Reading - For Fun!

I ordered my textbooks and am all set for next semester (Economics and Marketing), so I decided to do some reading for fun.

Ian wanted to go see "The Lightning Thief" when it came out, so prior to seeing the movie, we read the novel. And then I continued on and read Sea of Monsters, Titan's Curse, Battle of the Labyrinth, and Last Olympian. An excellent series! Ian is now reading Sea of Monsters, and he can't put it down.

I started on another 'kid' series...Ian begged me to read the City of Ember series, which, until he read the Lightning Thief, were "The GREATEST books EVER!" It's a series of four books, all very good books with lessons to be learned about getting along and saving the planet. I read City of Ember and People of Sparks so far. I've started on the Prophet of Yonwood, the third book, and then Diamond of Darkhold is left.

Ian also wants me to read Twilight. I've never been into vampire stories, so I'm not thrilled about it, but I will humor him anyway. I'm putting it off, though, as I also started the 'Women's Murder Club' series by James Patterson. I read First to Die, Second Chance, Third Degree, and I'm about half-way through Fourth of July.

Oh, and I've also re-read Clive Cussler's Sahara, also an excellent book. Clive Cussler is one of my favorite authors. He's right up there with Dick Francis and Mary Higgins Clark. The movie Sahara was also very good.

Next on the novel list are Echo Burning by Lee Child and Missing by Lisa Jackson. Murder and mayhem. :) Erica, one of the ladies I work with, read the entire Prey series by John Sanford, and she is going to let me borrow them. Life is good!

Of course, I'm also keeping up with the Wall Street Journal and Money Magazine to try to keep up with the wonderful world of finance.

Oh! And I ordered, and started watching, a great DVD course entitled The Joy of Mathematics. It's a great course! I've learned all kinds of neat things, like about the Fibonacci series and various patterns it makes, how to square numbers ending in 5 without a calculator, cool, cool, cool stuff.

The sun was shining today, and it was well over 50 degrees outside. It was great to sit in the sun for a little bit, soak in fresh air and rays, while reading a book. One of my favorite pastimes...

Can't you just tell I'm smiling?

4.0!

That would be my final grade in Quantitative Analysis!

WHOO HOO!

Michael said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Serena said...

Thank you! It was hard work. :D

Advice to the Lovelorn

There is a boy named Jack and a girl named Devan who ride the school bus with Ian, and apparently Jack is head over heels for Devan. I heard about this in an almost non-stop narrative from Ian the other night.

Mom! There's this guy Jack on my bus, and he told me he is gonna tell Devan he loves her! I told him you can't DO that! If you just come right out and tell a girl you love her, she'll smack you upside the head!

She will?!?

Yeah, Mom. Girls do that these days. So I told him first, you gotta ask your Mom to get you some deodorant, because you can't tell a girl you love her if you smell bad. And he's gotta lose that hat he wears. He wears this wool hat, and it is NOT attractive. I told him he should wear a Sabres cap or something. He's got to ditch that hat.

It's that bad?

Oh, yeah. And I told him he's got to dress fashionably. You can't tell a girl you love her if you are wearing sweatpants and have a hole in your t-shirt. That's just dumb. I told him he's got to wear jeans and a nice shirt, maybe something at Abercrombie, and make sure he smells good. That's important to girls.

It sure is. Did you shower today?

Why? I'm not telling any girl I love her.

{heavy sigh}

Michael said...

I'm very glad to see that he knows the only reason a man needs to shower. :D

Jeff said...

and when not to wear your PJ's :D

Serena said...

Heaven help me.

Anonymous said...

This is the dad from Ian's baseball who doesn't like watching baseball. I thought thought you'd like to know I thought this post was funny.

Serena said...

Thank you, Jack's Dad! LOL! Not too many dull moments in my house, that's for sure!

Asbestos

Unencapsulated asbestos.

"Leave it alone and you'll be fine. It's only dangerous if you mess with it."

So good to hear. I'll just keep this in case I ever get diagnosed with mesothelioma. Just in case.

And now, the Lighter Side :)

"Desperata"
sent to me by my brother, I don't know who wrote it.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what peace there may be in apathy.
As far as possible be on good terms with all persons and be prepared to surrender your ideals in order to find acceptance from others.

Speak your truth clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too may be rich and powerful.

Do not extend yourself; those who reach out are easily hurt. Accept the life-style you are handed.
System-bucking is uneconomic and unwise, considering all you have to look forward to.
In an ever-changing world, strive to be the same. Be yourself, whatever that means.

Especially avoid affection. No one likes a sook.
Do not distress yourself searching for answers to deep questions of self-examination.
Be content with emotional charges from occasional religious activities.
Keep your religion, whatever you conceive it to be, separate from your mind.

There is comfort to be found in vagueness. Avoid the enthusiastic, their feelings may be contagious.
Beyond an occasional discipline, don’t push yourself.
Reject kindly the counsel of the aged and experienced. They are well-meaning but things are different these days. Still, humour them - as you too may be old one day.

You are a child of the system. No less than a credit card, you have a right to be here.

And, whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as your perceptions will allow it.

Whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life let not prejudice and fear break down your walls of contentment.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; selfishness, corruption and self-defeating internal wars, emptiness, disappointment, carelessness and hate, fear, persecution, home-spun comforting philosophy and people, it is still a beautiful contract.

Be carefree; strive to be vapid; pushback when ready.

Deteriorata

Go placidly amid the noise and the waste and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.

Avoid quiet & passive persons unless you are in need of sleep. Rotate your tires. Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself & heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys; know what to kiss & when.

Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three do. Wherever possible, put people on hold. Be comforted that in the face of all aridity & disillusionment & despite the changing fortunes of time, there is always a big future in computer maintenance. Remember the Pueblo. Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle & mutilate.

Know yourself; if you need help, call the FBI. Exercise caution in your daily affairs, especially with those persons closest to you -- that lemon on your left, for instance. Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls would scarcely get your feet wet. Fall not in love therefore; it will stick to your face.

Gracefully surrender the things of youth, birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan; & let not the sands of time get in your lunch. Hire people with hooks. For a good time, call 606-4311; ask for Ken. Take heart amid the deepening gloom that your dog is finally getting enough cheese; & reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot, it could only be worse in Milwaukee.

You are a fluke of the universe; you have no right to be here, & whether you can hear it or not, the universe is laughing behind your back.

Therefore make peace with your God whatever you conceive Him to be -- Hairy Thunderer or Cosmic Muffin.

With all its hopes, dreams, promises, & urban renewal, the world continues to deteriorate. Give up.


Copyright © National Lampoon. Written by Tony Hendra.

Desiderata - Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann c.1920

Neologisms

I love these! I have no idea what year they are from, but they're still great. :D

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words.

The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners:


1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

9. Karmageddon (n): its like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the literature:

16. Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an a**hole.

Great-Grandchild Number Four!

Here is my Aunt Marlene with Natalie, born February 9th. Natalie is my first cousin twice removed, the daughter of Melissa, my first cousin once removed, daughter of Jan, my first cousin.

Welcome to the world, Natalie!

Backyard Sledding

I think it's cool that no matter what he is doing, Unko Myko isn't far from his thoughts.

The Money Tree

Mom! I found my wallet!

(I didn't comment. Didn't think one was necessary.)

It's empty.

(I still didn't comment. What could I say? "Mine is, too"?)

Mom?

Yes?

Well?

Well, what?

Aren't you going to give me money?

I want to know what color the sky is in his world.

GM Roadside Assistance

Let me start by saying if you are in the Kenmore, Tonawanda area, and you need roadside assistance, call John at JT’s Roadside Service, 716/990-1872. He was fast and professional, and after almost five hours in a small car with a nine-year-old, a sight for sore eyes.

Yes. Saturday turned out to be a very...interesting...day.

We went to a basket raffle, won Three baskets!, and when we came out at 5:50 pm, the back passenger tire was flat as a pancake. I used my Onstar, told them I was alone with my child in the car, and they called GM Roadside Assistance for me. The next call I received was from GM Roadside. They were sending someone from Tracy's Towing to me, and my wait time was an hour and a half. Well, I figured, an hour and a half, that's not too bad, Ian and I will wait it out.

At 7:30 I used my Onstar button again and asked for a status update. We'd waited an hour and a half, and there was no assistance in sight. They called GM Roadside again, and told me that because the weather was bad in my area (news to me), it would be another half hour, 45 minutes. They gave me the number for Tracy's so I could call them directly if I needed to. Nothing to do but wait...

Fortunately, I had parked in front of a Chinese pizza place, so we got a small pizza and ate in the car. One of the baskets Ian won was full of toys, so we used the pizza box to set up the chess board, and we played chess and checkers for a while.

At 8:15, I called Tracy's directly. The man that answered the phone told me their tow truck broke down, they were getting another one to me, and it would be another 30 to 45 minutes.

At 9:00, I called Tracy's again, directly. The man that answered apologized again and told me he was on his way. It was snowing like crazy where he was, but he should be to me in another half hour, 45 minutes.

I didn't believe him, but what could I do?

We waited.

At 10:00, I used my Onstar button and vented. I had been sitting for four hours in my vehicle with my child. It wasn't snowing, the roads were wet, and as far as I could see, there was no reason we should still be sitting there.

The Onstar people put me on hold, and the next person on the line was GM Roadside Assistance. The gentleman apologized profusely. He canceled the call to Tracy's and placed a call to another company, JT’s Roadside Service , who would be at my vehicle in 20 to 30 minutes. He assured me a report was going to be made to his supervisor, and Tracy's would not be working for them anymore.

Ian and I resumed our game of chess, which I was losing badly.

At 10:35, a man knocked on Ian's window and scared the crap out of us both. It was John, the owner of JT's. He was horrified that we had been waiting that long. His trucks were out doing whatever trucks do, so he grabbed his mother-in-law's SUV, threw a jack in the back, and came to fix my flat himself. Within ten minutes, we were on our way home.

