The new seed catalog's here!

Aren't those beautiful? Ohhhh...it's that time of year again. The fine folks at Burpee Seeds torment me every year by sending out their catalog in winter. (Other companies' catalogs will follow soon.) I become almost obsessive looking through the catalog and deciding what seeds I want to order. And I can't get the garden going for several months! Argh!

I've already laid out my planting plan for next year. I haven't had much luck with peas or carrots, so I'm ditching those. I'm adding broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I will also plant the usual suspects: pole beans, corn, peppers (hot and sweet), herbs, cucumbers, and zucchini. We also want to give watermelon and cantaloupe a try. Oh, and did I mention tomatoes?! My favorite of all things to grow, and I could eat them till they're coming out my ears. Store-bought tomatoes pale in comparison. Nothing is like a homegrown tomato. Yikes, I think my mouth is watering!

I'm going to give my mini-greenhouse another try this year. I need to add lights for the warmth and extra light, because the seedlings just don't get enough of either in the basement (although it sits in front of the sliding glass door in the walkout basement). But I love starting seeds because you can try so many different varieties of things, and I think you can grow hardier plants to set out in the garden.

We grow garlic, too, but I planted that back in the fall. You plant in the fall and harvest at the end of the following summer or thereabouts. We love our garlic. I'm also hoping that our asparagus is going to be a bumper crop this year. It takes a few years to really get established, and this should be the year.

I need to calm down, because I've got a couple of months of winter to get through before I can even start seeds. Damn you, Burpee Seed Company!

I take it back! I love you, and love your seeds! I don't damn you!

One final Christmas comment

I'm not sure why those big inflatable Christmas decorations have become so popular. I don't find them the least little bit charming. In fact, as Ken and I were driving around the other day, I told him that they actually make me want to pop 'em with my BB gun just to watch 'em deflate. "I'm mellllltinggg!"

And yes, we did watch the original "Scarface" last night, and it was pretty cool. The remake was surprisingly close to the original, other than the change of locale and contraband. The whole relationship with Tony and his sister was pretty weird, but it was actually creepier in the original. In the remake, I could tell that he was just weird about his sister in that he put her on a pedestal, and expected her to stay innocent and unsullied by whatever unsavory things he was doing, or unsavory people he hung around with. In the original, I got a vibe of something a little deeper than that, which I found interesting. I also thought the scar choices were intriguing. In the remake, it's basically a two-part scar, through Tony's eyebrow and onto his cheek. In the original, it's only on his cheek, and it's in the shape of a cross. Not sure what they were trying to say there, because Tony was not a good guy. Sure, he had his moments of family honor and gangster integrity, but he was still a gangster.

I gotta say, both movies made me want to read more about their respective eras. I've read some about the Prohibition era and how nasty things got, but not a whole lot. As for the Cuban refugees, I've read very little. That happened in my lifetime, but I was young and blissfully unaware of many of the things that were going on in the world at the time. I think I need to remedy that.

He hit it an' quit it

R.I.P. President Ford, but I have to say I was a little more bummed to hear that James Brown died on Christmas morning. (Nothing against Pres. Ford--I believe he was a fine and decent man who served his country, but I know he had been in poor health, and he was in his nineties. It was not totally unexpected, while JB's death was a surprise.) Time for James to put on the cape for the last time. He was ultra-cool, and every pop, rock, and soul artist today owes a big debt to the man.

Hope everyone had a fun and happy Christmas, and was able to spend time with the ones you love. We had a wonderful time with the kids, my family, and each other. Check this out:

A quickie trip to Vegas at Christmas, you ask? No! It is a picture of my favorite Christmas present, a replica of the Vegas sign that lights up. The small white bulbs at the perimeter travel, and the star flashes yellow and red. It is so cheesy, and I love it completely! I got lots of great things, including books and "I Love Lucy" stuff and Big Dogs shirts and boxer shorts...but I love my Vegas sign the most. I have a great husband. He knows what I like!

We were able to watch some DVD's we've been saving for a while. It can be hard to find time to watch them, because we do have our favorite shows we like to watch (my personal favorite is "The Office"). But with a few days off, we were able to watch some good ones. A couple of pleasant surprises were "16 Blocks" with Bruce Willis, and "The Inside Man" with Denzel Washington. I was expecting something mundane, but both of them grabbed my attention and kept me watching. Last night, we watched "Scarface" (the remake). Man, I had never seen the whole thing! And Ken said it had been years since he saw it. I loved it. Hard to believe it got an X rating at first, because to me, the violence and language didn't seem all that extreme. I've seen much worse. But it came out in '83, and I guess it was pretty rough for the time. Al Pacino is amazing. I've always liked him, but he was uncannily good in this movie. Of course, I could hardly wait for the "Say hello to my leetle fren' " line! We got the special edition package of the movie, and what a neat surprise to find out that it includes the original movie with Paul Muni. I think we might watch that tonight. Neat concept to go from the Chicago gangs during Prohibition to the cocaine traffic in Miami in the '80's. It works. No matter what the illegal product, I guess it's all the same: supply, demand, collateral damage, and destruction. My favorite scene of the movie is towards the end, when Tony is burying his head in a mountain of cocaine. It's awful to see, but it says it all.

Happy Holidays!

      Mele Kalikimaka!

 

Mini-Vacation

Addendum:

Shame on me for forgetting to include "Chris Isaak Christmas" in my Honorable Mention Christmas CD's. There are many nice renditions of Christmas songs on there, but my favorite is "Mele Kalikimaka." It's just plain fun to say that!

Well, one more day of work, then a nice little break for Christmas. We'll have Christmas Eve with my family, then Christmas Day with just us and the kids. Should be a fun time. Things seem to be getting a little quieter at work, too, I imagine because most doctors' offices are closing early. That bodes well for those who have to work the weekend and the holiday. (If I haven't mentioned this, our lab is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We have to work every other weekend and three holidays a year. Luckily, my family is very understanding, although it's tough to have to miss a lot of family functions.)

A while back, I was talking about our raccoons, and included a picture of one hanging out in a tree, munching on the bird food. Here's the same guy, but he's all decked out for this time of year:

Ha! I cracked myself up on that one. I'll have to be sure to put the Santa Turkey up here, too...it's even better.

 

Shopping is DONE!

