Is it a good sign

when your boss walks into your office and says, "What are you doing here?"? Apparently, she was thinking that it was Thursday and knew I wouldn't be working tomorrow and Friday. I can't believe that the wedding day is almost here! 72 hours and 20 minutes (give or take a few) and my son will be a husband. Wow. Wonder if he's getting nervous yet? Probably not. He's a pretty calm guy. I bet that The Girl is getting frazzled, though!

And Cats

Ok, just saw two great animated cat videos on YouTube, which I found through Knitters Review forums. The first is Cat Man Do, and the second is Let Me In.

Birds

Yay! Mr R T Hawk showed up this morning (we haven't seen him in ages) and he brought a "friend" with him!

Deal or No Deal

Apparently I should have watched this from the beginning; the contestant's "friends and family" include Chewbacca and Artoo Detoo, and the banker has been replaced with Darth Vader.

Ok, when I was looking for a picture of Darth Vader, I found this "Hello, Kitty" version and just had to add him (um, her?) too!

More Family Stuff

Just had dinner with The Kids, Hubby and Hubby's youngest brother, who is out for the wedding. We had a really nice time, or at least I did, and the others seemed to. Unfortunately, his wife and kids couldn't come. BIL's daughter, who is 16 already!!!, couldn't take the time off school. I guess she is applying for a program where she can take college courses that coincide with her last 2 years of high school, so she can graduate with an AA degree. Apparently, she wants to be a TV camera operator ... theatre is definitely in the family!I'm adding another picture from the bridal shower. This is a shot of the lovely food we had; some yummy sammidges, pasta salad, fruit salad, hors d'ouevres. That's Pat, the Mother of the Matron of Honor, organizing the food.

Contributors

Sis - I removed your name as contributor to the blog. Not because I don't want you to contribute, but so that you don't accidentally post to the wrong one. I only added you because I had gotten a couple of comments that I didn't know where they came from, asking people to go to different links and I didn't want you or anyone else to end up with a virus or anything. However, I think I have it set up so you can comment without having to "belong" to the blog. We'll see how it goes!


***ok, apparently that didn't work. I have now made it so you can post again. :-) Um, I think...

Eerrrrghh. Another long night with no sleep. This has GOT to stop!

Well, today was the bridal shower for The Girl. It was a lot of fun (lasted a lot longer than I thought it would, about 4-1/2 hours!). She received a lot of really nice gifts (do you know how awkward it is to buy a sexy nightie as a shower gift, knowing that your son is going to benefit from it?!?!?!) There was a pretty good turnout (about 15 people in all); we played lots of games - I won the one where everyone gets a clothespin, and if someone catches you saying certain words they get to take your pin. We weren't allowed to say "wedding" or the name of the groom. That was easy for me; I just referred to him as my son. I ended up with seven pins. Yay, me! But, I'm tired, and I have a sore throat and I'm going to bed because I have work in the morning. I'll leave you with a picture of the cake.

Ha! Almost posted to the wrong blog. . .

See, I was so tired I started to post here by mistake. . . g'night Beth!

Family Stuff

Had to add one more thing - my great-nephew on Hubby's side of the family. This is Connor, the first grandson of my eldest brother-in-law. He's about 9 months old here (the baby, not the BIL). Look at those big eyes! According to his grandpa, Connor is very happy for a teething baby, and weighs in at 26 pounds. Grandpa is thinking "linebacker".

Well, it isn't a great picture, but while walking through the parking lot at Target this evening, I saw this little lizard and decided to add him to my blog. He's the just about the same color as the cement and he didn't want to pose for very long. Guess he had more important things to do.

Had an early breakfast with Hubby, The Boy and The Girl today. We met at 7:30 (yes, 7:30) because The Boy was being kidnapped by the guys for his bachelor party weekend. They went to the shooting range, and then up to Big Bear, where the parents of the Best Man have a cabin. The Girl and I then went to Wal-Mart to find the shirt for one of the groomsmen (had a lot of trouble finding one in his size). Came back to the apartment and put together the centerpieces. Then, this afternoon, Sis and Rafe called to see if I wanted to meet for an early dinner, as they had to pass by here on their way home from the Grand Canyon. Sounds like they had a good trip and Sis even spent some "quality time" being Auntie to the two boys. Seeing as she doesn't "do kids", it was amazing that she volunteered to spend time with a 3-1/2 year old and a 1-1/2 year old. But, her SIL is expecting (about 2 months along) again and was tired and frazzled.

That's about it for today.

Got another nice compliment today at work. The office manager asked if I knew whether I'd be back after the end of the month (I work for the billing side of the office, and she's the manager for the "clinical" side). I told her that I'd been asked to stay until the end of June, but that I wasn't supposed to say anything because Ms Manager didn't know if all the temps would be back. Ms Office Mgr said, "Well, I knew that if any of the temps would be asked to stay, it would have to be you." Wasn't that nice? Especially since 3 of the temps have been there quite a bit longer than I have!

Got a text message from The Boy this afternoon; someone is coming out to look at the Ranchero tomorrow and is bringing a trailer "just in case". I hope he can sell it; otherwise he has to find storage for it. It's kind of a good thing/bad thing though; he can use the money, but it was his First Car and he doesn't want to get rid of it. He'll still have to figure out what to do with the T-Bird and the boat, but this will be one less vehicle to have to store. Hope it works out for him!