A side note. John asked me who left us stranded. I told him Tracy's Auto or Tracy's Towing, something like that. He said he'd never heard of them. I searched for them on the net. The Internet hasn't heard of them, either. After GM canceled the service call to them, the driver called me and asked if I still needed my tire changed. At the time, I was still sitting there, so I said yes, I was still stuck there with a flat. He told me he'd be there in another half hour or so. As far as I know, he probably still hasn't shown up.

I am thinking about returning to AAA. GM Roadside Assistance comes free with the car, but I'm thinking you get what you pay for. Would I have sat there for so long if I had AAA?

Hard to say...

Of course, I can hear Obiwan in the back of my head saying, "Would you have waited so long if you learned how to change a tire?"

Next on my agenda is to look into those adult courses through the school district and see if they have one on basic car stuff. As in, the stuff I should know. {heavy sigh}

The Lightning Thief

I took Ian to see The Lightning Thief. It came out while we were in Virginia. He read the entire book and started on the second book in the series, Sea of Monsters, and he HAD to see it. I thought the movie was excellent. I read the book also, and the movie stayed pretty true to it. Ian, on the other hand, was disappointed. He said, "They took a lot of stuff out of the movie that was in the book!" I explained they could not possibly put everything in the movie that was in the book, and he was okay with that. His final word on the matter?

"The book was better." Aren't they always? To see the trailer, go here: The Lightning Thief.

Virginia

It appears Virginia is more uncivilized than I originally thought. You can't get sponge candy there. Or Weber's Mustard.

How do those people LIVE?

A Joke from My Brother :D

During a visit to the retirement home, I asked the director, "How do you determine whether or not a person should be institutionalized?"

'Well,' said the Director, 'We fill up a bathtub, and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.'

'Oh, I understand,' I said. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.'

'No.' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug.

Do you want a bed near the window?'

Cold Enough For Ya'?

This joke goes around via email every so often, but it makes me laugh every time.

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING.

65 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat..
People in Upstate New York plant gardens.

60 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Upstate New York sunbathe.

50 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Upstate New York drive with the windows down.

40 above zero:
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats.
People in Upstate New York throw on a flannel shirt.

35 above zero:
New York city landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Upstate New York have the last cookout before it gets cold.

20 above Zero:
People in Miami all die.
Upstate New Yorkers close the windows.

Zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico .
People in Upstate New York get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Upstate New York are selling cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Upstate New York let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Upstate New Yorkers get upset because they can't start the snow-mobile.

40 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Upstate New York start saying...'cold enough fer ya?'

50 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Upstate New York public schools will open 2 hours late.

Virginia

Well, Virginia wasn't as warm as I wanted it to be, but it was Definitely warmer than Here! Of course, this time of year, just about anyplace is warmer than here. :D

Fortunately, Thursday evening, I packed the car, so we were loaded and ready to go early Friday morning. I packed all our stuff into the medium-sized suitcase and put the medium-sized suitcase into the largest-sized suitcase so we would have an empty suitcase for all our shopping loot when we got to VA. I also paid Southwest for "early check-in". They automatically checked Ian and me in on Thursday, so I had our boarding passes printed and ready, too.

We started our vacation by oversleeping. Friday morning came, and we were supposed to be at the airport by 4 a.m. I woke up at 4 a.m. "IAN!!! GET UP!!! GET UP!!! I OVERSLEPT!!! GET DRESSED!!! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE AIRPORT ALREADY!!!" I was proud of him. We were up and out in ten minutes flat. All's well that ends well - we made it on time and boarded with no problems.

We landed in Norfolk, Virginia at about 9:30 a.m. The temperature was about 45 degrees, and I kid you not, it felt like summer. Ian and I walked around in our hoodies without winter coats on, and everybody looked at us like we were nuts. When someone asked where Ian's winter coat was, he responded, "We're from Buffalo!" It just felt so warm to us. Nods of understanding all around.

Because Williamsburg is closer to Norfolk than Suffolk (our ultimate destination), we went shoppin'! The Williamsburg Outlet Mall is HUGE. I purchased sneakers for Ian in the next three sizes up and outfitted him for summer. I also picked up some beautiful sweaters. Clearance/Presidents' Day sales were everywhere.

On Saturday, Russ (Ma's son) took Ian to the Virginia Living Museum. He had a blast. Ma bought him a SIM card for his phone, and he tried to fill it with photos. He shot over 250 photographs. (I have to call Obiwan and ask him how to get them out of Ian's phone onto my computer. That's one area of technology I haven't mastered yet.) I finished my fourth (of five) Quantitative Analysis assignments and took a nap while he was gone. It gets so ... quiet... when Ian's not around. :D

Saturday evening, Ma cooked a wonderful dinner and invited Wayne, one of my classmates. It was great to reconnect with him. He and his girlfriend have seven children between the two of them. I don't know how they do it. They live in Virginia Beach and love it there.

Sunday was laundry day, and then on Monday, Ma and Uncle AJ took us to Waterman’s Beachwood Grill. The food was wonderful! I had sea scallops wrapped in bacon, and they practically melted in my mouth, they were so tender. My friend Tracy met us there. She moved to Virginia Beach about five years ago, and she loves it there also.