I did the last of my Christmas shopping today. YAHOOOO! I also finished all the wrapping I needed to do. I'm so happy to be done with it. I'm definitely not one of those people who wait till the last minute to get it all done. Nothing against them, but are they INSANE? They have to be, to wait that long to get things done. That's just setting yourself up to be stressed out, don't you think?

I listened to some Christmas music while I was wrapping. I've been taking some into work, too. I have rather strict requirements for Christmas music, and I can't listen to just anything. My personal favorite Christmas CD's--we'll do the Top Five--are:

1. Christmas With the Rat Pack - This is the best of all, in my opinion. I'm a big fan of Dino, and his voice is smooth as silk on classics like "Silver Bells." And there's funny Rat Pack banter, like after they sing a song, Dean asks Frank, "Hey--how 'bout an eggnog?" Love it! (I don't have a CD of just Dean, but I think I'm going to have to remedy that, because I love his voice.)

2. When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr. is New Orleans born and bred, and the songs that have that New Orleans feel are the best. The title song brings a tear to my eye every time. I give another nod to Harry with my Number 3...

3. Harry for the Holidays - That great voice! The song "This Christmas" just sends me, and his duet with George Jones on "Nothin' New for New Year" is almost heartbreakingly beautiful and sad.

4. Boogie Woogie Christmas - The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Brian puts such a great spin on some classics and some fun new songs, and they all ROCK! (He's a guitar god in my world, if I haven't mentioned it before.) On this CD, he does The Nutcracker Suite, and his duet with Ann-Margret on "Baby It's Cold Outside" is as good as Dino's version.

5. The Nutcracker - Still puts me in the Christmas mood, no matter how many times I listen to it. It's fun to play this and sort of prance around like you can actually dance ballet. It's fun to pretend, even for a total klutz like me!

Honorable mentions go to "Dig That Crazy Christmas," the second Christmas CD by The Brian Setzer Orchestra; The Ventures (for a surfin' Christmas); Los Straitjackets (more surfin' cool); and anything Elvis. (Elvis's "Santa Claus is Back in Town" is rockin'!) Remember: just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you have to listen to lame music. Take the time to find the good stuff. It's out there!

 

 

A little more Bond stuff

I got an email from my buddy at work, Jim. He'd read my previous entries about "Casino Royale," and had this to say: "Pierce Brosnan was smooth and charismatic, and I liked him as Bond, but I never believed he could kick anyone's ass.  This guy is different.  And I like the less flashy, less superhero bond character."

Good way to put it, Jimi! Just goes to show you that guys are liking this Bond, too. It's not just a bunch of women thinking he's hot, everyone is liking the turn they've taken with the new Bond. I hope they keep it up, and keep the tone a little--or a lot--on the dark side. It makes for a much more intriguing character and movie. (Think of "Batman Begins," my favorite Batman movie of them all. Very dark. Loved it.)

I hate the mall

When I was in high school, the big thing to do on Saturdays was hang out at the mall all day. I don't know what I was thinking, because I'd rather be forced to listen to Michael Bolton for 8 hours than spend 8 hours at a mall. I guess I was young and foolish, and honestly, there wasn't that much to do around here at the time.

This time of year turns the mall into its own circle of Hell. I got into the Christmas spirit quite nicely the other day when I was wrapping Ken's presents and listening to some nice Christmas music, but nothing can get me out of the spirit faster than a trip to the mall. When I do have to go, maybe once or twice a year when we need to get our rings cleaned, I'm on a mission, and I want to get in and out as quickly as possible. Strike fast, strike hard. Shock and awe. But I usually end up behind a lollygagger, who always seems to come to a dead stop right in front of me and look in the window at a freakin' candle or something. Ugh, it makes me want to scream!

That's why I do my Christmas shopping online, or at a local store where the crowds aren't quite so large. And I've learned a lesson from Ken by starting very early, usually back in the summer, so the monetary damage is spread out over a few months rather than one big bomb. I really do enjoy the holidays, although it might not sound that way. It's only the walking-around-the-mall part I have a problem with.

And think about this: an awful lot of zombie movies are set in malls. To me, it comes down to a simple choice. Either avoid the mall at all costs, or go there and get your brain eaten by zombies. Then you can listen to Michael Bolton all day long and it won't bother you.

We now return to our regularly scheduled program

Sorry I haven't posted anything new for a week or so, but we were on vacation! We had a great time, and while it's always hard to get back to work, it was nice to be back home and sleep in our own bed. Sheeba was also very pleased to have us back. Uncle Shane takes very good care of him, but Sheeba is always happy when we get home.

We went out to visit Ken's Mom and stepdad in Oregon (had a very nice visit), then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, where we spent a couple of days. Had a nice time visiting our friend Todd in SF, and had some delicious seafood and Chinese food. Yum!

The drive down to SF was so gorgeous. We drove through the Redwood National and State Parks, and for a couple of tree-lovers, it was just like heaven! (I'll put up a couple of pictures soon.) The drive along the coast is so awesome. It can be a little scary, because there are no guard rails on this unbelievably twisty road, and it's a pretty quick plunge into the Pacific, but seeing the surf crash on the rocks is just such a neat sight. Ken handles the driving just fine, so no worries there.

We got to scratch our gambling itch at the Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, Oregon. Played a little craps and then some blackjack, and ended up ahead. Is there any game as fun as blackjack? Not in my book! Man, it's fun! I asked Ken if he thought I played fairly smart, and he said yep. The guy to my left said to me once, "Nice hit." So I must have done okay. I won a couple of double-downs, but never got the cards to do a split. Next time!

Craps is a lot of fun (at least when you're winning), but it is so complicated for me. I think I would have to study for quite a while to understand all the odds and the bets you can make. Every person working the craps table that I've encountered (even in Vegas) has been extremely helpful, thank goodness. But of course, they want people to win so they can get big tips.

One surprising sight, a few miles into California, was a dead black bear by the side of the road. He wasn't real big, but was bigger than a cub. It looked like he'd been hit by a car. I sure felt bad to see that, but it also told me just how wild it is around there.

It also made me appreciate our country so much. The magnificent trees, the wide open spaces, the ability to roam the countryside and see so many interesting things and so much beauty. Oh, it was wonderful! I get this way every time we take a road trip. Imagine how I'll be in a couple of years when we do our Route 66 trip...I'll be a basket case! (I don't think I've written much--if at all--about Route 66. I will do so soon.)

The winter storm that wasn't

I swear, these forecasters around here....

