Accomplished Today

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unless you count that fact that I met The Kids for lunch, and fixed myself some nachos for dinner. Oh, and I took the rent check down to the office. The Boy has been trying to get a TiVo set up. He needs a phone line in order to get it started, and then it is supposed to run ok without one. So, he has it all hooked up to my phone line and tv. Hasn't been able to get it to download what it needs to download. They finally had to leave because they are meeting her dad and s-mom for dinner, but he left everything hooked up. I *think* it might be done, but when I told it to go to the next step I got a message that it couldn't do that until after the updates at 2:00 am. Guess he'll just have to work on it tomorrow!

I had kind of planned on going to a birthday party today for the daughter of a co-worker. Not sure if I would have actually gone, but it was nice to be invited. Probably would have felt uncomfortable for a while because I'd only know 2 people there, but it's a party for a 2-year-old so I'm sure I could have made myself useful.

And, since I haven't taken any pictures to post, I'm going to include one that Big Bro took on his vacation - this is Cumberland Falls and was taken last September.

Good Manners part two

Apparently, the good manners don't extend to the person or persons unknown who have clothes in 3 out of the 4 dryers and have left them there for at least half an hour (during the entire wash cycle for my clothes). That means I had to put all my stuff in one dryer, and you KNOW the jeans won't dry. So, I have to go back at the end of the dry cycle, when I should have been able to get all my clothes and be done with it, and add more money to the dryer for another cycle. And then make a fourth trip to the laundry room when that cycle is finished. Plus, my trip up to the mailbox was a wasted effort, because I only had junk mail. Good thing it isn't very far to either the mailbox or the laundry room. And no, I don't want any cheese with that whine.

Good Manners are alive and well

even if they are a bit misguided. Went and put my laundry in the machines, and stepped out of the laundry room. The door is at the top of the landing for the stairs to the parking lot. (Not a lot of stairs, only 5 or so). As I came out of the laundry room, two young boys rode up on their scooters and stopped at the top of the staircase. They looked at me, and said "Hi", and then just stood there. I said "Hi" back to them and waited for them to continue on down the stairs. They just stood there, looking at me. I said "I'm going that way" and pointed toward the parking lot. One said "Oh" kinda embarrassed) and moved out of my way. Guess they were waiting for me to go the opposite direction before they started off again!

Had an ok day at work. Hate to say it, but I kinda miss the "month end" rush to get things done. It sometimes feels like it doesn't really matter that I'm working there; I don't really feel like my contributions help get the money in. I'm sure I am making a difference, or they wouldn't keep me around. Just doesn't have the same sense of satisfaction as doing the collecting for Boyd did. I still enjoy the job, and hope they keep me on, because even though there isn't any satisfaction, there isn't any stress, either.

Anyway, my clothes are being washed, and I have taco fixin's for dinner. Rereading the "Constable Evans" series of books by Rhys Bowen, and have my knitting. So, I'm set for the evening! Oh, forgot to get the mail. Darn. I'll go up for it when I go put the clothes in the dryers, I guess.

Wells Fargo ad

So, there's a commercial for Wells Fargo that was just on. Shows a young Weimaraner (all legs and scritchy-toenails) trying to run through the house chasing a ball. The poor dog is slipping and sliding all over the place. I really feel bad for the poor puppy. Except for the very end - I love the expression on her face at the end of the commercial. Hey, look - I found it on YouTube! Her name is Bella and apparently that's an average "day in the life" for her.

Upland Street Fair

Had a pleasant evening. Met Val and her daughter Stephanie (and Shelly's daughter, Vanessa, whom Val was babysitting) at the Upland Street Fair. The Kids joined us, too. We met at the Mexican restaurant for dinner and conversation, and then wandered around the booths at the fair. Vanessa was being adorable (she's 2) and Stephanie seems nice. Kinda quiet, but that could have been shyness since she didn't know any of us. Didn't buy anything this time around, and am home in time for SYTYCD.

And - according to The Boy - it isn't much of a fair without funnel cake. Even though he bought a cinnamon pull-apart loaf. And didn't give me any of it.

Haven't been emailing with Sis much. I don't want to push things at work (since we really aren't supposed to be using the computer for personal stuff) and I don't know about the policy at her new office. I mean, I know it was frowned upon at the old office, but she was able to get away with it. I miss being able to shoot off messages whenever I thought of things to say. Same with emailing Barb. By the time I get home, I've forgotten everything I wanted to say to her. And it isn't the same without her being able to respond right away. *sigh* Sometimes I really miss Boyd!

Got a postcard in the mail today for the Sugar Plum craft fair in Costa Mesa the weekend of June 12-14. Wonder if The Girl and Sis (and maybe Duh) want to go.

Cops and Nephew

So, I was sitting on the couch last night, watching tv. You know, the same old same old. Suddenly realized that I'd been noticing a lot of people walking back and forth past my window. Then, I realized some of them were police officers. Well, I peeked out the windows and saw that there were 3 police cars parked out there. Didn't hear any yelling, or anything, and everyone seemed calm, so I wasn't worried or anything. Just a bit nosy. Sent a text message to The Boy to see if he had heard anything, but he hadn't.

Tonight I saw Denise and asked her what was going on. She said she'd tell me later, that "they" were upstairs and that it was the reason for the moving van in the parking lot. So apparently we have a newly vacant apartment. Saw the guys moving stuff out, and they didn't seem upset or angry. According to Denise, the situation was "no bueno". Makes me nosier than ever!

On a happier note, I received more pictures of my Great Nephew ... here's one of my favorites out of the ten. And the message from his Mommy: Drake is nearly 2 months old now and weighs just over 7lbs. He's outgrown his preemie clothing and is now just barely fitting into the 0-3 month stuff. It's looking like he's going to have light red hair now that it's coming in a bit more.