There is this strange kind of bible-belt thing that goes on down there...the IHOP waitress, before she served Ma, told her she could tell she 'read her Word'. I was a bit taken aback by that. Ma mumbled, 'Uh, huh', or something appropriate like that, and I bit my tongue. If a waitress said that to someone in an IHOP up here, she'd get yelled at or slapped. It's a bit of a different world there.

Zeus, Hera, and all their cohorts didn't come through for us with more snow for Baltimore, so we had to come home.

Southwest Airlines is wonderful. They are friendly and extremely easy to deal with, both on-line and in person. And they have no fee for your first two bags.

For our next vacation, I'd like to go visit family in Santa Fe. Another toasty warm place. :)

Vacation!

We'll be back on the 17th. Miss me! :D

Let the Nightmares Begin.

Mommy, is our plane going to crash?

Of course not, honey. We're going to be on a good one.

But what about the snow and ice?

They'll send us the long way around if there's a problem.

Oh. Okay.

I swear, I should never let him watch the news. {heavy sigh}

Baseball Quote

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs."

- Tim McCarver, Bob Gibson's catcher in three different World Series.

Compliments of my page-a-day calendar.

***Pitchers and Catchers report in 8 days!
Forget about the Groundhog...Summer is practically here!***

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Turned in my third of five assignments for my Quantitative Analysis course.
Three-fifths of the way done.

That's More Than Half.

Whoo hoo!

I don't like driving anymore.

I don't like driving anymore. It's not that I'm so gawd-awful old now that I can't see over the dash...heck, for me, that's always been a problem. No, it's different than that.

It just seems to me that the world has become hurried. There's no such thing as a leisurely drive through the countryside anymore...if you're gazing at the scenery and fall below the speed limit, some guy behind you is crawling up your back-end with his fist on the horn.

Was tail-gating always a problem? And since when did right-on-red become anything other than an option that was available to you traffic permitted?

Everybody is in a hurry. And it's not just driving. What did we do before fax machines, cell phones, and the internet? We waited. Or we found other things to do. We didn't need to do 75 on the freeway. We certainly didn't need to have it 'there overnight'. And I, for one, have never felt the "need for speed".

I don't know. Maybe I'm just feeling a bit melancholy for days gone by. Or maybe I just need a nap.

Now there's an idea. A siesta. What a shame it never caught on in this country.

Like Mike

Cute movie! Ian brought it home from the daycare center to watch today. It's a great happy-ending movie, which is just what the doctor ordered after a long day. More about the movie is here: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/209278#readMore.

And now, I have more homework. {heavy sigh}

The Silver Lining

I am two-fifths of the way through Quantitative Analysis. Which is almost half. :)

For Emergency Assistance: North Hartland Corp

I arrived home late last night after an amazing evening with the BPO to find that sometime between 5:00 p.m. when I left and 10:30 p.m. when I got home, something went wrong with the furnace. It was 59 degrees in my apartment and 42 in my kitchen.

So I did what I always do when I have troubles I can't fix. I call my big brother, Obiwan of Seattle. Unfortunately, he can't fix a furnace from 3,000 miles away. So much for The Force! :D He did give me recommendations, though, the first of which was to call someone local and get them over. It was three degrees outside, and in that kind of weather, it doesn't take a real long time for the pipes to freeze.

Oh, joy.

I called my landlord, and after six telephone calls (three to his cell and three to his home), he returned my call at ten to midnight with the okay to call in a repairman. So I called my sister, Ian's beloved Aunt Bubby, at every single number I had for her, to see if her husband could help.

My poor brother-in-law, who owns North Hartland Corp., came all the way from Appleton at 2:00 in the morning to fix it. He had it up and running in what seemed like seconds.

If you live in Western New York, and you need help with your heat, call Chris. I'm not kidding. The man knows his stuff, and he will come at any hour, at a reasonable cost, and even be cheerful in the wee hours of the morning. :)

Happy Birthday, Mozart!

Yesterday, my friend Sue and I went to see Happy Birthday Mozart performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Oboist, Pierre Roy opened the show by performing Mozart's Oboe Concerto in C major, K. 314. A brief intermission followed, and then the amazing Caroline Goulding took the stage with the BPO. At just 17 years old, she is an incredible musician. As soon as I have some extra money, I will be purchasing her CD for my music collection. The performance was breath-taking, and Miss Goulding has extraordinary talent.

Looking back over the day, I realize it's no small wonder I'm exhausted. Washed six loads of laundry, made Picadillo Stuffed Peppers in the crockpot, hard-boiled a dozen eggs for breakfasts, made a big batch of Zero Point Soup (a WW vegetable soup that is wonderful), cleaned out the refrigerator, fed the boy child half a dozen times, vacuumed, dusted, and almost finished my Quantitative Analysis homework for the week. Waiting to hear back from the course mentor on that one. It's a whole lot like banging your head against the wall when you have no idea what you're doing and have no one around to ask. But hey, I've got breakfasts and lunches done for the week. Life is good!

Day off

Got an unexpected day off today in honor of getting new gas lines. National Fuel Gas had to shut off my gas for a few hours while they replaced and repaired lines from my home.