Wednesday and Thursday were all gloom and doom, at least six inches of snow, perhaps much more! What did we get? Nothin'! Zip! Quite a bit of rain, some fairly heavy snowfall at times during the day on Friday, but nothing stuck.There is no snow on the ground whatsoever.

Why can't weather people just admit that it's a very inexact endeavor? Things around here can get especially weird with what is called lake effect snow, in which cold air blows over a warmer Lake Michigan and creates heavy snow. How much certain towns (sometimes within a few miles of each other) get can be completely affected by which way the wind is blowing. I suppose being a meteorologist in this area is not easy, but I think they should recognize that, and I think it would be very refreshing to hear one of them say, "You know...I really don't know what the hell is going to happen. We could get nothing, or we could be shut down for a day or so. Hey--it's northern Indiana! What do you expect?" Now THAT would be an accurate forecast.

Our small furry child

Our cat is ready to kill me, because I haven't written one word about him in here.

Sheeba is very vocal and often talks to us. For some reason, he has a Russian accent. (I guess he's a Black Russian.) He frequently tells us he hates us and is planning on slitting our throats while we sleep. (He's especially angry when his nails are trimmed and he knows he can't pierce our carotids.) At other times, he's all lovable and adoring, purring and licking my face, or flopping on his side and getting a belly rub. He is a cat of many moods. Perhaps he's angry to a certain extent because he is a male cat with a traditionally female name (and yes, his name is spelled with two e's). That was an honest mistake. Ken asked for a female cat, and the kids' mom gave him what she thought was a female...as Sheeba got a little older, I said, "Honey...I think Sheeba has balls." It's hard to tell with kittens, but before too long, it was apparent that Sheeba was actually a Heeba.

He's a very entertaining cat, and I love him to pieces. He likes to come in and sleep by us, and he curls up right against us. There are many times that I have to adjust my legs around Sheeba, rather than disturb his sleep. I think most cat owners know exactly what I'm talking about!

[Sheeba is telling me, "Hurry up, Mom, put up my picture so everyone can see how handsome I am. Jeez."] He's so demanding. (And yeah, I know I'm sappy about our cat. Not gonna change any time soon, either.) Here's the critter in all his glory.

He says, "Yes. I stick my tongue out at you, stupid human."

 

 

Argh, snow!

I know it's almost December, but we've been enjoying some unseasonably warm weather here in northern Indiana. The past few days it's been up in the sixties, and when you leave work, you don't even need to wear a coat!

Well, happy time is over. We're under a winter storm watch for Thursday night and all day Friday. (I'm off on Friday--yay!--but Ken has to work, so I suggested he take the truck rather than the Mustang.) They're saying we could get up to 8 inches and maybe more. Couldn't we just ease into winter, rather than getting bitchslapped by it? Guess not.

I do enjoy the change of seasons here. The first big snow is always a pretty sight, especially if you're snug and warm at home. And the cold and gloomy winter is what makes the spring and summer so special. Usually it takes me until January or so to start wishing for summer. The fact that I'm already thinking about sitting in the sun on the deck the first nice day of spring, while we haven't even had a significant snowfall yet, is not a good sign. Could be a long winter.

But it'll go fast. They usually do. I should start getting seed catalogs soon, and it's always fun to start planning the garden and start some seeds indoors!

Women want him, men want to be him

If I recall, that line was used about James Bond once. I don't know if was from a movie or from a book, but looks like it's still holding true! (Although I believe it was also used in the first Austin Powers movie, as well.)

I asked my friend Jillian at work if her and her husband Neal saw the new Bond movie this weekend (they were planning on it). I said we saw it and loved it, and before I could say anything more, she said, "So is he hot, or what?!" This led to a good hours' worth of discussion on the merits of Daniel Craig as Bond (I don't think we came up with any demerits.) and some good laughs. Jillian said, "It's saying something when they don't show the girl coming out of the water in a skimpy bathing suit, they show him. And not once, but twice!" She said when the first woman in the movie had on the skimpy red dress, she commented jokingly to her husband, "That's just shameless!" When they started showing all the shots of James with his shirt off, Neal said, every time, "That's just shameless!" We were just dying from laughter! One woman I work with wants to go see it with her daughter, but told her, "We'll go without your Dad, okay?" Ha!

Yeah, they played up his "buffness," and who am I to argue with good cinematography?

Just from talking to some of my friends at work, I'd say this is going to be one Bond who is especially popular with the ladies. Like any Bond isn't, but I'm saying especially. I've always liked the Bond movies, from the time I was a little girl. They're just plain fun, and I've seen them all. I love a good action movie, and Bond's looks played a part, but not a huge one, in my love of Bond films. I think this may have changed with the new Bond. For years, men have enjoyed Bond movies not just for the action, but for the bevy of Bond girls. I think this new Bond will usher in a new group of women who enjoy the eye candy that is Daniel Craig's James. However, like I told one of my friends at work, "Regardless of all that, it's just a really fun flick." And it is! In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing it again. <grin>

 

Cool. Very cool.

Okay. Ken and I saw the new Bond movie, "Casino Royale," today, and I completely loved it!

Like me, you've probably read the reviews about how this is a leaner, meaner Bond, and about his beginning as a "double 0" agent. It's true, it's a much darker movie, and believe it or not, there is virtually NO gadgetry involved in this one. As much as I love Q, I welcomed the knockdown, blood-soaked fight sequences. This Bond can truly kick ass. And the chase sequences rely more on foot chases than car chases. I lost count of how many times James took after a car on foot. A big black car peels out--BAM! James is off!

Daniel Craig? Excellent choice. For everyone who said he's too blond, not suave enough, not whatever enough, to be Bond, I think he has made them eat plenty of crow. He's not conventionally handsome, but he's got a menace about him that's just a perfect fit for a secret agent, and yeah, he's fairly ripped. I guess that's the thing: he makes you believe that he really could tear your head off with his bare hands. And isn't that a good thing for secret agents? Of course it is! Ken was telling me that he heard some people talking about how they didn't like this Bond, he wasn't suave enough, blah blah blah...that's exactly why I loved this movie and this new path for the Bond movies. Remember that Bond is a killer. He has to be. And he does it very well. In fact, you might say nobody does it better. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I've read that the next Bond movie (working title "Bond 22"--it will be the 22nd Bond movie) is supposed to come out in 2008, and will again star Daniel Craig. Here's hoping they continue in this vein, because I found it one of the best Bond movies I've seen in some time. And no worries. While the corny little jokes and cheeky remarks aren't as plentiful as in other Bond movies, they're still there. Maybe even a little more effective since they aren't overused.