Oooh, tonight is the Survivor auction - and there's a twist. They can't combine money or share purchases. Cirie just spent $120 for a hot dog and fries. Eric just bid $80 and got a huge tray of nachos (wonder if The Girl is watching??) He actually won octopus but was able to trade before the lid was removed. Natalie bought fruit bat soup and declined it so Jeff gave it to James. A PB&J just sold for $280! I love this "challenge"! Natalie got a bottle for $240 with a note - she gets to send someone to Exile Island and take their money. There's a new immunity idol hidden! She's sending Jason, he's bummed. $380 just bought Natalie a huge chocolate cake (with Jason's money!!) She also got a note .. she has to share with 3 tribemates and eat as much as they can in 60 seconds. How gross to watch. What a waste of good chocolate cake. Jason paid Cirie $40 to be allowed to lick her hands. And the auction is over. I don't think Parvati was able to buy anything; does that mean she "lost" the challenge and I have to put in $.75? I'll have to check with Sis...

Hm, Natalie is ticked that Jason has 2 days on Exile to look for the immunity idol - but she's the one that sent him there! And she keeps calling him a little b**ch. And the idol has been found. Seems to me they aren't hiding the idols very well this time around!

Parvati didn't make it past the first round in the immunity challenge. Eric won, so both Sis and I owe $.75 for the night. I'm going to have to take some time (maybe this weekend) and go back through my posts to see who owes what, dollar-wise. And the Survivor heading to the jury (and the Ponderosa) tonight is .... 1 vote Parvati, 3 votes James - and gone is Jason, with 4 votes and a non-use of the immunity idol.

And the look on Ozzy's face when James mentioned that Parv is the one who turned on him last week: priceless!

Next week - another immunity idol is available, and they get the family member visit.

Well, tonight is Survivor. Won't be the same without having Sis to talk to during the commercials, and without having Ozzy to watch. I sure hope Parvati lasts for a while, although she probably wasn't a good choice because I don't think she'll win many of the challenges. If any. Oh well, I guess Sis will make good use of the money! Of course, she may owe me from other seasons, I don't remember. We need to have a better bookkeeping system. Or a better bookkeeper!

A ROYAL DECREE FOR SEASON THREE!
SHOWTIME's THE TUDORS GETS 3RD SEASON PICK-UP

Well, I hope the scent of my Lean Cuisine spaghetti made the neighbors jealous.

I had to look it up online (because I'm nosy and didn't want to wait), but I'm not happy with American Idol. They didn't vote off my favorite, but they didn't vote off one of the ones they should have. I'm going to bed now.

Good news! Ms Manager called me in to her office this afternoon to let me know that the "project" has been extended until June 30th, and they would like me to continue working with them until that time! Yay! I don't know that all of the temps are being asked to stay; she specifically requested that I not say anything. I *think* LP will be asked to stay, too, because Ms Manager asked her to stop by the office in the morning. I'll keep my fingers crossed for her (she's my favorite temp, besides myself). And I'm sure at least 2 of the permanent employees will be glad that I'm staying ... yay for me!

I decided on the way home from work today that my new choice on Survivor is going to be Parvati. No particular reason, just that her name was the first that popped into my head when I realized (again) that I'm running out of time to make a decision. I sent Sis a text message to let her know; but, it is here, in writing, in case she doesn't get the text. Of course, I could always change this post if she gets voted off ... I'd better send her an email, too, just so she knows I'm being honest. Heehee!

Mmmm, one of my neighbors is cooking something that smells yummy. Something barbecued, I think. Ribs? Wonder what it is and if I can steal it!

Tonight's theme for American Idol was the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Out of the 12 contestants left, I only liked one - David Cook. He's my choice for winner anyway, since they got rid of Michael Johns. I mean, Carly kept messing up the lyrics of "Jesus Christ, Superstar" and not one of the judges called her on it. Brooke messed up at the beginning and had to start over. I hope they get rid of David A, Brooke or Justin tomorrow night. And I still have to pick a new Survivor.

Tonight's episode of Dancing With The Stars had a performance by the Riverdance group, which was fantastic. Unfortunately, it reminds me of the episode on "Friends" where they mention that Chandler has an irrational fear of Michael Flatley because his feet "flail about as if independent from his body".

Wow - they have the 13 and under category for the kids dancing ... this girl had the hem of her skirt stuck on her heel, and she was able to raise her foot and unhook it while making it look like a choreographed part of the dance!

Nothing to say today. Work was ok; I'll be "alone" in the office for the rest of the week, while Val is off at her women's club conference. Got the jewelry party coming up on Friday, the Bridal Shower on Sunday. Still have to decide for whom to vote on Survivor. Hubby met and talked with the actor Dick Van Patten at work today. That's about it.

Home from work, via a stop off at Target and McDonald's. I had all the best intentions of having a Lean Cuisine for dinner tonight, but had a sudden urge for a Big Mac. Which is odd, because I don't generally get burgers at McDonald's, I generally get the Filet-o-Fish sammidge.

Got an interesting email from my dad today; J's great-granddaughter is going to be doing a walk for Diabetes, and they put together a video for YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgVQI3JMj-w
It's very nicely done, although I never imagined I'd see my daddy on YouTube! It isn't a very big picture, and he's part of a large group, but there he is, right next to J!