The smell of the gas combined with the word "leak" had me reaching for my Xanax. :D

A Veritable Heat Wave

It's 36 degrees outside! This, of course, reminds me that Spring Training opens in just .... 31 days!

Thinking of You...

Buffalo General Hospital is housing two of my favorite people for the night after their surgeries. The funny thing is, they don't know each other. Neither one of them is from Buffalo. Dawn should be going home tomorrow, and hopefully Bob will be leaving shortly, too.

It saddens me that can't get down there to see them tonight (my sitter is unavailable), but I hope they know they are in my thoughts, and I hope they are on the mend.

My heart goes out to Pat and Steve, too, their loving partners and another two of my favorite people, who will try not to worry until they are home safe and sound. I wish I could help all four of them through this and make it all better. That's the mom in me, I guess.

Sleep well, be safe, and let the healing begin.

Updates!

New entries and pics back to December 4th! (What a gal won't do to delay getting to Quantitative Analysis homework.) :D

Feel Free to Comment

I always forget to tell everyone who reads my blog...

You don't have to be a member to comment. If you would like to comment on one of my entries, just click on the 'comments' link and type away. You can comment as a google user or as anonymous, but if you comment as anonymous, please sign your entry so I know who you are.

I love comments!

Happy New Year!

It's 2010. Wow. If you had asked me 25 years ago what I thought I'd be doing in 2010, I'd have told you I wasn't planning on living this long.

I've come a long way.

I decided not to make any 'resolutions' this year. I never seem to keep them. However, an acquaintance of mine passed away last week, and it made me think. He was 47. Heart attack. The end. I'm 45.

I need to make behavioral changes to bring about health changes.

Ian and I discussed our diets, and we agreed we need to eat healthier. I rejoined Weight Watchers in that on-going struggle to keep my weight under control. And I am going to make little changes, bit by bit, baby step by baby step, to get healthy again.

This week, Ian and I are going to plan our meals for next week. And then we're going to try to stick to the plan.

Baby steps. :)

Lake Effect

December 28, 2009, 3:23 p.m.
Elmwood Avenue
Lovely day for a drive.

Beef on Weck and Potato Candy

Every Christmas Eve for the past 25 years or so, health and weather permitting, I make the trek to the Malcombs in Gasport for Beef on Weck and Potato Candy. I look forward to it every year.

Usually I sit in the living room and socialize with those sitting in there. It occurred to me this year that I was missing a whole bunch of stuff going on in the kitchen - constant laughter, and no matter how much we ate, the pot of beef on the stove stays full.

I laugh so much here. They have adopted me as their own, and they have no idea how much that means to me. I hope someday my brother can meet them. They'll adopt him, too.

'Uncle' Wayne and his daughter, Ashley

Getting teased by Uncle Wayne

Winter Concert

Today is Ian's Winter Concert at school, and he has a speaking part!


P.S. He spoke like a natural. He did very well. I am a proud Mom!

Health Update.

Sinus infection and bronchitis. Again.

I need a week off to just be wrapped in an afghan with a good book (that's not a text book).

Yeah. As Ian would say, "Good luck with that."

Sick again.

It has been a rough fall season for me. I am sick again, and sick and tired of being sick and tired! I am just feeling yucky again...stuffy nose, cough that rattles my bones, being too warm and then shivering with cold... Time for another visit to the doctor.

Sprung a Leak

We sprung a leak at the firm and the front yard had to be rearranged. Poor Dennis.

He does it again.

Ian, it's time to wake up!

Mommy, does the brain work faster than the speed of light?

Well, it depends on the person, honey.

Where does he get this stuff? And why is it in his head at 6:15 in the morning?

Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree...

...wish I'd have remembered to take a picture AFTER the lights were on it! :D Check out the stand!

Reading...

Saturday morning, breakfast at the Olympic. He's reading the Wall Street Journal with me.


Bravo!

A Weekend Off

Ian has a sleepover tonight at the daycare center with his school buddies, and another sleepover tomorrow night with his cousin, Lucas.

I think I'll get some quality work done on my paper.

It's always so weird when he isn't around, though. I mean, it's so.... quiet...

Winter Has Arrived

From www.weather.com, the latest:

... LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

...A BAND OF HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE FROM THE BUFFALO SOUTHTOWNS EAST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GENESEE COUNTY. EXPECT THIS BAND TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH EARLY EVENING BEFORE SETTLING FARTHER SOUTH INTO THE MORE DISTANT SOUTHTOWNS LATER THIS EVENING... FINALLY MOVING OUT OF THE AREA BY LATE EVENING.

EXPECT SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR IN THE MOST INTENSE PORTION OF THIS BAND. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY SNOWFALL... STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES WITH SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. THE WORST CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS THE BUFFALO SOUTHTOWNS EAST TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF GENESEE COUNTY... WITH MUCH BETTER DRIVING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHTOWNS.

STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO 16 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE BUFFALO SOUTHTOWNS AND ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF GENESEE COUNTY... WITH 4 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE HEART OF THE METRO AREA.

I'm so cold!

Jeff said...

No snow here...... :)

Serena said...

Yet. :D

An Old Favorite

Lucky me.