Quote stolen from someone on KR

"If at first you don't suceed, failure may be your style" Quentin Crisp

Morning Visitor

When I opened the door to leave for work this morning, I found a visitor on my porch.
I guess it isn't strange to find a snail on the porch, but I hadn't seen one in quite a long time. And then, when I got to work, there was another one just outside the door to the building! And yes, I'm sure it wasn't the same one. It was smaller. Although I guess traveling all that way so quickly could have helped it lose weight ...

So, driving home from work today I decided I was going to make tacos for dinner. (Sorry, Sis, if your tummy is still upset while I'm mentioning food.) Figured I'd have to stop at the store for some of the ingredients because my hamburger is all frozen and I don't like it when it has been defrosted in the microwave. Almost to the store and I remembered that there was something on People's Court I wanted to see ... decided to skip the tacos and eat something I have at home. Well, my Direct TV isn't working. Hunt around to find the phone number to call; can't find one for Direct so I called Verizon (my phone, DSL and tv are all bundled together through Verizon). Well, they show that it was turned off for non-payment. Hm. I mailed the payment at the beginning of the month. And the phone is working. And the DSL. So, I go through all the hassle of making a payment using the pay-by-phone system. And it still isn't back on. Of course, it says to allow up to an hour for them to notify Verizon that it has been paid. So, I don't get my tacos and I didn't get to see whatever the case was on People's Court that I wanted to see. *sigh* And I know I can go to the store now, but once I'm home I don't like to go back out. Especially when I have good parking ...

It's amazing how much noisier the upstairs neighbors are when my tv isn't on.

Another quiet day

Well, after breakfast, The Kids came over to use the scanner, and Hubby joined them so The Boy could help him with some computer stuff. After scanning his pictures, The Boy spent quite a bit of time doing updates on my computer, installing new virus protection, and a new media player. Hubby stayed a couple hours, and The Kids stayed about another hour after he left. So it wasn't a very productive day, but relaxing. At least it was relaxing when Hubby wasn't yelling about the computer not doing what he wanted it to do. He gets very frustrated with it. Personally, I figure it's mostly user error (which is usually the problem with my computer, too). Don't know what's going on with my movie, though, because it worked just fine on The Boy's laptop.

Anyway, tonight is another episode of So You Think You Can Dance. It'll be interesting to see if they have anyone to compare with the popper/locker (or whatever you call them) from last week. He was great! (As you can tell, I've decided that I like adding hyperlinks in my posts!) Think I'll knit for a while during the show, as long as my elbow allows me to. Managed 17 rows on my scarf last night.

Bummer, the show is just starting, and it's a rerun from last Thursday! Guess it's back to the CBS lineup.

Eee!

Got an email from Kim this morning -- I won the drawing at the Cookie Lee party yesterday! I have a $10 gift certificate!

Updated to add: I've decided, however, to give the certificate to The Girl, because she is more likely to buy jewelry than I am. Told her at breakfast, and she was thrilled!

What a bummer!

So, I decided to watch another of the movies that I bought a while ago, "Sense and Sensibilities". Imagine my pleasure to find out that Alan Rickman is in it! Well, the movie is going along quite well for almost an hour (55 minutes, to be precise) when it freezes up. Darn it. So I ended task, took out the dvd and reinstalled it, fast forwarded to about the same point, and it froze up. Did it again, using a different media player (the first was RealPlayer, the second was HP Quickplay) and it froze up - again - in the same spot. So now I get to return the movie for a replacement. In the meantime, I don't get to finish the movie. And I really hope it is the movie that is defective, and not something going wrong with my computer.

Was a little disappointed with the one I watched yesterday, too ... "The Notebook". Was really enjoying the movie until where I thought it ended. It should have ended there. It didn't, though, but continued on in a manner I didn't like. I won't go into detail just in case someone other than Sis reads this, and is planning on seeing the movie (or reading the book) at some point. I told Sis about it at brunch today, anyway.

So, now I'm watching America's Funniest Home Videos (which usually aren't very funny) and waiting for Extreme Makeover to start. What a disappointing ending to my day, though! Oh - that video wasn't bad -- a little boy taking a bubble bath was joined by his Great Dane!

Ha - I knew Sis was going to post that picture! Check out her blog (unless you are Sis, of course) - see the link to the right. Needles and Spins.

Sunday

Had a pleasant day so far. Met Sis at IHOP for brunch at 11:00, had some yummy strawberry "creeps". Which, of course, is my standard order when I go to IHOP. Since we had a lot of time left before we had to go to the jewelry party, we wandered around Target for a while. Checked out some patio furniture (ended up not liking any of it) and browsed through the movie selections. Almost bought a couple but figured I should watch the ones I have before buying new ones. Maybe.

The jewelry party wasn't quite what I had expected. I thought it would be like the Tupperware parties, where the guests all arrive and the consultant discusses the merchandise, then you place orders that get delivered later. This was set up more as an Open House. There were a couple of tables with the jewelry displayed for on-the-spot purchase. Kim also had catalogs available for ordering items that were not displayed. I bought a pretty bracelet, and then chose a necklace as my free gift for bringing a guest. Sis was a little disappointed that there weren't any pins on display. Even more disappointed when we were told that Cookie Lee doesn't carry pins anymore! Sis bought a set of 3 bracelets.

It was nice to get out, and I like to help out the kids and their friends when I can, so I'm glad that we went. I think Kim is probably going to convince The Girl into becoming a consultant, too ... which means I might be able to get some stuff at a discount. Not that I wear a lot of jewelry but I might wear more if I can get it discounted! :-)

Not a bad day

Met Hubby and The Kids for breakfast (ok, it was closer to lunch) at Corky's and had a yummy chicken fried steak. The eggs were ok, not quite done enough for me but I don't eat much of the egg anyway. Good conversation for the most part. Not that there was bad conversation.