Also received a picture mail from my BIL, Rafe. He and Sis are off on their trip to the Grand Canyon, and they saw this truck with a cool company logo ... I'm sure Sis will post it on her blog, too, but hopefully they don't have wireless access and I posted first. Heehee!

What a quiet, boring day. Didn't do much of anything except go to breakfast with Hubby and The Boy (The Girl was still out with her friends, recovering from the bachelorette party last night). Was planning on doing laundry today, but ended up with a headache so I didn't. I did have a bit of a nap, which helped.

It's going to be a boring week without Sis to email occasionally. I hope they have wireless access so she can at least post on her blog. And, of course, Survivor won't be the same without having her to talk to during the commercials. But then, she'll be watching solo the following week, because I'll be at the wedding rehearsal.

Shoot, I still have to choose a new person to vote for.

FINISHED!

If a picture says a thousand words, then this must say it all! I finally finished the red scarf. And it isn't like the scarf itself was complicated, or time consuming. I was just very good at procrastinating on this one (well, on most of my knitting projects). It is just your basic "knit knit knit" scarf, 23 stitches wide. Part of the problem (a very small part) is that the little fringie things in the yarn would get caught on the needles. But they sure make for a nice, squooshy scarf!

The main problem is that I got too wrapped up in my reading and tv and didn't spend enough time with the needles. So, here is the scarf in all it's glory. And now, I just need to get it packaged up, addressed, and to the post office so it can arrive at it's final destination! (and don't you just love the fancy display rack?)

At least I was able to organize most of my needles earlier today, while looking for the size 10s. I wonder if The Girl has them? I know she has a few pair of needles of mine.

I Found My Needle!!

I am so excited - I found the missing knitting "kneedle" so I can now finish the red scarf! I finally decided to end with a different sized needle. The scarf is being done with size 10.5 so I figured ending it off with size 10 wouldn't make that much of a difference. Now, where in the stash are my size 10 needles ... not in the woven carrier; not in the rollie tubs; not in the green rolling tote; not in any of the multiple little tote bags. Darn it! I know I have size 10 needles around here somewhere. Maybe they are still at the house? Anyway, I decided to check the couch one more time for the missing 10.5. Who'da thunk it would get shoved so deeply between the back and seat of the couch? But there it was .... and now I can finish the scarf! (after I'm done typing, that is ...)

Had breakfast with The Kids this morning, and then went with The Boy to see about transferring the registration on his truck into his name. Unfortunately, since it is still being financed, he'll need something from the Credit Union in order to transfer the registration. His dad can check on that on Monday, I guess. The Boy wants to get press plates, and can't do that with the truck in our name. And of course, we can't apply for the press plates for him, because we don' t have the press credentials!

Anyway, now to the red scarf. And then maybe I'll finish up the wavy scarf.

Well, that's another work day done. To start off, my friend in NY found out today that her medical tests all came out ok. There was a bit of a worry there for a little while, but YAY for the results! I'm sure she is feeling much better tonight, and I know I am.

Sis got some disappointing news about their move to the new location. She was shown a nice office that was to be all hers (along with pics of Jeff Goldblum and Survivor stuff, of course). Well, she found out today that they didn't have as much room in the new location as they thought. So now, not only is she no longer getting her very own office, she is going to have a smaller cubicle than the one she is currently crowded into. She's kinda bummed, but probably not too bad right now because she is starting her vacation today. Besides, HER person didn't get voted off Survivor last night. My poor little Ozzy.

Kinda put my foot into the mud last night with my eldest BIL. He had emailed some info regarding their brother's estate, and I made the comment that it was a shame that things have turned out as they have, because after spending the little bit of time with her, I "liked" my former SIL. Well, I got a voice mail message (he called during Survivor and I didn't answer) and an email message stating that I apparently didn't know all the details of what is going on or I wouldn't like her. He will call me on Sunday "to set things straight". Well, first off, I had said "liked" in the past tense. Second, I only know the little bit they have seen fit to tell Hubby about what is going on with the accident and the estate, I haven't heard anything from her point of view. And third, who is he to tell me who I can and can't like? Of course, I wouldn't tell him that last one because I want to keep good family relationships (if nothing else, for The Boy's sake). But even if everything they've told us is true, if I want to like her anyway that's my prerogative.

And I'm probably also in the doghouse for sending a note to FIL and MIL to ask them not to bring Hubby's niece to the wedding. She's not quite 4, and the location isn't suitable for young kids. Haven't received any feedback on that one yet, but I only sent the note a couple of days ago so there is still time.

Anyway, that's about it for now. It's going to be lonely next week at work; the only one I send personal emails to is Sis and she'll be on vacation, and Val is going to be gone Weds-Fri so I'll be alone in the office. *sigh* I hope Sis and Rafe will be taking a laptop, so she can update her blog and keep me entertained. Yes, Sis, I expect you to entertain me.

NO! NO! NO! NO!

5 votes to 4, and my Ozzy is GONE! Why didn't he use his hidden idol?? I owe $.50 because he ditched out of the immunity challenge (for 4 chocolate donuts). Sis owes $.75 because her person lost, too. I don't remember if her person was on the team that won the reward challenge so she might owe $1.50. I'll have to check the website.