My nephew, Eric, has Alport Syndrome. In 1999, he had a kidney transplant, and has been doing well until recently. He spent the weekend in the hospital and discovered his body is rejecting the new kidney. This week he finds out if the damage to his new kidney can be repaired, or if he will need to be placed back on the transplant list and go back on dialysis.

He seems to be in pretty good spirits, all things considered. I guess it's because he knew this day would come. Alport Syndrome just doesn't go away or quit, so Eric will need a new kidney every ten to fifteen years.

It's things like this that remind me how lucky I am. Never take good health for granted.

My Indoor Garden

My blooming Christmas Cactus (which is a beautiful shade of pink, and I don't know how to make it happen in the photo...Obiwan?)A couple Christmas cacti, a jade, some miscellaneous stuff in a pot, and a tree:

Does anyone know what kind of tree/plant this is?

Artiste

Modeling my new hat. Kid has a great imagination...took him about two seconds to put it on when I walked in with it.


Looks better on him than it does on me. :D

Shoveling

Yes, Folks, here he is...shoveling...
THE YARD.

I don't understand boys.

The bad and the good...

So the bad news is I'm all stuffy again and sneezing and feeling run down. I don't know why I'm so run down, but there you have it. Tim (the boss) told me under no circumstances am I to get sick again. My sinuses have decided not to listen to him.

But on a good note, I'm sitting wrapped up in an afghan listening to tunes on my laptop. I so enjoy listening to Beethoven. His music is timeless. I can just close my eyes and imagine it is summer, the sun warm on my face, wind in my hair... It is so relaxing, and sometimes just what I need after a long day at the office during the full moon.

6:15 a.m.

He wakes up talking. I mean, LITERALLY. He opens his eyes at 6:15 a.m. and starts talking. I don't know how he does it. I have to get coffee in me before I wake him up. Why isn't here a parent manual that warns you about this stuff? I can't think like this so early!

Ian! It's time to get up!

Mommy, if we lived in Russia, would we be able to buy a house there?

Huh?

Can we buy a house in Russia?

Now?

No. I just wanna know.

Um, I don't know. I think it works different in Russia. Why?

I want to go to England. Where do you want to go?

Paris. What does that have to do with Russia?

It doesn't. Can we go to London?

Not today. Did you brush your teeth?

Nope. I can't find my toothbrush. I mean on vacation. Is Paris in England too?

No, it's in France. And why is your toothbrush on vacation?

No, not my toothbrush. We could go on vacation. We could go to France and London and Paris. How old would I have to be?

I'm not sure. You're not going to get any older if you don't brush your teeth.

Okaaaay. I'm just sayin', though. I really really want to go to England. Can I have a new toothbrush?

I'll keep it in mind, and yes. And then get dressed.

Maybe we could go to England next year. And then Russia next year. Do I have to wear sleeves?

To Russia?

No! To school!

Yes!

6:30 a.m. I need a nap.

Homework Help Needed!

I have to write a paper. Here is the scenario:

The CEO of your company has asked you to research the claim that being more ethical and socially responsible in business increases efficiency in the workplace. The CEO has asked you to prepare a report that describes how business ethics and social responsibility can be used to increase efficiency, the effect that it can have on the reputation of the company, and the effect it can have on the company’s relationships with employees, investors, and customers.

I am having a hard time finding sources. Any ideas, anyone? I am trying to stick with electronic sources because I don't have a whole lot of time to track down (and read entire) books.

Michael said...

I don't know of any resources. But I wonder if it would help to be reminded that Buddhism recommends ethics and social responsibility as efficient... I wonder if there are any "Zen and the Art of" type books that have what you are looking for.

Otherwise, most references seem to center on specific types of "efficiency" - usually energy, sometimes financial.

Serena said...

Exactly! I am having a difficult time tying ethics and social responsibility to efficiency. Perhaps I am having a problem with my search terms?

Michael said...

A few possible sources that I did not have enough time to vet. Hope you know how to speed-read:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_ethics
Scan references and further reading at the bottom of the entry.

Scan the abstract - "Free registration required:"
http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=81303

http://ethicalcorp.blogspot.com/

http://www.squidoo.com/CSR-ethicalbiz

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/303793/Ethics-And-Social-Responsibility--PPT

"It has been said that it makes good business sense for managers to be ethical ... ethics within an organization is perceived as an effective and efficient"
http://www.enotes.com/business-finance-encyclopedia/social-responsibility-organizational-ethics

http://www.enterweb.org/ethics.htm
Business ethics and corporate social responsibility ... to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies. ...

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/corporate-social-responsibility.html

http://www.thomas.org.nz/web/files/ethics.pdf

http://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Ethics-and-Social-Responsibility&id=753524

Can economic efficiency models be used to make smart business ethics decisions? Well, probably not. But let's try anyway.
http://www.joshklein.net/business-ethics-and-economic-efficiency

Dorinda said...

I searched “news about Google's ethics and social responsibility”.

Serena said...

Excellent! I'm going to try that for Wegman's, too. They are one of the top companies to work for, they must be both ethical and socially responsible. (Hopefully they are also efficient!)

An interesting side note... how come you never see a law firm in the top 100 companies to work for?