The Boy isn't quite as upset over his new job as he had been at the beginning. He found out that this doesn't have to be permanent, and he'll be able to go back to the shop afterwards. The current sound board operator is going back to another show, so he's training The Boy to do the show. Then, once The Boy is comfortable enough with the board and everything, he'll be training a permanent replacement and can then move back to the shop. So that won't be so bad.

After brunch, The Kids came back to my place to do laundry. I went with The Girl while she got her hair cut, and The Boy did some updating on his computer. It was a pleasant afternoon. They are gone now (have other plans for the evening) although I may be meeting them for breakfast in the morning. Not sure about that, because they are meeting a friend and I'm supposed to be meeting up with Sis at some point for the jewelry party. Might be able to get some knittering in, too. We'll have to see how it goes.

Weird Dream

So, I was dreaming that one of the bosses (nobody I know) came over to me while I was working and said that since I was going to "be there for a while" I should have my "own space". She brought me up onto the roof where they were already setting up a desk underneath an EasyUp (the kind with sides, the front was left open). They were putting pictures up, and organizing things, and making it look really nice. But, on the roof? What if it got windy, or rained? Oh well. So she said that since I couldn't work while they were setting things up, I should go for a nice, long lunch and come back in a couple of hours.

When I went back, I couldn't find my "office". Half of the roof (and it was huge!) was covered in EasyUps and tents and tarps with all kinds of businesses in them. Looked like a combination swap meet/craft fair/carnival. There was even a huge field area. I wandered around for what seemed like hours trying to find my space. Finally found Duh, and decided to visit with her for a while. She panicked because she thought there were wolves so she closed up the tent until it was really really small. That was about the end of the dream. Never did find my "office".

Wonder what caused that one? The salsa? I didn't eat THAT much of it. :-) Maybe it was inspired by Sis' dream about the Monkees at the State Fair. And I was going to add a picture, but couldn't find one that looked right.

Stupid Drivers

Ok, I only work about 7 miles from home. You wouldn't think that would give much opportunity for seeing stupid drivers. However, I saw TWO of them in the space of about a mile or so today!

First: 2 lanes of northbound traffic. I'm in the outside lane. Traffic light ahead has cars stopped in both lanes. Ambulance coming up from behind. What does the idiot in the other lane do? Yep, you got it. Drives right on up, and stops in the left turn lane and completely blocks the ambulance until the southbound traffic passes by.

Next: I make my turn, heading eastbound. Car leaves the parking lot to head east. The driver pulls into the center divider lane, drives up a little ways and signals a left turn. Goes into the inside lane for the westbound traffic to wait until he or she can complete the turn.

On a good note, the boss let us leave early today! I would have been able to leave at 4:15 anyway, because I went in a bit early, but we were "let go" at 3:30! Fortunately, the rain had stopped by then because I cleaned out my desk. No, I'm not fired. They're going to be fumigating this weekend and I didn't want to leave food, dishes, etc to get poisonized. Poisonated? Yeah, I like poisonated better. And now I am home, watching the Ellen Degeneres Show.

Wore my "Wicked" shirt today - which, of course, only made me want to see the play (again) even more than I already did. So, here's a YouTube video of "Defying Gravity" for your enjoyment.

S Y T Y C Dance

Well, 45 minutes into the premiere and I remember what I don't like about the beginning episodes. They have spent way too much time on each dancer (I think they've only had 6 dancers so far) and especially so on one particular guy. He's back for the third time, and it's just a joke. He is geeky and awkward and has not talent or personality. I don't know why they keep giving him air time. But I'm sure if he auditions again next time around, they'll put him on tv again.

Then there was the dancer who seems to think he is a gift to the world. Even stripped down to (apparently) nothing during the interview. What that has to do with dancing, I don't know. It wasn't even a strip-tease. He just took off his clothes. Some people will do anything to be on television. At least on Idol, they tend to cut the really bad acts pretty quickly and not let them continue on for 3 minutes.

Hey, show's back on. Gotta watch so I can see what to complain about next ...

Ouch - this guy just put both arms out straight ... behind his back!

Yup, it is Spring

and, according to some friends of Hubby, it was snowing at Big Bear this morning. They sent him a picture and he forwarded it to my phone. Not a lot of snow, but there is a little bit! We've been having rain here this afternoon and my feet are rather cold. Wasn't a good day to wear sandals to work, I guess. Oh, and the repairmen got the A/C working today -- not that we needed it.

The Boy is getting new responsibilities at work. He's not sure how happy to be about it. I think it's a "promotion" for him. Instead of working in the shop, he'll be operating the sound board for TPIR. It will include training on a sound board he hasn't used before, which is always good to add to a resume. I think he'll miss the guys he's been working with, though, and he'll be working later in the day so won't have as much "evening" time with The Girl.

Tonight is the season opener for So You Think You Can Dance, which is always entertaining. They get some really fantastic talent on that show. The only problem with it is that, towards the end of the season, it will be on at the same time as Survivor. And you KNOW I'll be watching Survivor!

I Cheated

and now know which David is the winner - and I'm not telling. At least, according to an online article from the Salt Lake Tribune.

Edited at 10:07 to say YAY for David Cook!

CSI FINALE SPOILER!

For those on Knitters Review who read my post (and anyone else who wants to know) here's the "in a nutshell" of the finale ...

Warrick was arrested for killing the mob boss; he had no memory of what had happened. After investigating, the CSI team was able to clear him. The end scene showed Warrick in the driver seat of his car, talking to someone outside the passenger window. The man then shoots Warrick, twice. We are left to assume that he is dead. I'm hoping for contract negotiations!

Flashback!