So, now I have to choose a new player. I'd go with James but I have a feeling his neck is next on the block. Man, I don't know who to vote for. Dang. Or, as James so elegantly put it ... "What the Nickelodeon!?!?!"

Just a quick "during Survivor" post - this guy is going to drive me nuts if he keeps going on and on about how he "beat Ozzy" last week in the challenge. It wasn't that complicated of a challenge; all he had to do was hold his breath underwater. Yes, I know - *I* couldn't do it. But it isn't like it took brains or a lot of physical prowess!

Oh, almost forgot! One of my co-workers (also a temp) has signed up with one of the job agencies, and they required her to take a couple of tests to assess her abilities. They told her that the job market in which she is looking (medical collections) doesn't really require her to know the computer programs, but it is standard policy to have applicants take the tests. So, she came in this morning and said she was told that her score on the Microsoft Word test was a bit low, but that she made up for it on the Microsoft Excel portion (she scored 24 out of 30 on that one). Oh, did I mention ... she asked for my assistance on question 13 of the Excel test, and I ended up doing the rest of the test for her. Dishonest, yes. But if it isn't required for the job, why is it required for the agency? I just wonder - which one of us missed the 6 questions?

Don't have a lot to say today, except that I have very happy feet. Went and had a pedicure after work. It's been about six months since the last one and my feet were really bad. Amazing how quickly you can get used to the feeling of smooth, pretty feet! I was going to post a picture of my freshly painted toes, but thought that would be a little inappropriate.

So, instead, I'm posting a picture of some flowers at a house that I passed on the way home tonight. Guess I should have gotten a little closer for the picture, but it shows how wide-spread the flowers are from just one little trunk! And you should be able to click on the picture for an enlarged view.

Happy 44th Birthday to my baby sister! Yes, I know that means I'll be 51 in a couple of months. But that's life.

That was easy, and quick! Called Direct TV to cancel the pay channels that I've had for the past 3 months. You know, you get the "free trial" and have to remember to cancel them before they start showing up on your bill. Well, the call was answered right away by a customer service rep (NOT a recording that makes you press all kinds of buttons before you get a live person); the call took about 2 minutes (most of which was chit-chatting) and the channels are no longer available on my TV. Can't ask for better service than that! Except that now I can't watch The Tudors. I'm going to try and wait until the season is available on DVD; probably won't be able to wait though and I'll end up downloading them from Amazon or wherever.

Found out from my dad on Sunday that Sis might have an opportunity to get Alpaca fleece. I wonder why she hasn't mentioned it to me? Probably thinks I'd expect her to spin enough yarn for me to have some, too. Which wouldn't be a bad idea, of course, but I know how much work goes into spinning the yarn (at least it looks like a lot of hard work to me) and I couldn't afford to pay her what her time would be worth!

I'm such a bad hostess ... just realized that I didn't even offer Dad and J anything to drink when they were here on Sunday. Sheesh. In my defense, I'll just point out that they are family, not company, and could have helped themselves. Yeah, right, like J would do that.

Well, my dinner is ready (reheated leftover Chinese food) so I'm going to stop typing and go eat.

Yay! Just got confirmation from my Younger Brother that both his girls will be here for the wedding. It'll be great to see them again.

By the way

This morning, the entertainment guy on the local news was talking about this "big story" that he was going to talk about at 7:30. Well, I had to leave for work at 7:35 and they hadn't done the story so I still don't know what it was about. I forgot my lunch. I forgot my cell phone. My gas tank was on fumes. And how was YOUR morning? Oh, and as of last night, when I was going to do the bind off on my red scarf, I somehow managed to lose one of my needles.

So, I went online and checked the local news website; apparently, the entertainment guy just got married! So his "big news" was his own exclusive story!

Well, I have a few more details on the new little guy in the family - Drake Evan was born on April 1st and weighed in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces and 17 inches tall. His daddy was out of town for the early arrival. Drake is still in the hospital due to his small size, although he is doing very well and could be going home in a week although it may be longer. He now weighs 4 pounds, 8 ounces. He's starting to show more interest in meal times, which is a very good sign. Of course, the day will come (and probably pretty quickly) when they won't be able to keep him filled up ... you know how hollow the legs of growing boys can be! Anyway, here's his picture. Ain't he adorable?

Not many details yet

but my older brother's eldest son and wife have a new baby boy, Drake Evan!

ARRRRGH I POSTED TO BETH'S BLOG BY MISTAKE!!!!!!!!

Pretty good Sunday

Ralph had his D & D game today, so I made good my escape. Went to the bookstore where I got an audiodisk about history, and a hardback called "Tell Me Where it Hurts" which is anecdotes from a vet, similar to the "All Creatures Great & Small" series. Don't know why I'm buying another book when I still have one unread and am halfway through another, but there you go.

From the I headed to the yarn store, where I picked up a gift for the daughter of Ralph's Buddy. I got her a "how to knit" book designed for kids, a ball of neon-green yarn, a set of size 9 bamboo needles & a little sheep tape measure. Ralph's Buddy had said she wanted desperately to learn so I thought this would be a good start. Too bad she lives in Las Vegas or I'd offer to teach her myself. Always willing to spread the knitting disease, um, I mean hobby. When I got home I showed the Buddy how to cast on & do a knit stitch, so he can help her learn from the written instructions.