Two items to caution you on, and neither of these are spoilers. 1) There's a scene that really made me cringe, although I don't have the affected body part(s). 2) I was wondering what happened to the Bond theme (one of the best movie themes ever created, in my humble opinion). Be patient. It's still there....

A little over an hour to go before Notre Dame and Southern Cal play. Got my Samardzija jersey on, ready to go. (This means he'll have a great game!) I'm hoping the Fightin' Irish will remember what Southern Cal did to them last year. It's payback time. Go Irish!

O Happy Weekend

Yahoo, it's the weekend! Should be a good one, too. A fun time to just enjoy some downtime together.

We're going to go see the new Bond movie tomorrow afternoon (I'm likin' what I'm hearin'...stay tuned for a review), then it's the Notre Dame-Southern Cal game in the evening. On Sunday, we've got the Bears in the afternoon, and the Colts in the evening. What a busy schedule we have! Honestly, we won't sit our butts on the couch the entire weekend. We have other little household chores and things to do. But I think the Butts-on-the-Couch part will be lots of fun!

Sometimes for games, we like to do snack foods instead of an actual meal. Our home version of tailgating, I guess. I like to get different kinds of cheeses (It's the Cheese Shop!), and my personal favorites are Gouda (especially smoked Gouda), Edam, and we tried some Swiss Emmenthaler recently. Mmm, good stuff! We usually have some crackers or little breadsticks, some mild and medium peppers, some summer sausage, some apples...gee, am I hungry, or what? This weekend, I'm going to try one of our favorite appetizers from Parisi's, an Italian restaurant right across from the Notre Dame campus. You can see the Golden Dome from the windows of the restaurant. They do a baked brie with caramel sauce and almonds, served with apple slices. Wish me luck, but I really think it will turn out very yummy.

Did you see the video of the wild turkeys standing on the platform at the train station in New Jersey on Thanksgiving day? I swear, they looked like they were just waiting there for the train. Who can blame them? If I were a turkey, I'd want to get out of town, too. We have a few turkeys here at Nutwood, but they don't seem to mind us too much. One year, I counted between 50-55 in the backyard, but that's the most I've ever seen. I saw several males displaying in the backyard one day, and it was amazing.

They really are pretty, and it's surprising how big they are. I've also seen a couple of males fighting, and I wouldn't want to mess with that. They're big, their beaks look to be very sharp, and I think they have nasty spurs on their claws that can really do some damage. Don't mess with a tom turkey lookin' for love. Just a little advice.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone has a good one! I will be working hard to bring you correct and timely lab results, but I hope to get out of there at a decent time and go chow down at the family feast.

It's cold here at the moment, but tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the mid-sixties! Wow, amazing for this time of year. I heard that Orlando had snow yesterday. That is very uncommon. I have lots of cousins and relatives in that area. I'm sure they were not happy to see snow! Although I do remember my cousin Steve telling me that when living in northern Florida, one time after getting two inches of snow, they went out and played in it. Isn't that cute? I can't say I enjoy playing in the snow at all anymore, but it is pretty neat to take a walk in the woods after a nice snowfall. It's SO quiet, and everything looks so fresh and clean and white. Hey, I'm sure I have a picture of a snowfall from last year or a couple of years ago. Here we go:

Isn't that pretty? It's part of our backyard, with a path leading out to the marsh. Not that I'm wishing for snow!

I'm also working the Friday after Thanksgiving, which means I won't get to go shopping. <pause>

Bwah-hah-hah-hah! Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate going to the mall or battling any kind of crowd at something like Black Friday. Sure, it sounds like there are some incredible deals, but you know what? I'd gladly pay quite a few dollars extra for something if it meant I didn't have to deal with any kind of crowd. Nothing gets me out of the Christmas spirit more than going to the mall to shop. What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? Online shopping. Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the Internet! <snort>

 

Shame on me!

Ken just read my most recent entry, and he said, "Hey, you didn't mention Blacky!"

He's right, and fair enough. Slick is a 2005 Mustang. Blacky is Ken's Mustang, a 2006 GT convertible. Wish I had a picture, but I don't. Mustangs are always fun, but it is a special feeling to cruise around in a convertible on a warm, sunny day.

What's for dinner tonight? Mmmm...enchiladas. They are baking right now.

Looks like Michael Richards (i.e., "Kramer") pulled a Mel. He's apologized, but you know what? It's one thing for black comedians to use the "N" word--although even then, I still don't find it funny--but for a white comedian to use it repeatedly, even against a heckler? Nope. No way, not even one iota funny, and just not acceptable. What's the deal with these people lately? Like Barbra Streisand and her anti-Bush harangue and dropping the F-bomb on an audience member. Are they really that bigoted and intolerant of other opinions? Being famous does not excuse you from bad behavior, and it does not mean that you dictate what we believe or choose to do. Since when did being a celebrity confer deity status, or even any kind of authority on a subject? Not on my planet.

This doesn't mean that I think bad behavior on the part of fans is acceptable, either. It is rude to harass anyone. If you don't like it, why did you go see them, or why didn't you walk out? It's all about choices--every electronic device has an off button, and you have a right to walk out of anything that you don't care for.

Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Law Enforcement Magnet

I'm not sure what the deal is lately, but I've been attracting some unwanted attention from law enforcement officials.

The other morning I was on my way to work, and I got pulled over because I failed to come to a complete stop at a four-way stop. Granted, I was in the wrong, and the policeman was well within his rights to pull me over. But keep in mind: this was at 6:15 in the morning, on a country road. There are other houses around us, so it's not like we're completely alone out here, but it really is quite rural. The police officer just happened to be there and see me roll through the intersection. Darn it! It was okay, though, he just gave me a warning since I have no points on my record.

Today, I was coming back from the store, and a sheriff followed me for a couple of miles, again, on a country road. I had to set my cruise control so I didn't exceed 40 mph, but he hung with me for a while. I guess he was waiting to see if I'd go any faster, but I looked in my rearview mirror and said, "Yeah, I see you!"

Someone said it probably doesn't help that I have a flashy car. I suppose it is kind of flashy, but I love it because it's my fourth Mustang. I call him Slick:

He's a GT (a V8 engine) and he'll go fast when I need him to. Couldn't do that today, though, with the sheriff on my tail! Actually, I'm not one to speed excessively...not anymore.