So, in my candy bowl at work I have Cherry Cordial Kisses and Candy Cane Kisses. The peppermint kind of permeates everything. Well, I grabbed one of the cherry ones this afternoon, unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth. My first thought was a total flashback to the 1960s (yes, I remember back that far, on occasion) to the male equivalent of the Easy Bake Oven. It was used to make chewy candy bugs ... I especially remember a bunch of green and yellow ones, for some reason ... but that first taste brought me right back to those candies! And - for the record, I do not think that the "standard" EB Oven is for girls only, or the bug one for boys only. That is, however, how they were marketed at the time.

On a not-quite-as-happy note, I'm going to probably end up having to go to Jury Duty in August. Not that I mind the JD so much, so don't get your knickers in a twist, Sis! It's just that they sent it based on my address in Pomona (where I no longer reside) and have me scheduled for the Grand Jury in Los Angeles. Well, I sent in the questionnaire hoping to be excused based on the fact that I now live in a different County. No such luck, they just postponed it from June to August. I sent an email requesting that I be excused (for the same reason) and they said that they have jurisdiction over San Bernardino County, too .... I really really dread the thought of having to drive to LA. I'm hoping that, when the time comes, I'll be excused. If selected, I'll have to appear once a week for a term of either 6 or 12 months.

And, based on how all my other shows are turning out in the past week, David A is going to win American Idol tonight.

Dang

I hate to say it, but I think David A outsang David C tonight. I still don't want him to win, I think David C is the better singer and the better showman. I've tried calling in to vote a few times (yes, I finally broke down and tried to vote) but the line has been busy each time I've tried. So, hopefully that's a good sign ... but I'm sure I'd get a busy signal if I tried David A's phone numbers, too. Well, it's all in the hands of the callers and hopefully they'll read my blog and vote for David C. Heehee!

I also wanted to apologize to the guy I cut off this morning. I know he won't read my blog, but just for the record: I thought he was in a left turn lane. Really. At least neither of us was driving quickly, because we had been stopped at red lights. There, I feel better now.

10:06 pm 5/21 Updated to correct silly typo that Sis caught. Hey - ten-o-six!

Plant Update!

One of the little sprouts on my dead plant is green! There used to be about 5 or 6 of them, and they all ended up brown and drooping and dead-looking. But one of them is standing there (like a little Rory Calhoun) and is green! It may live after all!! I'm jazzed.

Laundry Night

Well, I postponed it about as long as I could, but I am finally doing laundry. I hate having to go to the laundry room and hope for an available machine, and then having to go back and hope for a dryer, and then a third trip to get the clothes and bring 'em home. I'm grateful that I don't have to drive to a laundromat somewhere, but it was so much easier washing clothes at the house, where I had my own washer and dryer. So that's my whine for now.

Barb sent me an email today which included "pictures taken at just the right angle". I thought this one of the cat was pretty good. Especially since it looks like Little Thing!

I'm still upset over the season finales for CSI and Bones. I blame it on the writers' strike. They had too much time off and so were able to think of ways to upset me. Poor Warrick and Zach!

Bones

I am NOT HAPPY with tonight's episode of "Bones"! Oh, my gosh - I can't believe they did that. It was worse then the way they ended CSI last week, and I hated that. Don't know what the writers are up to, but that strike sure messed up my shows. D*mn.

And a thought I forgot to mention from last night ... I think it was rather hypocritical of Kelly Pickler to sing about girls being beautiful "as they are", since she had breast augmentation surgery as soon as she had the money for it.

Or am I just being cranky?

Another Day, Another 1/2 Dollar

Well, not really a lot going on, as usual. Had an ok day at work today; nothing special or exciting, but I did get more "pats on the back" from Kim. Really makes me feel good, ya know? Especially I started out the day feeling kinda bad. Had an email from B in NY, who is feeling a bit down lately. As part of her email, she said something along the lines of "let me know if I'm bugging you and I'll stop emailing". Made me realize how bad I've been about responding to her messages. So, I called her and talked to her on the way to work and I felt better. I'll just have to make more of an effort to email her and call on occasion. Really glad I mailed her that card last week! In fact, I had a message from her this afternoon thanking me for it - so she got the call and the card in one day! Darn, shoulda spread those out a bit more .. :-)

Anyway, she's thinking about possibly getting a new dog. It's been a while since she lost Ness, and I'm glad to see that she has healed to the point that she can consider another "child". Not sure that she'll get another Scottie; but she's made some calls.

Went to dinner with Duh tonight. Apparently, AJ had an email from Disney Cruises, asking him to send a resume for their theatre department! How exciting for him ... but not really good timing. He hurt his knee at work a while back and has been out on disability. Well, the doctor told him today that it may need surgery. Not good timing, if there's a possibility of a job ... but he can send the resume and just add a cover letter stating that he'll be available in Sept (or whenever). The only really bad part would be his not being able to see 'Phia.

Well, guess that's about it for the news ....

Oh, great ... just checked Sis' Flickr site. She's gone pro! Now I'm way behind ... :-)

And - a picture of my youngest BIL with Paula Abdul.

August Rush

That was a good movie. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but both Alex O'Loughlin (Moonlight) and Jonathan Rhys Myers (The Tudors) were in it! JRM even sang -- the movie started out kind of sad, and had some "suspension of disbelief" moments, but I really enjoyed it. I'm glad I bought it!

Flowers Repotted

Went to breakfast (well, closer to lunch) with The Kids and Hubby today. We were pretty close to a Wal-Mart, so after eating I went to return some stuff that was bought for the wedding. Of course, I couldn't just get my money back and go home; I ended up wandering around for probably an hour or so. Bought a movie (August Rush) and a fan for my desk at work. Also bought a little pot and some potting soil to replant my flowers. Unfortunately, only one type made it to this point; one morning last week they were both fine, and when I got home that evening all the sprouts in one pot had died. I haven't gotten rid of them, because I feel bad ... but I don't think they will resuscitate. Anyway, here's a picture of the "big boy pot-ty" (sorry, couldn't resist) and a close up of the baby plants.

Great Movie!