By the time I finished up at the yarn store, it was nearly one. I thought about going to Big Sis's as Dad & Dad's Girlfriend were going there for lunch, but I had really planned on going to the Pet Expo & darn it, I swallowed my guilt & went. Sorry, Sis, very antisocial of me I know. It was HOT HOT HOT outside (97 when I checked the temp on the way home) so I only stayed about an hour. Wish I had remembered to bring the camera, though. There were a lot of really attractive animals, and I enjoyed watching the "splash dogs" (check out their website, http://www.splashdogs.com/).

After getting home I ate some of the pizza & chips Ralph had ordered for the game, then read for a couple hours. The guys went home around 6:00 & it's finally cool and quiet in the house. Ralph & His Buddy are off to rent a movie, and I will most likely head back to the bedroom for more reading in a few minutes. I know this is a dull post and doesn't sound like a very interesting day, but I had a very nice time.

Had a nice lunch with Dad and J, and C and P. They didn't stay long, only a couple of hours, but Dad and J have a long drive home. C got here early to do his laundry while P was shopping with a friend. I was telling him about the episode of "Beauty and the Geek", and found out that he went to school with one of the Geeks! Unfortunately, I think the guy was the male half of the first team to get kicked off. Oh, well -- he had his 15 minutes of fame, anyway.

Showtime is airing a trailer on tv right now, on The Tudors. (I'm waiting for the show to start in a couple of minutes). Anyway, when they show the actor Jonathon Rhys Meyers making a comment, he reminds me a lot of my BIL, RafePirate! Not sure exactly what it is about the clip, because I haven't noticed any resemblance before. But now, during the commercial that is airing, I'm noticing it a lot! How odd. And apparently, there is a facebook page where you can play the "Bed, Wed or Behead" game! I may have to check that out.

This little guy is the "Disney Character of the Day" on my Google home page, so I thought I'd let him come over and visit everyone who views my blog. Nothing to write about, just wanted to add a smile.

Forgot to mention in my earlier post ... don't know what channel I had on this morning, but they were showing an episode of "Beauty and the Geek". One of the challenges was that the Geeks had to write and perform a stand-up comedy routine. One of them said that he had seen a bumper sticker that read "The worst day fishing is better than the best day at work." He then commented; "That guy obviously wasn't a commercial fisherman. Imagine the irony!"

I quite often feel like this! I guess I can't complain about time passing too quickly when I spend a lot of the week eagerly awaiting Thursday night for Survivor, and then hoping Friday goes by quickly so it can be the weekend. Don't know why, since I never do anything exciting on the weekends, but I like them anyway.
The comic is Mutts, from March 28, 2008.

Had a horrible time trying to sleep last night. I was still awake at 1:00, so I turned the tv on to see if there was anything exciting to watch. Ended up watching a rerun of the made-for-tv movie about the Partridge Family. Finally fell asleep somewhere between 2:30 and 3:00 am. Had a weird dream; something about going to pick up my MoftheG dress, and the shop owners were the Partridge Family. Well, not really the P Family, but the actors from the series, as they were during the show. They were even wearing one of the matching outfits from the show .... anyway, David Cassidy was busy altering the collar of the dress, which didn't need to be altered, so I ended up getting a refund.

After breakfast, I did go and pick up my dress and the one for the Bridesmaid. Emailed her last night to let her know I'd be picking it up and to contact me so she can come and try it on to make sure it doesn't need any alterations. Haven't heard from her yet, but I didn't really expect to. She hasn't responded to my first email, either.

Went over to help F sort through some of the papers that we have at the house. Had a horrible headache (lack of sleep and stress, I'm sure) so I ended up napping for a while with Bubs and Thing-Kitten. Did my laundry while I was there, too. Realized halfway home that I left my grey pants hanging in the garage (they can't be machine dried). Which means I'll have to get over that way again in the next couple of days to pick them up.

Guess that's about it for now.

Grammar Question

Commercial for KFC -- the dad says "Drumsticks and thighs. Have one of both." Shouldn't that be "one of each"?

Had a pretty good day today. Not exciting (but I'm used to that), but it was nice. VT made a huge Chinese chicken salad for everyone for lunch today, and it was really, really good. Ate more than I should have, but heck, it's salad!

Met The Kids and their friends JD and KD for dinner tonight. KD finished my scrapbook from the Mexican Riviera cruise last summer. It is SO Gorgeous! I need to do the journaling in it, but I'll probably type stuff up and print it to add to the book. Don't want to risk making errors on my beautiful pages!

Got an email from my younger brother today, which included a link for a fun website. If you get bored, you might want to give it a try. Since I don't have any pictures to add to this post, I'll add the link info.
http://www.therightfoot.net/mystuff/whatever/swf/bubblewrap.swf

Anyway, I know both my brothers will be out here for the wedding (in THREE WEEKS!) and I just found out that the younger daughter (SLT) of my younger brother will be here, too. He isn't sure about his older daughter, but will find out on Sunday. I hope Kat can make it, too. Wow, it'll be the first time the 4 of us siblings will all be together since mom's funeral. I think. I could be wrong on that.