A giggle...

A facebook post from a friend of mine:

OMG. Some days it's so not worth chewing through the restraints.........

The smallest size they had...

Ian's first rock concert. And it was LEGENDARY.

My poor baby.

He lost his student council election today, then was goofing off at the after-school program at day care and got smacked in the mouth by another child, which gave him a fat lip and a bloody nose.

I told him life is like this. Some days are good, and some days are bad. It's just his turn in the barrel, and it won't last forever.

It's a hard lesson to learn... Poor baby.

Sooooo Hungry...

Don't open that box of Girl Scout cookies if you're really, really hungry.

Yeah.

I HAD a box of Trefoils...

Michael said...

I HAD a five pound box of Godiva...

LOL!!!

It Finally Happened.

The Boy Child came downstairs at 6:30 this morning. - and he was Dressed! Well ... sort of.

You're dressed!

Yup.

Honey, why do your clothes looked like you slept in them?

Cuz I did!

Errr...why would you do that?

So now I'm ready for school.

OH, NO, YOU'RE NOT!

Methinks he's been reading my Calvin and Hobbes books.

Michael said... Spoilsport.

He was just running a "male efficiency experiment." A lot like the ones where you use the same underwear for a second week by turning them inside out. Remember?

:D

EEEUUUUUU!!!!

Campaign Central

Ian is running for Student Council.

My Little Maestro

From my brother:

"Now that I know that there's water on the moon, your natural spring water from the Swiss Alps bores me."

Round Two.

Ian had no school today in honor of Veterans Day, so I brought him to work with me. He didn't want to get up this morning, but truthfully, neither did I, so I didn't think anything of it.

When we got to work, he played with his Nintendo game for about half an hour, then curled up on a blanket and went to sleep.

For two solid hours.

He woke up, ate some cereal with milk, played a little more, and then went back to sleep. At about noon, he woke up and played some, very quietly, and then at 1:30, he says, "Mommy, I think I'm gonna barf." I told him to go into the kitchen to use the garbage in there, and I followed him in.

And toss his groceries he did. Very well, I might add. I think his meals for the past three days came up.

So we left work early, and here I am at home, watching over my sleeping child. Or, should I say, the child who is sleeping beside a bucket.

What a way to spend an afternoon.

Michael said...

At least he hit the target.

There are sooooo many ways this story could have been worse! ;-)

Serena said...
Oh, yeah. He could have tossed his groceries all over my computer. The boss would have been REAL happy with me!

Chinese for Lunch

I ordered Chicken Chow Mein for lunch today at Chinese Kitchen. My fortune left me a wee bit confused.

"A nice cake is waiting for you."

Cake?

Where?

And most importantly, is it chocolate?

Michael said...

I'm still waiting for the one that says, "There's a wheelbarrow full of money waiting for you."

Serena said...

You and me both!

Catching Up!

Check out blog updates back to October 26! I'm finally feeling good enough to catch up. Health-wise, I'm over the bronchitis, and I'm just stuck with that annoying cough that will hang on most of the winter. I can live with it. School-wise, I'm on target to finish my course on time. Research is the order of the day for the weekend. My latest paper is going to be on ethics and social responsibility in the workplace.

Life is good!

The Mammogram

Went for my annual mammogram today. Honestly, with medical technology being what it is, you would think there would be an easier way to accomplish this by now! Anyway...

I had a miserable experience at Windsong Radiology last time I went there, and swore I would never return. So this year, I asked my ob/gyn if I had a choice where to go. She said, "Sure! Go wherever you want!" So I called Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

They were wonderful! Friendly, kind, efficient, and as gentle as possible. It was over with quickly, hardly any wait time, and for the first time in a long time, I came away with no bruising!

After, I treated myself to a Venti Non-Fat Chai at Starbucks. (It's a spiced tea that tastes like Christmas. Great stuff!) After all, even a good mammogram is still a mammogram.

Ladies, it's important. If you're over 40, get it done. Yes, it's uncomfortable. But if it saves your life, what's a little discomfort?

The Loose Tooth

The tooth came out in Chorus! FINALLY! Keep singing, Kid. There are three more loose ones in there. :D

There is No Tooth Fairy.

We are at the Dentist's Office for our semi-annual teeth cleanings. After His Highness had his teeth cleaned, he came in to where I was, planted himself on the bottom of my chair at my feet, and started thinking. I hate it when he does that in public. :D

"Mom. I got four loose teeth all together that are gonna come out soon. One is hanging on by a thread. The lady (nodding his head toward the hygienist who cleaned his teeth) says the tooth fairy is gonna come." (said with a smirk)

(pause for thought)

"Mister Dentist? How many teeth do babies have?"

"Well, babies aren't born with teeth."

"Oh. Well, how many teeth do kids have?"

"Well, after they all come in, kids have 20 teeth. Then, as they get to be adults, they have 32 teeth."

"Humpf. Mom. Why don't you just give me the 20 bucks now?"

The dentist busted out laughing, and all I could think was, here I am with a mouthful of tools and can't say a word!

"I like how this kid thinks!" He removed all the paraphernalia from my mouth, patted me on the shoulder and said,

"He's going to go far, Mom, he's going to go far."