That was a really, really good movie! And I didn't have to go alone; ended up meeting The Kids for breakfast and they decided to go see the movie with me. They had been planning on going to an Air Show, but decided the cool theatre sounded better than a hot landing strip. Smart of them, I'd say! There were two points in the movie where I had "Princess Bride" flashbacks, which was odd because The Boy had one, too! I won't describe them now because I know Sis reads my blog and is also planning on going to see "Prince Caspian", and I don't want to put them into her head. More than I already have, that is .... I think I'm going to have to reread the book, though, because even though I listened to the audiobook recently there were parts I'd like to check up on. But, I'd see it again, and already plan on buying the DVD when it becomes available.

Speaking of which, I should check to see when the DVD of "The Other Boleyn Girl" is due out.
Ah - June 10. Good to know! Don't think I'll order from Amazon, though - it takes too long for stuff to get here unless I pay for 2 day shipping.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAFE!

Would have said it earlier, but I didn't want to wake you ... and I promise not to sing.

Saturday Morning

Had a lazy morning so far. Woke a bit early, but stayed in bed, listened to the tv and read and dozed for a while. Made some coffee and then ignored it. Not for long, I have some now ... don't panic! Took a nice long shower, and am now watching tv and blogging.

So last night, right at the beginning of "Moonlight", we lost the electricity. Yes, my bill has been paid, and on time. From what I could see, the entire apartment complex was out. Fortunately the outage only lasted a couple minutes and I didn't miss much of the episode. And it was just the beginning part ... hopefully not too important to the story line. I was able to follow it right away so it couldn't have been too crucial. It was a good episode, too; and ended a lot better than CSI did the night before! I hope the show continues on another network (one that I don't have to pay extra to watch - and not at the same time as any of my other Must See programs!) because I really enjoy it. There's just something about those vampire fangs .... at least until they start sucking up the blood. I had the opportunity to have the dentist give me fangs, but turned him down. I'm not sure that he would have really done it anyway. And although I think they look cool, I really don't think I'd want them.

So, I need to check to see what time Prince Caspian is airing today. Bye for now.

The Countdown Begins!

Survivor Gabon premieres on September 18, 2008! Nothing much in imdb.com yet, except the all important premiere date information. Not that I want to rush through life or anything, but I can't wait! It'll be hard for them to top this season for backstabbing and blindsiding ...

My headache has finally eased to a very bearable dull ache. I was kind of worried it would end up as a migraine, but fortunately it was eased by lying down for a while. Then I had to watch the episode of "Moonlight" from last week, since the finale is tonight. And from what I hear, it is The End - CBS isn't picking it up for the Fall. Bummer, because I like the show. And the actor ... not bad to look at. Although I did discover that he was born the August after I graduated from high school, which kind of brings in the "ew" factor!

And, at this point, I'm planning on going to see "Narnia - Prince Caspian" this weekend. Alone, but I'm planning on going. I'll just have to get my snacks before finding a seat, and hope I don't have to leave for the restroom until the movie is over!

And - one of the Quotes of the Week from ew.com:

''You're crazy. You'll officially go down as the dumbest Survivor ever. In the history of Survivor. Ever.''
PARVATI, WHILE VOTING OFF ERIK, WHO HAD JUST GIVEN AWAY HIS IMMUNITY, ON SURVIVOR: MICRONESIA

Not a fun Friday

Woke up this morning with a headache that just wouldn't go away. So, I'm not going to post a lot (at least not now, we'll see about later). But here's a cool picture that was sent to me in an email.

Amusing Bumper Sticker

with a great message! I didn't actually see it on a car, but on the file cabinet of one of my co-workers. Apparently, there is a line of t-shirts to help support breast cancer.

Had another compliment at work today - this one by word of mouth. Val told me that El is very pleased with my work, and wishes they would hire me full time. It is so great to be appreciated! I even had one of the "regulars" ask me about info that one of the insurance companies wanted on their claims, because I'm the one that first found out about the requirement. I enjoyed being the one with the answer, instead of the one asking the questions for a change ... Of course, all this will just make it harder when/if the time comes that they let me go.

Wasn't real pleased with American Idol last night. They let Syesha go, and kept David A. Wish it had been the other way around, but at least they didn't vote off David C! And of course I had to get nosy and text Hubby to find out who left ... he didn't watch the taping but went and found out for me. So, I knew at shortly after 7:00, even though it doesn't air here until 9:00. It's nice to have someone "in the know" that can ease the enquiring mind.

And tonight is Thursday - without Survivor. I guess I can watch some of the episodes online, but it wouldn't be the same. Hey, I should watch Moonlight and get caught up!

Weird Dream

When I dream, they are usually weird ones that I forget soon after waking up. This morning, I was dreaming that I was in a play - a musical, no less. Not a starring role, but I had some solo parts in a couple of the songs. Well, before time for the play to start, I was sitting with Duh's aunt, who was very ill. She said she was feeling better, and left. I went backstage to get ready for the show which had already started. Had an attack of stage fright (gee, wonder why!!!) and couldn't even walk to the dressing room. Ended up talking to Younger Bro, who was also suffering from stage fright even though he wasn't in the performance. And as soon as the "understudy" went on in my place, I was fine and ate a steak dinner.

Told you it was weird ....

Surprised Boss!

Today is the 65th birthday for Ms Supervisor. So, in her honor, everyone got together and prepared a surprise brunch. The conference room was still decorated from the Nurses' Day celebration they had yesterday, so we didn't have decorate. We had green chili quiche, pancakes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, bacon, sausage, hash browns and tater tots, fruit ... yum! After everything was set up, Ms Manager asked Ms Supervisor to come in for a meeting to discuss how things will be handled after one of the ladies leaves on Friday. When they walked into the conference room, Ms S turned to Ms M and said "You b**ch" (in a joking, friendly way). She was so surprised, and genuinely pleased that everyone remembered her day. The Macy's gift card probably didn't hurt, either ...