Going to pick up the bridesmaid dress tomorrow (it is here already) and have to make the final decision about the dress I ordered. Apparently, it came in last weekend but the store employees still haven't called to tell me. They called P, but not me. Kinda irritates me. After all, it is my dress, I ordered it and I paid for it. They have my phone number, and should have called me. I just don't know if it is too formal (I know, my dad says a lady can never be overdressed). I'll have to decide before I go to the store tomorrow. Decisions, decisions!

Guess that's about it for now.

Oh, No!

I am so bummed! I was so excited that my Ozzy didn't get kicked off Survivor last night that I forgot to check on American Idol - and they voted off Michael Johns! He was the best one on there and had never been in the bottom 3 before, and now he's gone and I missed his farewell performance. Now my choice for winner will be either David Cook or Syesha. What a shame.

The Merge

Tonight's Survivor episode was the merge ... so there was only one challenge. Unless you count the "feast" that they had when they joined together. Part of the goodies offered was bat, which James was brave enough to try. He said it tasted like rabbit. There was all the usual plotting and planning, and then the water challenge. The contestants had to stay underneath a grid while the tide was rising around them. I wouldn't have even gotten into the water, knowing how long Ozzy can hold his breath. But, to my surprise, he didn't win the challenge! Jason did .. and then went on to brag about "dominating the challenge" and "dominating Ozzy". There wasn't anything to dominate, all he had to do was hold his breath. Yes, he lasted longer than Ozzy, but it isn't like it was really physical.

Jason offered his "hidden idol" to Eliza, since he won the challenge. She was sure that it wasn't the real one, and that Ozzy had to have the original. Which, of course, is correct! She tried playing it anyway, just to be safe, and when Jeff said it wasn't the real idol she announced that Ozzy had to have it. He admitted it, with a smile, and an apology to his allies. When Jeff tossed the fake into the fire, Ozzy complained because it took him "hours to make". Anyway, Jason and Eliza voted for Ozzy (he didn't look very happy when the second vote was read) but Eliza was the one to leave
So my Ozzy is safe for at least a little longer. I owe another $.50 and Sis owes another $.75. I'll have to check prior posts to find out what our totals are.

Had a nice evening, so far. VT picked me up at work at 4:30 (she gets off work at 3:30) and we went over to the Upland Street Fair. It isn't very big yet, this is only the second week, but we spent some time wandering around. Went to a little Mexican restaurant for dinner and had some yummy enchiladas. Bought a new charm for my Italian Charm bracelet - it says Mother of the Groom.

Heard on the radio today that Saturday is National Licorice Day. I wonder if that includes red vines and Allsorts? I'll have to get some for Dad and J. I know they both like them! I can mail them a little "goodie packet" after work on Monday.

Tonight is Survivor! Hope I can stay awake long enough to watch tonight; I haven't been sleeping well the past few nights because of these darned allergies. It's hard to sleep when you can't breathe. I can't remember how much I'm supposed to have set aside for my losses; but since Ozzy is supposed to win, it doesn't matter because I won't have to pay it. I'll have to figure out how much Sis owes, though, I know she hasn't been keeping track.

Didn't see R T Hawk today. I had the camera with me, because I wanted to show VT the pics I took of P in her wedding gown last night. Was totally bummed when I went to show her the pictures and the camera said that I didn't have the memory card in it! Fortunately, I remembered that I had emailed the pics to P last night so I was able to show them to VT after all. I made sure I took the card out of the laptop right away, and put it back in the camera!

Well, that's all my interesting news for today.

Exciting Evening!

Just got back a little while ago - I went with P to have her wedding gown fitting! It looked SO gorgeous on her, she is just going to shine on the wedding day! I'd love to be able to post a picture today, but I don't want to risk The Boy seeing it. I will, however, be posting wedding pics Very Soon!

And speaking of pictures, I forgot to take the camera this morning, so of course Mr R.T. Hawk was flying around when I arrived at work, and he posed very nicely in his tree. I am determined to get a picture of him.

According to the morning drive-time DJ this morning, 81% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. The other 19% own gas stations. :-)

Well, that's it for now. Boring, huh?

There is a red-tailed hawk who likes to sit at the top of a tree across the street, which can usually be seen from Val's window. I decided to bring my camera to work so I can get a picture of him; of course, he didn't show up yesterday. Today, while I was in the "equipment room" sending a fax, he flew past the office several times, once very close to the window. Of course, he didn't land and was gone before I could get to my desk and get the camera. So, I decided to take a picture of My View. This was taken at about 4:25 this afternoon (kinda gloomy looking, but oh, well!) while I was sitting at my desk. I face the wall on the right side of the picture. The plants on the windowsill belong to Val, which is obvious by the fact that they are still living. The window is in a little cubby, and Val's desk is on the left of the little "sticking out" part. I'm going to continue bringing my camera, and hopefully will be able to get a picture of Mr R.T. Hawk.

Other than that, not really much to say today. Went to AAA after work to pay the registration on Henry and got a pretty little blue sticker for him. Going to go with P tomorrow for her wedding gown fitting, which is exciting. And today, in the mail, I received an invitation for her Bridal Shower. I'm finding it hard to believe that the wedding is only a tad over 3-1/2 weeks away!