So I suppose it could be the car that's garnering a little more attention than I want. Or it could be racial profiling. Just another example of The Man keeping us short, white, 40-something girls down.

Yes, even more football

I guess it had to happen, but the Colts lost today. To the Cowboys, of all teams, or as Ken's Mom likes to call them, the "Callous Dowboys." I'm not too upset about it. It's a loss, and what matters is what happens in the playoffs a few weeks down the road. Just a bunch of mistakes and turnovers on the part of both teams, and that is what I hate to see: sloppy football. Yuck.

On the upside, a good win for the Irish. The neat thing was that it was the seniors' last home game, and it was fun to watch them enjoy their last time at Notre Dame stadium. What really got to both me and Ken was when the Irish team went over to the Army section and listened while they sang their Alma Mater. That's not a new thing, it started last year when the Irish played Navy, and I'm happy to say we were there, and not just there, but our seats were field level! We were right there when the team came over and stood at attention while the Navy folks sang their Alma Mater. I will never forget it, because the entire stadium, over 80,000, was silent as we paid our respect to the Naval Academy and to all our troops. It still brings a tear to my eye when I think about it.

The neat thing this past Saturday was that after the ND team stood by for the Army Alma Mater, the Army team followed the ND team over to the ND student section and stood at attention while the ND students and players sang their Alma Mater. I sat here and cried like a baby, because I thought that was so cool, and such a sign of respect on both teams' parts. It's always a great thing to play the military academies, because there is such great respect for them and for what they will do after they graduate. What a neat thing to see the Army team giving Notre Dame a nod for tradition and sportsmanship.

Jeez, how am I going to cope when the season is done?! I go through this every year, but I still go through withdrawal.

Oh, and a quick comment on the Ohio State-Michigan game. Lots of hype leading up to it, but I have to say, the game sure lived up to the hype. Don't know how the BCS will play out, but I think it was obvious that OSU and Michigan are the two best teams in the country. Doubtful that they'll play in a bowl for the championship, which is really a shame. The whole BCS thing is bizarre. I'm all for a tournament like in NCAA bastketball. Doesn't that make more sense? I think so. Sure, there's the whole strength-of-schedule thing, but when the rubber hits the road, wouldn't it be fun to have "Cinderella" teams have a shot at a national championship like they do in basketball?

The best invention ever

Well, I probably shouldn't say it's the BEST invention ever, because I suppose the wheel and electricity are right up there. But I sure do love my fabulous Bug Vac!

I don't have this exact model, but a couple of months ago, Ken bought one for us. It is an actual vacuum, and there is a disposable cartridge where the bugs are sucked into. Once they check in, they don't check out, heh heh heh. The Bug Vac does have extenders for it, and ours is at about 3 feet. This is very important for someone as vertically challenged as I am. I don't have to get a footstool, and I can still reach bugs on the ceiling! And while I have used it for various bugs (we live in the country, and we get some interesting and nasty critters in the house sometimes), the best thing is that I can use it for spiders.

I'll admit to being an arachnophobe, although I've gotten a little better since we moved to the country. Sometimes you just have to deal with them, no matter how much you dislike them. At least this keeps me at arms' length. I can smush them when I need to, but I cannot stand to have them on me, and thanks to the Bug Vac, I can eliminate them without risk of them jumping on me! Thank you, Bug Vac!

But to give spiders their due, I don't completely hate them. They are very beneficial, and eat lots of other, nastier bugs, and they are an important part of our little biosphere here at Nutwood. Again, I just don't want them on me.

I heard a story a while back that said that people swallow an average of 8 or so spiders in their lifetimes. (Have you ever been sitting somewhere and seen a spider descending from the ceiling? Now think of yourself snoozing contentedly, lying on your back, your mouth hanging open. <shudder>) Isn't that one of the most disgusting things you've ever heard? Yuck!

It's all good

Oh, so many things!

First, Notre Dame didn't just move up a couple of notches, they moved up to #5. Things could get interesting in the next couple of weeks. I still don't think they'll have a shot at the national championship, but they're right up there. Game of the Week coming up? Ohio State vs. Michigan, without a doubt. Is there any way BOTH of them can lose? Please? <sigh> I guess not.

Finished Lisey's Story. Stayed up until midnight to finish it, but once I got past the halfway point, I knew I'd be in for the long haul. I really liked it, and it is indeed a "sister thing." What happened to Stephen King retiring? I don't know, but I'm glad he didn't.

 

Good football weekend

Excellent! Notre Dame won, and with all the other teams in the Top 10 that lost, ND should move up in the rankings a notch or two. Colts won also, in a squeaker over the Bills. Still, a win. 9-0!

Well, Stephen King has sucked me in again with Lisey's Story. It took me a few dozen pages to really get into it, but I'm there now. I have mixed feelings about this, because I don't want to put it down, and that's a good thing. The bad thing is...I don't want to put it down! I feel like I can barely get anything done, because I just want to keep reading and reading and reading...I was sitting at the dining room table today, and my butt actually got numb.

Jeez, it's a good read. It's not so much monster-scary as it is creepy-scary, or MENTAL-scary. Lisey is cool. I like her very much.

Friday night and feeling all right

Is there any better feeling than leaving work on a Friday afternoon and knowing you have the weekend off? Well, yeah, but that's definitely in the Top Ten!

I got an email from Cousin Shane last week, and this part cracked me up:

"on a funny note, i worked my day off on saturday, 8-5.  as i was walking across the parking lot there, i thought "why do my feet feel uneven?"  i looked down, and i had two completely different shoes on!  i was wearing a white new balance tennis shoe on my left foot and a black doc marten loafer type of shoe on my right foot!  how funny is that?  we had some good laughs over that one at work that day!"

I love that! I've done some similar things, but I don't think I've ever worn a black shoe and a white shoe. I think someone was a bit distracted that day...! (Love you, Shane!)

