my gifts this morning--for those who I will see today--few as they are.
    I *do* love shopping for gifts for people I love. And this year I've been lucky enough to know what I wanted to get almost everyone.
    What I don't like, and don't do well, is getting gifts in the mail to family living back in MD/WV/PA areas. I still have last year's gifts sitting unwrapped in my living room. And not for the first time.
    I know my sons, at least one of them anyway, get disappointed that we don't really have traditional celebrations. Last year the tree only got about half decorated, then stayed up for months because I can't handle the parts and no one would take it down for me. This year, I didn't even want it put up. I took my Hallmark miniature tree to work; now it sits on top of the television, decorated, but unlit.
    The one tradition we almost always keep is for Christman Eve. Pizza and riding around to look at lights. Only the pizza places keep closing earlier and earlier. This year we, rather #1Son, had to drive 25 miles for carry-out and it was too rainy/foggy to ride around looking at lights. Perhaps tonight.
    I don't get in a hurry to have an early dinner. Usually we have Christmas supper. It gets simplier every year. This year just turkey, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, some steamed vegetables and salad... I won't be having stuffing or potatoes. I won't be making sweet potatoe casserole (too much sugar, and we now eat sweet potatoes quite often). Rodger may make apple pies later on. Don't know if I'll raid my pecan stash to toast a few or not.
    Every year we talk about going away for Christmas "next year," but so far we haven't followed through. When my dad goes off to LA with his wife to spend the holidays with her son's family, I can't bring myself to leave my sister alone. Plus, we don't want to fly, and haven't taken the time yet to find a good place to be over the holidats that is close enough to drive. (Suggestions welcome!)
    So... now we wait for the bird to cook, and watch some TV. Need to help DSis with her computer. Wish we had some good movies to watch tonight. As appalling as it is to me, I have movies due to Blockbuster today -- can't believe they are open -- so, just might ride down there and get something to watch. (I remember Christmas in, oh, mid-1970's when I was married to the Texan, we went bowling on Christmas!)
Good day for everyone!

grad pics

    We finally got one of the rolls of film with graduation photos developed yesterday, and I cropped three of the photos for the blog:

    *I* knew that the binder would not have my actual diploma in it, but DH didn't. That's why I flashed it at him. What we should have is a photo of *his* reaction rather than of me!

    I'm not the only one in the family to have taken some time to get their degree, or to have graduated from USM. My sister did it in '98 -- but it was her second bachelor's. My dad and mom met at there; he, my uncle, aunt and their three sons, my cousins, all graduated from USM. My mother lacked only a few hours. I would love to walk for my Masters in two years along with my two sons walking for their bacherlors. Will keep working toward it.
    Graduation was more fun than I expected. I'd never attended a university commencement before, so seeing the masters candidates walk and the doctoral candidates get 'hooded' was something new. I have 'lemon yellow' vestments to look forward to. LOL

yikes! spikes!

uhoh... I ate something this morning which was supposed to be whole-grain and low0sugar, but which apparently wasn't... plus, I was half-sick this weekend and didn't eat like I am supposed to... and, I've been under just a WEE bit of stress the past couple days... so after being so happy that my BG was 109 after a great meal the other night, I am shakey this morning. So, afraid my BG was dropping too low I checked it... OMG!! 221!!! What the heck can I do fast to get it down?? I quickly went and did some cardio exercise, then grabbed some protein and am now downing a LOT of water... Finging no help with quick look online, but don't really have time at work to do indepth search. Any advice for future spikes, would be appreciated.

beaming

    My superviosr just returned from the afternoon commencement. She and the other SLIS faculty attended in their full regalia. She apparently didn't realize I was walking this term. She pointed out my name (complete with the honors designation) in the program and said that the person next to her asked, "Didn't we just hire her?"

BIG honors

The BIG day is finally here.
    And I think I am finally excited about it.
    I picked up my cap & gown over lunch. Walking to the coliseum I suddenly realized that it would most likely be folded in a bag... meaning it would be creased/wrinkled! omg! All I could think of was my mother and how she always made sure I looked perfect! Fortunately, there were people there who would steam them (and for a very reasonable fee).
    I came to work today dressed way down: jeans, t-shirt, no make-up, hair undressed, sneakers. The IT folks are running a major test on the main program we all used to access our cataloging system, so it was the ideal day for cleaning. So, I brought my dress and other regalia along and will change after work.     With all the hoop-la over unfinished papers and difficulties with my study, I totally forgot that I was graduating summa cum laude: I have Seat 1 in Row 1 of my college. I think my dad is planning to arrive a bit late so he won't have to sit so long (and perhaps so he can make a fast escape, lol), so I am glad my college is not the first on the program -- or he would miss it all together! My sons are under command to appear; #1Son will be chauffeuring his brother, DH, and DSis.
    Now, between the sunny walk back from the coliseum and cleaning my workspace, I'm all perspire-y... at least I remembered to include wipes, washcloth, deodorant, toothbrush and paste in my 'necessaries' bag!
    I don't know if I'll have a digital photo to upload or will have to wait to scan a printed one, but I'll show-off sooner or later.