Wish I'd known earlier

Heard on the radio at lunch that today is National No Housework day. I had already made my bed and turned on the dishwasher before leaving for work! Somebody owes me 5 minutes. Hahaha! (Sis says that she doesn't want to take the risk; she observes the "holiday" every day!)

In other news heard today, apparently there has been another informative study that was probably paid for with our tax dollars. Apparently, teenagers that have a tv in their bedrooms are more likely to suffer from poor eating habits, lack of exercise and low grades than those who don't. DUH! No, not Duh as in my best friend, but duh as in "no sh**, Sherlock!"

Went to another employment agency this afternoon, and filled out their paperwork. I'm getting tired of filling out paperwork for agencies and then not hearing back from them. Hopefully this one will do better than the others. Although I'd really rather stay where I'm working now!

Don't really know what I feel like having for dinner tonight. I've got stuff in the fridge but nothing sounds good. I know I have to eat something ... maybe somebody delivered a yummy dinner for me while I was out. Nope, just checked and there is nothing new. *sigh* I have a "Tina's" brand frozen bean and cheese burrito cooking in the microwave. Too bad there isn't any cheese in 'em. I have some that I can add to it, but it isn't the same. Hm, I have some sour cream, too. Maybe that'll help. At least I won't go hungry.

Well, just to prove that there IS a scarf in progress, I've decided to post a picture. I'm almost finished with it, actually. It is long enough now that I could consider it completed, but I really want to add a bit more length. Haven't decided if I'm going to use the entire ball of yarn. I can't really get a picture that shows the texture very well. Or the softness. To bad we can't get "teletouch" or "telefeel" or whatever they want to call it. Teletactile? No, that sounds like it should be a flying dinosaur. Anyway, here is The Scarf.


I'm also adding a new picture of Buster, which was taken yesterday. He didn't really want to have his picture taken but I insisted. And although it isn't a very good picture, it is the best out of the 8 or 9 that I took. And it came out a lot better than the pictures I tried to take of Miss Little Thing kitten. She was being too much of a CAT to let me take her picture!

Forgot to mention; after waiting all that time for the movie "Enchanted" to start, I was very unimpressed with it. The changes from animation to real life were very well done, as C had mentioned to me, but the movie itself wasn't all that great. I'm not sure if F wants to borrow it; but I'm thinking of asking one of the families across from me if they would like to have it.

Amazing Dogs

Have recently found some amazing videos on YouTube ... it's miraculous what a strong spirit these dogs have!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FPucBQXByFY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UXPJJeISuXo

Made a trip to the bookstore this morning. Bought 2 more books that take place during the Henry VIII era. The one I'm just starting is about Mary, his younger sister. Wish I'd looked at it more carefully before buying it...it is one of the larger sized paperbacks and so it cost $14. However, the print inside is rather large so I don't think the book will last very long. The other one is about one of the ladies-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn. I hope it isn't a larger print, too ...

Anyway, Sis, it doesn't look like the scarf will be finished this weekend, so don't ask.

NOOOOOO!!!!

OMG OMG OMG! Quick, pull out The Happy Hollisters!!!

The unthinkable has happened. I know I will survive, because it has happened a couple of times before. I know it isn't impossible that this happens, but I don't understand how I get myself into this situation. I Am Out Of Books. I mean, I have a lot of books, of course, but I don't have any new ones to read. This means I need to get to the bookstore as early as possible this morning. Or I can re-read something ... but then comes the hard decision of having to choose one to re-read. Oh, what a dilemma!

The memorial service was really nice. TLH looked really good (more relaxed than when I saw him a year ago) and there was a very good turnout of former (and soon-to-be-former) Boyd employees. TLH spoke, and his sister-in-law and his wife's cousin spoke and then sang a song. Got a little misty-eyed but not as much as I thought I would.

NEXT MONTH we get the new Narnia movie! Just watched a trailer for it while I'm waiting for the DVD to start showing "Enchanted". May 16th. I'm going to have to go see that one! Man, is this movie ever going to start? It said it was a "fast start" so you don't have to go through the menu selections, but it didn't say it would have 3 hours of previews before the movie. Sheesh.

Anyway, it looks like my complaint worked; the movie is starting. Gonna stop typing so I can watch.

Got a nice compliment at work today. Took my time card to Ms Supervisor for her signature, and asked "Could I get your autograph, please?" She said, "Sure. I'm just glad you're still here for me to sign a time card for you." I agreed that I, too, was glad I'm still working there! I was also asked by Val to meet her next Thursday for the Upland Street Fair after work. Yes, I know it's Survivor night and I'll be home in time for that! It's nice to know that she feels we are friends, too...

Had another "group lunch" today - taco day! We had "real" tortillas (not the store-bought kind), REAL refried beans, and homemade Spanish rice. Quite yummy! I was good, and only ate 2 tacos (and a little extra meat/rice/cheese on the plate). Of course, now I want more tacos. Instead, I'm having a piece of fried chicken and some corn.

Talked to Dad for a while this evening. He and J are leaving on Sunday for a couple of days in Las Vegas. I know they'll have a good time, but I worry about him driving that far.

Am going to try and finish the scarf this weekend so I can sent it off on Monday. That is my goal. We'll see on Sunday evening if it was an obtainable goal or just a dream... :-)

Sigh

Another night of not much sleep, and another morning with a lingering headache. I don't know why I'm unable to sleep well; I don't think I'm stressed about anything in particular. Maybe I'll have better luck tonight..