Along the lines of "good day at work", I'm understanding more of what is expected of me as far as the project I'm working on. I actually think I'm helping now, instead of just wasting time looking for paperwork. It's nice to feel like you are helping, instead of just spinning your wheels!

Darned Direct TV!

Tonight, on PBS, there's a show about Mt Everest. The description is: Chronicling a 1996 Mount Everest tragedy in which three teams of climbers were caught in a deadly storm, filmmaker/mountain climber David Breashears tells a story that's equal parts awe-inspiring and agonizing. Breashears was on the scene to help with the rescue when a blizzard at 26,000 feet trapped many of the climbers. Now he interviews several of the survivors, and their blunt tales of bravery and fear — along with the director's footage of stunning landscapes that turned — make for a remarkable documentary.

The problem? Apparently, PBS is a pay channel that I don't pay for. *sigh* I would have liked to see it!

Turtle Bug!

Got an email from my friend in NY today, with several fun pictures. I thought this one was quite amusing ... a turtle Volkswagen! Can you imagine driving down the street, and seeing this coming towards you!

Also received emails from CR and TLH and BB at Boyd. I had sent a "group" message to them asking about the China division - didn't know if Shenzen was affected by the earthquake in China yesterday. Apparently it isn't near the epicenter, and the Boyd employees probably didn't feel it. Which is good, of course!

BB is no longer with Boyd; her last day was Friday and she'll be starting a new job with a plastics company in Fullerton, according to TLH. CR will be working out of her house for a while, since the person they hired to handle her accounts has already quit! And KR has a good job now, too. So it sounds like my former co-workers are doing ok.

CR's email included some pictures of her daughter, son-in-law and grandbaby. The baby is getting to be so big already, and he's quite cute. I reciprocated by sending her some of the wedding pics. Too bad she didn't make it to the wedding, it would have been nice to see her. Although, since I didn't really get a chance to talk to the people who were there, maybe I shouldn't be wishing for more people that I could have ignored! heehee

BB's email was just letting me know that she was no longer with Boyd and giving me her home address. I'll have to send an email to each of my former co-workers and include a picture of The Kids.

Too Bad We Didn't Know

but the San Diego Wild Animal Park is featuring a Journey Into Africa tour. Had we known about the tour on Saturday, and that the next Survivor is going to be in Africa, Sis and I could have gone and pretended to be "surviving"!

The Girl held a lion cub, and had pictures taken, while on her honeymoon last week. I'm sure they had a hard time prying the "kitty" out of her hands...

This Evening (so far)

It started sprinkling on my way home, and it is kind of misty now. That's ok. I'm home, and dry, and planning on bean'n'bacon soup with bread and butter. Tonight is a new episode of "Bones", and I have 2 episodes of "Moonlight" that I need to watch online at some point before Friday.

Mother's Day Recap

So, I didn't even mention my Mother's Day! Dad and J, The Kids, and Hubby all came over for a visit, and we went to Applebee's for an early dinner. Had a great meal, good conversation and a nice time. The hostess greeted us at the door with a carnation for each of the ladies, which is standard for a lot of restaurants. Mine was purple. Of course, by the time it gets to be about 4:00 or so (which is when we went to eat) the flowers are getting a tad bedraggled, but it's the thought that counts.

The Kids came over a little earlier than the others, since The Boy had laundry to do. We looked at some of the pictures he took on the cruise; and the ones they purchased from Carnival - they are gorgeous! I sure hope I get copies of them ... hint hint. The Kids gave me a beautiful heart-shaped rose gold pendant, with mother of pearl inlay. It was so totally unexpected! And, of course, I received a Mother's Day card from "C. and P. M." It's going into my "keep these" box! I'm going to have to ask The Boy to take a picture of the pendant for me to post; I tried to get a good picture but wasn't able to.

And then, of course, there was Survivor -- and the announcement for Season 17 - Survivor Gabon (Africa) - Earth's Last Eden

And the Sole Survivor is ....

Parvati! With a vote of 5 to 4, Parvati just barely beat out Amanda for the million bucks. This means I win the "pot" from Sis; unfortunately, this means we have to do math to figure out how much. And, I don't really care if I get the money or not, I just like to chose the winner. Still should have been Ozzy, though.

I think it is funny, too, that the acknowledged "flirt" of the show has the last name "Shallow"!

Survivor Thought

Just dawned on me - if James hadn't been healthy enough to join the jury, there would have been an even number of jury members. Which could have led to a tie .... what a dilemma that could have been! I wonder if they have a policy in place to deal with that situation? They'd have to. Wouldn't they?

9:30 - ok, it is going to be an even number on the jury - 8 - so it could end up as a tie. That would be interesting - I kinda hope it happens!

My Garden

Thought I'd take a picture of my little garden. Emphasis on "little", of course. I bought these plant starter kits in the dollar bins at Target. One pot is pansies, the other is marigolds. I think. Don't remember for sure, and couldn't tell you which is which. I really didn't even expect them to sprout so am quite pleased with the growth so far. I need to find a larger pot to transplant them into. Anyway, here they are!

Honeymoon is over

or close enough to it. If I remember correctly, the ships usually dock around 8:00 in the morning. Of course, The Kids still get breakfast on board, and can hang around the ship until they get kicked off. Last year, we were the last people through customs .... I'm sorry for The Kids that their trip is over and it's back to Real Life as Grown-up Married People, but I'm also excited to hear about their cruise, and what they thought of the wedding, and what presents they received. Of course, I don't really expect them to spend today with me when I know they have a lot to do to get ready for Life tomorrow. Although maybe I can tempt them by letting them know Dad and J will be over for lunner (lunch/dinner).

Guess that means I'd better straighten up the place a bit.

Sis sent me an invitation to join one of the Flickr groups, but I don't remember how to do it ... I'm such a dork!