I've talked about the wildlife here at our place. We call it Nutwood Junction, by the way, because in the 1800's and early 1900's, it was a small unincorporated town called Nutwood, and the railroad ran through it. In fact, we own half of the railroad easement. The depot was across the road from our house. Anyhoo, besides the deer, we also have plenty of other critters, like raccoons. They are so destructive, but they're so darn cute, it's hard to get too mad at them. Check out this guy going after a bird feeder:

One day, I was sitting in the dining room looking out onto the deck. A baby raccoon came strolling up and started going after one of the bird feeders. When I opened the door, it startled him so much, he ran over to shimmy down one of the deck poles. Unfortunately for him, he ran to the side instead of the corner, and when he went over the side, there was no pole there! He was hanging by his little front paws, and when I went out there, he looked up at me with that cute little baby raccoon face, his eyes all big and panicky. I just wanted to die! I seriously thought about reaching down to try to get him back on the deck, but they are wild animals, and I knew I couldn't do that. So as we're looking at each other, he loseshis grip, and FALLS! Our deck is a good 10-12 feet high, by the way. I heard a THUMP and I know I let out a "Gasp!" and I ran downstairs to the basement to look out the sliding glass door to see if he was okay. No sign of him, so he must have hit the ground running.

We get plenty of raccoons and squirrels and sometimes possums up on the deck, looking in the window and taunting the cat. They look so dang cute you just want to pick 'em up and squeeze 'em till they squeak, but they are wild, and would just as soon rip out your eyeball with one of their cute little claws.

Future topic: wild turkeys and their razor-sharp beaks! Ha!

Ahhh, what a relief!

MAN, am I ever glad the elections are over. I'm not thrilled with the outcome, but hey, those are the breaks. I was so sick of seeing the same ads over and over that I could hardly stand it anymore. One ray of light in the darkness was the ads aired by one of Indiana's senators, Richard Lugar. Granted, the guy didn't have any real opposition, and hasn't for years, but his ads were about only the positive things he's done, such as working with world leaders to reduce nuclear weapons. His opponent wasn't even mentioned, let alone trashed. Wow, what a concept! But then Sen. Lugar has always been a class act.

Call me a silly girl, but as I was waiting in line to cast my vote, I was on the verge of getting choked up. What a great thing that we have the opportunity to do that, and it hasn't been that long ago that women didn't have the right to vote. Think of all the people around the world that do not live in a place where they have the freedom to choose their leaders. I know there are some problems with our political system, and I believe there are steps that can be taken to change some things, but it's still a remarkable privilege. Besides, if you don't vote, you don't get to bitch about what they're doing wrong. It's a law.

Looking forward to some games this weekend. Notre Dame vs. Air Force (it's always a cool thing to play the military academies), and the Colts are looking to go 9-0.

Six deer in the back yard the other night. These were obviously eating well. They looked fat 'n sassy, so there are no starving deer at our place. I haven't even put out any food for them yet.

8-0

Hey, good win! Colts go 8-0, remaining the only unbeaten team in the league. Best of all, they beat the Patriots at home, setting themselves up for homefield advantage for the playoffs. They don't seem to do well in outdoor stadiums in January! Marvin Harrison had an amazing one-handed grab in the endzone. You don't see him get emotional very often, but he sure did on that one.

I've mentioned how much I like Jeff Samardzija of Notre Dame. I found this on YouTube, and it's a nice little highlight reel with a cool song by Linkin Park. It gives you an idea of how much fun he is to watch.

It's that time of year

Not the upcoming holidays, not feasting on turkey, not Christmas shopping...no, I'm talking about rutting season.

We live in a rural area, and I've mentioned that we have 11 acres. We also have a whole lot of deer (fun to watch, but not fun to run into). Most of the time we see does and fawns (we often see twins...they are so cute!), but tonight I watched an eight-point buck chase a doe through the marsh behind our house. I didn't see him catch her. Not that I really want to! Later, I looked outside, and there was a TEN-point buck standing on the path into the marsh. It's pretty unusual to see bucks. They seem to be a little more shy than the does. The does and fawns are so slender and look so delicate, but the bucks just look massive. They've got those broad chests, and their antlers look wicked sharp. I wouldn't want to tangle with one, that's for sure. I remember a story a while back about a buck getting into a guy's house, and the buck just tore him up. BAD Bambi! I love seeing our deer, but I keep my distance, and so do they. It's the country, not a petting zoo.

Bad day for the Bears. They lost to the Dolphins. Ken is at work, but I'm sure he has heard the news by now. Tonight, the Colts are playing the Patriots, so this should be a test for them. I don't think I've talked about how much I like Peyton Manning. Not only is he an impressive player, he is apparently a genuinely good guy, and quite funny. I've liked him from the beginning, and he's proven to be everything he was hyped to be. (One of my cousins and his wife are huge Tennessee fans, and they followed Peyton in his college days.) What I find amazing is how hard he works at his job, and how competitive he is. It's almost kind of funny, but he's definitely not a guy who is happy with losing. That's okay by me! I've already asked for a vacation day the Monday after the Superbowl. I do that every year, but I'm hoping this is the year for the Colts, and that I'll have a reason to celebrate bigtime!

And he does some pretty funny commercials, too. "Can you sign the bread for my little brother? He loves you." Ha!

Fightin' Irish

Yay! Irish beat North Carolina. Impressive offense, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out, because the ND quarterback, Brady Quinn, is definitely in the running for the Heisman. Unfortunately, so is the Ohio State quarterback. Brady's lookin' good the past few games, though, and Ohio State didn't look all that great today against Illinois (Ken's alma mater). For that matter, my alma mater, Ball State, gave Michigan a run for their money. What a surprise, but fun to see!

"My" guy, Samardzija, got his 23rd touchdown reception, and is now the record-holder at Notre Dame for TD receptions by a wide receiver. Shweeet!

I'm getting in a traveling mood, so it's a good thing we have a vacation coming up. We'll spend a few days in beautiful Oregon visiting Ken's Mom and stepdad, then drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, and spend a couple of days there. We've driven the PCH before, north from San Diego to San Francisco, and it's an unbelievably gorgeous road trip. I had always heard about Big Sur, but was not prepared for how breathtaking it was. Neither of us has done the PCH north of San Francisco, so we're both looking forward to that. Too bad we won't get to spend a little more time in SF, but even a couple of days will be great. One of my favorite cities I've been to! I even tried sushi for the first time there, and for a microbiologist, that's sayin' something. (It was delicious, by the way, and as far as I know, I did not start growing a tapeworm.)