Tomorrow is the memorial service for the wife of my former boss. I'm kinda happy that I'll be able to see so many of my former co-workers, but don't want it to be under these circumstances. Maybe that's what has me "insomniated".

My Malakal tribe lost the only challenge on Survivor last night; it was a combination reward/immunity. Each tribe picked someone from the other tribe to go to Exile before the challenge and this person would get a this-time-only personal immunity. The Airai tribe picked my Ozzy to go, so I didn't have to worry about losing him, but I still have to put in my $.50 for losing the challenge. The winners got a pizza and beer party along with tribe immunity.

Better finish getting ready for work. More later. Eventually.

Hurray for The Boy!

Finally, after working at CBS for months and months and months, they are going to hire him as a "weekly"! This means that he will be guaranteed 40 hours per week, and will be getting vacation time like regular people! As a daily, he was accruing vacation pay which is paid periodically throughout the year (I think they get one or two vacation checks a year from the Union) but now he can actually earn paid vacation time. It's been a long time coming ... his boss didn't want to have both C and F as "permanent" employees because he didn't want to be accused of nepotism. They were both working there anyway, and if anyone had problems with it, it wouldn't have mattered whether C was a "daily" or a "weekly". But YAY for C! And of course, P left this morning for her weekend with her mom and grandmother so she can't even celebrate with him. I told F to take him out.

In other news, I didn't get any knitting done last night. I am determined to work on my scarf this evening, headache or no. I can't go to bed early because it is SURVIVOR NIGHT!!!! and a new CSI. I may not stay up for CSI. We'll have to see how it goes.

Showed the ultrasound pic of the g-nephew to one of the girls at work -- she says he looks like a giant bean. I told her that's ok, as long as it is a Pinto bean and not a Lima bean. She may have just given him his first nickname, though!

Anyway, gonna end here and check out The Blog of My Sister, and KR, and read my book.

Here's a picture of my soon-to-be Great-Nephew (or is that Grand-Nephew?) James Atticus. He is due to arrive on or about August 14. I'm hoping he's 4 days early!

I am so glad to be home! I've had a migraine trying to take hold all afternoon, and all I want to do is sleep so it will go away. Unfortunately, if I do that NOW I won't be able to sleep tonight and I'll be miserable tomorrow. I'm just going to jot down my blog entry, and then go de-stress on the couch. Don't know what is causing the migraine; I haven't had one in a while. Wonder if it was the buffalo meat last night? Heehee. I'm sure that isn't the cause.

I'm hoping the headache will go away quickly so I can knit this evening. I'd really like to complete the scarf so I can send it off to the intended recipient. I think I'm about 1/4 through the second ball of yarn. I don't think it is going to end up being as long a scarf as I had hoped, but it should be a nice length. Of course, I could always frog the whole thing, and make it a couple stitches narrower - NOT!

Don't really have anything to post about, so I'm going to end for now. Just wanted to get an entry in before Sis does tonight! :-) Good old sibling rivalry. Especially since I'm the old sibling!

Ok, I know it isn't a competition, but Sis's blog is already better than mine. Hers is all full of nice, colorful pictures and interesting news about her knitting and stuff. I'm going to have to do better.

Did some running around with P after work today. Her jeep died on her and she had to get it towed home, so I went and picked her up at home and we went to the Mills to get some stuff she needs for her trip to Frisco this weekend. During our "travels" I saw this poster at a fast-food restaurant and had to send a picture of it to Duh ... it isn't the best picture I've taken (also not the worst) but it gets the message across.

I remember when we HAD to go to a certain breakfast buffet in Las Vegas because they had Cap'n Crunch cereal (and she thought she hit the jackpot because they had Crunchberries!). SO, when I saw that she could get a CC milkshake ....

I haven't done much knitting lately, although I really need to finish the scarf I'm working on for ES. It is just plain knit, every row. I thought that it would be the best way to show off the yarn, but it isn't the most exciting "pattern". I'd like to have another knitting/crafty day soon, although realistically it probably won't happen until after the wedding. This Saturday is the memorial for TLH's wife, and the wedding is 3 weeks after that. Of course, I can still have the crafty day on the 12th, 19th or 26th. Any of those days good for you, Sis? Anyway, one of my other WIP items I could work on is the pink/grey sock ... which is also all knit knit knit. Wonder where I put the pattern for the other sock I have on the needles. That would give me a little change in pattern, if I worked on it. OH - or the wavy scarf I've been working on for a couple years now! No, not continuously. :-)

I would like to invite VT from work, too. I know she crochets (here's two pics of a baby blanket she just finished) and I'm sure she will "fit in" well with the group. Hm, group. Sis and I. Not much of a group, but when we add in P and Duh, and Sis's co-worker, and maybe even MH, we become a group.

Anyway, after finishing at the Mills, P and I met C for dinner at Buffalo Inn. Had some very yummy buffalo tacos. We've eaten there quite often, but I've never tried the buffalo. It was quite good and I'll have it again. They only have the tacos on Tuesdays, which seems to be the trend these days. Not necessarily only selling tacos on Tuesdays, but a lot of places have special pricing for them on Tuesdays.

Anyway, gotta go take my shower so I don't have to get up early in the morning to have one.