Chocolate Turtles

Darn - wish I'd grabbed more of them ...

Quail Botanical Gardens

What an enjoyable day! Met Sis at Denny's for breakfast (Moons Over My Hammy, if you must know!) and then drove down to the Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas. It was a nice drive, actually, even though I don't like driving or passengering. Sis drove, so I just had to relax and converse. Arrived at the QBG and realized that we weren't the only people interested in the chocolate festival. We actually had to park just outside the exit ... and even at that, there wasn't much parking space available! Took the little shuttle ride to the entrance (because one of us is lazy and didn't want to walk up the hill) (no, not her). There were several chocolate vendors with displays set up, and we had to have a couple of samples, of course. I think my favorite booth was O'Gilvie Chocolatier, although Jer's Handmade Chocolates were also quite yummy. Went back later to get more of the Cherry Squares; unfortunately they had run out. Probably for the best . I've added a picture of the Cherry Squares from O'Gilvie, just to tempt you. Sis also tried the chocolate-dipped candied pansies (yes, real pansies) and said they were quite good. Of course, she's probably already blogged about all this ... I had a longer drive home and stopped off to visit with Bubs and LT on the way home.

We then spent quite a while wandering around the Botanical Gardens, and I tried to take some interesting pictures. Unfortunately, what I see in my "mind's eye" and what the camera sees are usually very different things, so most of the pictures were just wasted time. I did get a few interesting plants (and a couple of people whom I don't know). Sis rescued a ladybug from one of the ponds; it decided it liked her and stayed with us until she carefully placed it on a plant. I'm posting a pic of one of the ponds, and a pic of the branch "tunnel". This includes the couple I don't know.

Dad and J leave next week for Canada. They have another wedding to attend at the end of the month so they are making their summer trip a little early this year. I think they'll be coming out this way to do lunch tomorrow, although no definite plans have been made.

End of the Work Week

Well, today was a much better day at work than yesterday had been. Apparently, the website for Medi-Cal is very picky, so when I was typing in the patient ID using a lowercase letter, it wanted an uppercase letter. After finding this out, I was able to get status on quite a few of the claims I was checking on. Made a big difference in my "feeling of worth", that's for sure! I figure yesterday was a completely wasted work day. I should have just stayed home! Of course, they wouldn't have paid me for that and I will get paid for being there yesterday. And I did accomplish a little bit, just not as much as I would have liked.

Got a nice long email from AJo today. Guess her life has been pretty tough since high school, although she sounds as though she is happy now. It would be nice if we could get together and talk sometime soon, but I don't see that happening in the near future. I know I can't afford to go to Texas, and wouldn't want to ask her to come out here (since I don't know her financial situation). We'll have to make do with emails for now!

Tomorrow is the Chocolate Festival in Encinitas. Hopefully, it'll be a lot nicer than the one we went to last year in Ventura. Hopefully, it'll actually have some chocolate and not be just another craft fair. It could be a bit expensive, since the tickets are $.50 each, and the price range is from 2-5 tickets per "taste". Added to the $10 admission, it won't be a cheap day. However, it'll be fun. And, even if they festival isn't very interesting, the Botanical Gardens should be! So, it's kind of a twofer day.

Older Bro moved into his new apartment this week, and sent a couple of pictures. He's getting settled in, and it looks like a nice place. I hope he'll be happy there, and get a lot of writing done. This means there's a bedroom available at Younger Bro's place in case one of his daughters wants to move in. I know my elder niece will be moving to Colorado after her b-day, and the younger niece doesn't want to move again, but I hope she'll change her mind.

Anyway, I'm going to end for now and do some knitting. I think I'll start on a Meathead hat.

Found a friend!

I've been trying, on and off throughout the years, to find a friend from high school. Well, I finally found her MySpace page last week, and sent her a message. Well, she responded today! I'm so excited to find out what's been going on in her life. I know (from her MySpace) that she has 3 kids and 3 grandkids. So, I just sent her a very short email detailing the little bit of life I've had, and hope she'll respond soon.

Survivor was interesting tonight - James has lost his title of "Dumbest Survivor Ever" to Eric. Can you imagine actually winning immunity, and giving it away when you know you've lied to everyone left in camp, and they all know that you've lied!?!? Well, they convinced Eric that if he gave immunity to Natalie, than she and Cirie would vote for Parvati. When he gave up that necklace, the entire jury went into shock. And guess what - all 4 women voted for Eric. What a surprise - NOT! I think he really trusted them, too, which makes it that much worse. Sunday is the finale, and it should be a good one ...

Got the cd today from The Girl's stepmom, with the pictures from the rehearsal and wedding. They have some great shots, and I'm glad she sent them to me. Now I have to get them the copy of the pictures we took ... my whole computer is going to be filled with wedding pictures!

Got an email from Zap today, with some pictures of frozen waves in Antarctica. Thought they were interesting, so I'm adding one here.

How Sweet!

One of the threads on Knitters' Review as for a hat pattern ... but apparently the link was a "limited time" offer. So, when I went to the site to see the hat, it was gone. Posted a comment that I was too late, and I'd have to be quicker next time. Well, one of the ladies emailed me, and sent me the pattern! Wasn't that nice of her?? I love KR!

Not really much going on today at work, so I don't really have anything to write about. But then, what else is new!

Hey, just noticed something new when I posted this ... there are now indicators for ratings on my posts. Just what I need, to fail Blogging 101! Wonder how it works; guess I'll have to check into it.

9:30 pm
How odd, now the ratings stuff is gone ... did I imagine it?

So, I had to cheat again and read the American Idol thread on KR to see who got voted off. Actually, I just wanted to see if David Cook was safe! And he is. Yay! I'm glad that Jason was voted off this week and hope that David A goes next. I'd like Syesha and DC as a final two, with David winning, of course.