A few years ago, we were out there for a little longer, and we got to visit Alcatraz. Ken lived out there for about 10 years, and can you believe he never visited Alcatraz?! I guess it's one of those tourist things that the locals often never see (like New Yorkers not visiting the Statue of Liberty, for example). The Alcatraz tour was one of the coolest and creepiest ever. It is such a bleak place, but it looks out on one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Standing in the prison and looking out the windows gave me such an eerie feeling. The audio tour said that prisoners would hear boats passing the island, often with parties going on. Can you imagine laying there in your crummy little cell, listening to the revelry passing right outside your window? What a horrible thing. (Not a lot of sympathy though, because some of the worst criminals were sent to Alcatraz.) We got this really spooky picture of the Alcatraz morgue:

Isn't that just creepy? God knows what kind of nasty things happened at The Rock.

It's a very peaceful place today, with lots of birds and flora. The day we were there was pretty neat, because there was an airshow going on in SF the next day, so the Blue Angels were practicing over the Bay. They were buzzing the island, right overhead, flipping over and flying upside-down, and basically just showing off for all us tourists looking up with our mouths hanging open. WAY cool! Hard to believe that just a few decades before, it was probably the worst and most notorious prison in the country. Now there are butterflies everywhere.

New book

My sister and her husband sent me the new Stephen King book for my birthday. Yay! It's called Lisey's Story, and while it took me a few pages to get into it, I think it's pretty much grabbed me now. I'm not giving anything away, because I'm only a few pages into it, but it's about the widow of a famous author. SK dedicated it to his wife. Interesting, because he came awfully close to dying in that hit-and-run accident, and I'm sure he thought about how his wife would deal with his death.

Call him a hack if you will (plenty have), but he writes a mean yarn. I loved the Gunslinger books, and hated to see them come to an end. Oh, and I laughed when a few years ago he said he was retiring. I could be wrong, but I get the impression that writing is as necessary as breathing to the guy.

Oh, and I finished the latest Repairman Jack book, Harbingers. Repairman Jack totally rocks. (Hint: he doesn't repair appliances. He fixes other things.) I recommend them highly. F. Paul Wilson is the author.

Vegas, Baby!

Ken and I went to Vegas last fall, and I had no idea I would love it so much. I had been to Reno and Tahoe, and there are places around here to gamble, but there's no place like Vegas! I love the neon, the sheer glitz of it, the sounds of the chips and the slot machines...it's a good thing I don't live out there, because I could definitely get into trouble.

We stayed off the Strip, and after a little exploring, we realized that we loved old Vegas the best. Yeah, it's gotten all touristed-up with the Fremont Street Experience, but the old casinos are still there. Our favorite was the Golden Gate.

It's the home of the cheapo Vegas shrimp cocktail--scrumptious! And I found out pretty quickly that slot machines are boring. Blackjack is lots more fun, and the Golden Gate and other downtown casinos have $3 tables all night. We sat and played for hours a couple of nights, and while as some wise person once said, "The only way to make money at a casino is to own one," we didn't lose our shirts. (You gotta have a plan, anyway. Figure on how much you're willing to spend and stick to it.)

One of my favorite moments happened at the Golden Gate. As we were sitting at the Blackjack table, there was a brief lull in the sounds of the casino. Loud and clear, we heard a guy say to a girl, "So...are you married?" It was just SO Vegas!

Although I'm dismayed at the rapid destruction of old casinos and construction of new ones--I love the whole concept of old Vegas, especially in the '50's and '60's, when it was at its zenith of Cool--the city has at least tried to preserve a few things. In the downtown Fremont Street area, they have saved several old neon signs. My favorite was this one:

It's the original lamp from Aladdin's! I think it was built in the fifties, and this very lamp was on it. Sadly, Aladdin's will be demolished (if it hasn't already been) to make way for the new Planet Hollywood Casino. I guess that's why the Strip isn't that much fun to me. Yeah, it's neat,with plenty of glitz, but I hate to see the old classics get torn down. I'm pleased that Vegas made an attempt to save the old downtown, and while it may not be the same as it once was, at least it's still there.

Chicago Olympics

Chicago recently unveiled its logo for the 2016 Olympics. The decision hasn't been made yet, but everyone in these parts is pretty excited and hopeful that the city will get them. We don't live in Chicago, but we're close by, close enough that there is speculation that some events could be held in our small city. Needless to say, we are very excited about that, and we'll do everything we can to get tickets if it happens.

We both still love to watch the Olympics, and I can only imagine what a feeling it must be to win a medal while representing your country. And how cool to watch them in person! And all the visitors we'd get from all over the world...oh my, what a neat thing that would be! I could do my tiny little part to be an ambassador of good will and international harmony. Okay, that's pretty corny, but one of the best things about the Olympics is that people really do seem to suspend their animosity. There are always exceptions, but for 2 weeks, it really does seem that we CAN all just get along. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Chicago to win the bid. Go Chi-town!

As for that logo, if I were wearing a hat, it would be off to whoever designed it. I can't imagine anything more perfect, and I think it's brilliant. The blue torch represents Lake Michigan, and the flame is the skyline. (See the Sears Tower antennas in there?) If they get the Olympics, let's see if they pick a decent mascot. Some of those recent mascots have been not only lame, they've been just plain weird. Who can forget the Izzy fiasco of Atlanta '96?

The Legend of Orange Double Zero

"love you!
shane
Comment from orangedoublezero - 10/26/06 9:42 AM"

I have copied the end of Cousin Shane's comment, and asked him if it was okay to tell the story behind Orange Double Zero. He was okay with that, so here you go. I'm not sure why this cracks me up, but it does.

Shane has a crazy friend at work, AnnMarie. She's crazy in a fun way, not a psycho way. Apparently AnnMarie likes to make up stories, and she told her boyfriend that one time she was driving by Shane's house and saw him through the picture window. He was sitting on the couch and watching TV, and wearing a cutoff orange football jersey with the number 00 on it. And thus was born Orange Double Zero.

Now, I guess you'd have to know Shane, but that is something he would totally NOT wear. He's more of a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy. That's what makes it so funny to me--it's just completely bizarre! I have to admire AnnMarie's storytelling abilities, and her level of detail is astounding. I'd like to have her over for a bonfire one night. I bet she could tell a helluva ghost story!

Good football weekend, by the way: Notre Dame won, Colts won, Bears won. All is right with the world.

Bar and Pub names

As I mentioned early on, the name of this journal comes from a Godfathers song. I've joined a newsgroup about the Godfathers, and not only have I been enjoying that, I've found out that Kris Dollimore, the original guitarist, has released a new CD in the UK. It's some very neat stuff, very bluesy and lean. Check out his website, and you can hear some of his music. I recommend it highly. I've got a CD on the way.

What got me to thinking was the listing of gigs he's played recently. London has some of the coolest bar names! Here are a few: The Cockroach Club, What's Cookin' Club, The Prince of Guinea, The Yew Tree Inn, Man of Kent Ale House, and my personal favorite, and where he's playing tonight, The Mucky Pup. Isn't that just the greatest? Makes me want to have a pint while I belly up to the bar.

Then I got to thinking about bar names in America. There are plenty of lame ones, but there are a lot of cool ones, too, and it reminded me of a song by X, "The Have Nots," in which they name various bars they've seen in their travels. Here you go: The Bar Nothing, The Hi-De-Hi, The Hula Gal, The Beehive Bar, Dexter's New Approach, and the Get Down Lounge. And last but not least, The Aorta Bar, Detroit's Main Vein. (I love that one!)

What do you think? Which is better, or should we even compare the two? They're all great in their own way. However, I think I have a hands-down winner, and it's a place we've actually been to, and got to hear one of the younger Marsalis brothers.

My Grand Prize goes to...The Funky Butt in New Orleans. Near Congo Square, it not only has a great name, it's crowded and intimate and dark, and everyone LOVES the music. But you can't beat that name!

Adopt-A-Kid

Jeez, I'm sick of hearing about this Madonna adoption thing. I have two things to say about this.

First, I don't think there's any doubt that the child will have a better and longer life in England, as the child of privileged parents. Is that even a question? In Africa, he's facing malaria and numerous other parasites and infections, not to mention just plain getting enough to eat. There is no question that this will give him a longer and healthier life.

Second, why isn't she adopting a parentless child? This kid still has a father, right? I can certainly understand the guy wanting his child to have a better life, but why didn't Madonna pick a kid with NO parents? Don't they have it bad, too?

Third--okay, I have THREE things to say about this. Three! Can the media just give this a rest? Please?

Fourth--okay, FOUR things to say. I know it's all noble to want to save babies and give them a good life. I have no quarrel with that. But aren't there plenty of babies and older kids right here that need a home? Isn't it awfully arrogant of us in the West to say that we know what is best for everyone else, and remove a child from their native home in order to give them what we deem a better life? For someone who has millions of dollars, wouldn't a significant monetary contribution to problem areas help hundreds or thousands of children, rather than just one?

Right now, I'm thinking of Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation. Regardless of what you think of the guy, he is using his money to make a true difference in thousands, perhaps millions, of lives. They are funding research to make diseases like malaria preventable, and eventually, a thing of the past. And then there is Warren Buffett, who gave millions of dollars to the Gates Foundation, rather than leaving it to his already privileged children.

Call me a geek if you will (you won't be the first), but to quote a line from Star Trek, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one." I think we can all learn a thing or two from Spock.  Live long and prosper.

Not Strep throat

Good deal. My throat started feeling better today, so since it's getting better on its own, it's a virus, not Strep throat. I officially clear myself to go back to work tomorrow. Still not 100%, but lots better, and hopefully no longer infectious.

I had my first visitor to my new site, my cousin Shane. He posted a comment on my first entry. He's such a peach, and we always have so much fun together. We don't have as much time as we used to, to do things like go to concerts or just hang out, but he'll always be one of my best buddies. We've seen some great shows together, including the B-52's (once in Indianapolis and once in Chicago), R.E.M., Blondie, and others that I can't even begin to remember.

I'm looking forward to the weekend, because Ken and I are big football fans, especially of Notre Dame. The Irish play Navy this weekend, and that's always a great game, with a fine tradition of good sportsmanship. I'm hoping for good things from my favorite player this year, Jeff Samardzija, AKA Shark.

Go Shark, Go Shark! He's so much fun to watch, and just seems like a natural. He's managed some pretty amazing catches. And no matter what some people think, I think he has cool hair!

We also like the NFL, but we may have a little problem there. I'm a Colts fan, and Ken is a Bears fan. Most of the time that isn't a problem. I cheer for the Bears when they're not playing the Colts, and vice versa for Ken, but since they're in different divisions, that rarely happens. But the buzz this year, despite months to go in the season, is that we're going to see a Colts/Bears Superbowl. I think it would be quite a game--one of the best offenses against one of the best defenses--but what would it do to our happy home?! Nah, we'd be fine. One of us would be happy for the other one, and then sob quietly into his or her pillow later that night. All a part of being a fan, right? Spoken like a true Cubs fan!

Sick day

I caught a stupid cold, although my throat hurts so bad, it could be Strep throat. I'm in the infectious stage right now, so I thought it best that I stay home. I just was reading about "presenteeism," when people go into work even when they're sick. It costs the company more in lost productivity than if you'd stayed home and taken a sick day. I can guarantee I would not have been productive today! Looks like a couch day--curl up with the book I'm reading (Harbingers by F. Paul Wilson, a Repairman Jack book) or watch a movie (I've had a hankering to watch "This Is Spinal Tap" for a while now).

See the picture above? I took it off our back deck one evening. I thought the colors of the sunset were just gorgeous. And the important thing is that I figured out how to add a picture without that big stupid white border! Told you I would. Well, I had some help. Thank you, Magic Blogger!

 

This is me

I think I figured out how to add a picture. Let's see if this works...this is me, by the way.

I HATE that big border around the picture. That just takes up way too much space! I'll get it figured out, though, trust me.

And if you want to add a comment, click on "Add Your Own."

Blog virgin

Thought I'd start a blog. Just seemed like the thing to do.

Actually, I used to have a web page, and several friends and family members have said that they miss it. I kind of do, too, and I think this will be an easy way to continue that, as well as keep in touch with people and let them know what is happening here.

I have to say that it dismays me a little bit to have AOL have these prompts for categories on here, although they don't show up if nothing is selected (so you can't see them--but believe me, they're there): mood, music I'm listening to, and I even had to place this blog into a particular category. It's not always that easy to define my mood or where I belong. I also notice that they don't have moods such as "surly" or  "passive-aggressive." Not that I often feel that way, but I think a list of 16 moods is terribly limiting. We're all much more complicated than that, don't you think?

The title of this journal comes from a song by the Godfathers, a great late '80's/early '90's band. The song is "STB," and one of the lines is "I have to hear your sweet voice, honey, breathing down the line." I love that. Makes me think of those late night phone calls to the one you love when you're apart. There usually ends up being a lapse in conversation, and all you can hear is each other's breathing. It can be a very nice moment.