Survivor Commercial

"One man, four women, and the most shocking Tribal Council ever."...leading up to the season finale on SUNDAY! It can't be over yet!!! How did the whole season go by so quickly?

License Plate I Saw Today

on a Snap-On Tool delivery truck ... 2LS 2 U

Happy Birthday, Mrs M!!!

A Great Monday

I had a really nice day at work today. Everyone was asking about the wedding (which you know I hated to talk about - NOT!), and I got several compliments on my haircut. My co-worker VT even brought in a gift for the kids! Wasn't that sweet of her? She said she figured since she's met The Girl (once, at the store where she was working) that made her entitled to give them a wedding gift. Then, we had a potluck for Cinco de Mayo. I wasn't planning on joining them for lunch since I hadn't brought anything ... but VT said she signed me up for drinks, since she knew I had a couple bottles of soda in the office, which were left over from our lunch "group lunch". She really takes good care of me!

A Wedding Thought

The Arboretum is a part of Cal-State Fullerton. Since they had beer and wine available at the reception, they had to have security in attendance. We had a police officer, complete with police cruiser, parked just at the edge of the reception area.

Well, anyone who knows The Groom knows that he has press credentials, and takes video for news stories. One of his Groomsmen, JD, does still photography. Somebody spoke to the officer and arranged it so that, as The Newlyweds were entering the reception area, the officer flashed his lights and sounded his siren in tribute! Wasn't that cool??!?!

The Big Day

After a year and a half of anticipation and planning, I now have a Daughter-in-Law! Although I won't refer to her that way often, because I don't like the "in-law" part, except I'll still abbreviate her as "DIL". Hey, I have to change my little "about me" section, too!

The Arboretum was beautiful; the arbor was covered in wisteria, and the Happy Couple stood under a beautiful tree for the vows. The reception was just a short walk away from the ceremony in a large-ish field surrounded by trees. Since the service started at 6:00, it was nice and cool for the reception (some say it was cold, but I didn't believe them).

Everything went so well. No glitches, no problems. Everyone looked wonderful, especially The Bride - she was beautiful and absolutely glowing. The Groom was very handsome (if I do say so myself, without any prejudice or bias) and was very calm and collected. No fainting, or trying to run away -- well, until they tried to make him dance at the reception. And everyone expected that. Brendan played "Freebird" as the men walked in, and told The Boy that it would be the last time he'd play it for him (which we all know isn't true). The Bride walked in to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Her uncle performed the ceremony, and if you look at my sister's blog you can see a wonderful little video of the "pronouncing" part of the ceremony. I tried to copy/paste it here (ok, I tried to steal it) but couldn't do it, so you 'll have to go to her blog to see it. And I haven't downloaded pictures yet, so they'll come later.

The Bride's aunt and uncle (the same uncle who officiated) also catered the reception. They had a very nice selection of veggies, cheese & crackers for snackers during the photo portion of the evening, and then had salads, meats, cheeses and rolls for the dinner part. I didn't really eat much, and I know The Couple didn't, either. Although, they were given a container of goodies to take back to the hotel with them, and I know the wedding party went to Sonic for burgers after leaving the reception. There was even a special "groom's cake" - chocolate, with chocolate icing and strawberry jam in the middle, which was decorated with a nautical theme and a large starfish on top. The Boy took Grandpa over for a picture, and then told him it was decorated that way in honor of all the fun times they had spent at the cabin and in the boat - and gave Grandpa the first slice. Wasn't that a terribly thoughtful, wonderful thing for him to do??

The groomsmen were kind enough to decorate The Truck ... I don't think the streamers were too bad, and the "Just Married" written on the windows should come off easily. However, it will take some doing to get the confetti out of the cab.... I know, that's what the car wash is for!

The Kids are now off on their honeymoon (7-night Mexican Riviera cruise). Because it is their honeymoon and both birthdays, they got a free room upgrade and were given early boarding, which means they could board by 9:00 instead of 1:00 or whenever it would have been. Of course, they may not have been awake that early ....

I'm going to end here for now, and I'm sure my next few posts will be about, or at least include, more wedding stuff as it occurs to me. I'm going to start sorting through the pictures soon.

Rehearsal Went Well

and Brendan was there! I know he's playing during the ceremony but it was a pleasant surprise to see him at the rehearsal. I arrived early, and so did Gary and Caryn. We were told we could go and wait at the wedding site. So, we waited and waited and waited. Finally I sent a text message to The Boy asking where everyone was - they were all hanging out in the parking lot! Silly people. So, first the wedding consultant had them go through the ceremony, and then had us all practice walking up to our seats. Of course, there were no seats to walk up to, but we walked up anyway. I think we were supposed to stand in the places where the chairs will be, but our side was pretty scraggledy. They went through the basics of the ceremony again, then we discussed placement of the tables for the reception.

Then it was off to dinner at the Whole Enchilada. It was a fun group ... dinner was good ... got home around 10:00, I think. So, that's another "job jobbed", as mom would have said.

All Pampered and Pretty

Well, I've been manicured and pedicured and had my hair cut. So I'm pampered, anyway. Looks like I'm ready for the rehearsal tonight! Can't say that I'm quite ready for the wedding, because I need to pick up some pantyhose and maybe a slip, but I can get those easily. Need to make sure I remember the money for the rehearsal dinner; or, I guess I can use the debit card and just transfer cash from the savings/wedding account over to checking. That would probably be best anyway, since I don't know for sure how much we'll need and I don't like to carry a bunch of money.

The apartments are getting all pampered, too ... the grassy area across from my place is soon going to be covered in plants and, it looks like, small trees. Of course, that means the kids won't have anywhere to play except the little grass area in front of my place. Not sure how I feel about that. I mean, I don't mind them playing out there, but my window has been hit several times with the balls they throw (the kids throw them, not the window) and I'm afraid of it getting broken.

Wow - it's rehearsal day. Wow. Yay!!!!