Yeah. In the meantime, I've got to keep a step ahead of him!

Fond Memories of a Baseball Fan

The year was 1967. It must have been, because my Mom was sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, and she was pregnant with my sister. I'll never forget it.

Dad always had the baseball game on TV on Saturday afternoon. I would line up my dolls on the couch (I had three bears and a pink dog), and we would all watch the Game of the Week with Daddy.

I, of course, in the excitement of the game, would root for anyone who scored.

I remember it as if it was yesterday. I cheered to a player scoring a run, and my Dad looked at me and said, very sternly, "NEVER root for the Yankees!" It startled me, and I took him seriously.

Over the years, he repeated this to me, never less passionately, "NEVER root for the Yankees! If the Witch of Endor is playing against the Yankees, we will root for the Witch of Endor!" I had no idea who the Witch of Endor was, but it doesn't matter.

I still can't root for the Yankees.

Michael said...

That's fascinating! I had no idea that he had an opinion that strong about _any_ baseball team!!!

In all of our exchanges, his fondness for the game was the primary take-away...

Serena said...

I asked him once why he felt so strong about the Yanks. He said it was because he always felt cheated. The team spent a ton of money for stars so they always won, and you never got to see 9 complete innings because if they were home, the games only went 8 1/2. He feels they don't play fair in their business dealings. You should see him grin ear-to-ear when Andy Pettitte (one of the Yank pitchers) gets pasted. Well, come to think of it, I do, too. :D

Sabres v Islanders

I took Ian to a Sabres game. My friend was unable to use two of his season tickets, so he sold them to me for the price he paid, $30 each. We were in the second row from the top of the Arena.

The giveaway for the evening was a white towel, which Ian waved pretty much through the entire time we were there, except when he was grabbing another piece of soft pretzel. He was absolutely glued to the game.

We couldn't stay for the entire game; it was a school night and I had to work the next day. We did stay through two periods, though, and when we left, the Sabres were up 2 to zip. They did hang on to win, against the Islanders, 3 to 0.

One More Day Wasn't Enough.

I've now got bronchitis. I've decided that I need to get more rest while Ian isn't around "mommy"-ing, so while he's at school today, I am getting some sleep.

He's 9!

He's 9 years old today. Where does the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday, he was 4 pounds and struggling to breathe, followed by months of PT so he could sit up on his own. The memories of the years that have passed flow like water in a stream...the first words, the first steps, the first day of school.

Today we celebrate the happiest day of my life, the anniversary of the day my beautiful boy was born. Happy birthday, Ian. I love you more than you know.

One More Sick Day. And then That's It.

I don't have time for this! So I'm giving this bug one more day to go away, and then that's it. No more.

The doctor gave me cough syrup with codeine so I could sleep. Man, she was NOT kidding. I take this stuff, and the next thing I know, it's three hours later and I've been drooling. Unbelievable. I can't work and take this stuff at the same time. Heck, I can't take this stuff and drive.

So, I'll pound the cough syrup and get lots of rest today and tonight, and tomorrow it's back to work with over-the-counter meds. And I'll save the good stuff for the evenings so I can get quality sleep at night.

The Tree in our Backyard

The beautiful fall colors make me smile, but the smell of winter in the air makes me sigh. Ah, well. Such is the circle of life. Spring is right around the corner.

Which means Summer's comin'! :D

Another Sick Day

I survived Ian's birthday party with help from my friends. I think I drank an entire pitcher of Pepsi myself and inhaled about 15 cough drops just so I could talk. My sinuses are killing me, I have no voice left to speak of, and my head is going to explode.

I have already called in sick to work for Monday, and it's off to the doctor I go!

Sick Day

Who knew that making toast could take so much energy? I'm going to take another nap!

I've got a wicked sore throat, hacking cough, nausea and no energy. {heavy sigh} Of course, Ian is feeling much better! I think he should take care of me today. :D

Actually, this bug has a deadline. Ian's birthday party is coming up, and I MUST be better for that!

The Traffic Camera (A Joke from My Brother)

A man was driving through town, when he saw the flash of a traffic camera. He figured that his picture had been taken for exceeding the limit, even though he knew that he was not speeding... Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. Now he began to think that this was quite funny, so he drove even slower as he passed the area again, but the traffic camera again flashed.

He tried a fourth time with the same result. He did this a fifth time and was now laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past, this time at a snail's pace...

Two weeks later, he got five tickets in the mail for driving without a seat belt.

You just can't fix stupid.

For Miss Sue

Ian and our paralegal, Sue, hit it off just great. Ian loves her almost as much as he loves Miss Joni!

I love you, Mommy.

I love you, too, honey.

Mommy, I have love for Miss Sue, too. Not as much as for you, but I love her, too.

That's nice, honey. I like her, too!

Why hasn't she been at work?

Well, she has been really sick. She has asthma, which makes it really hard for her to breathe sometimes.

Oh. Are her cats okay?

Yes, honey. Her cats are fine.

Okay.

And with that, he curls up and goes to sleep. What a kid. I just love him. :)

And now...Blackjack?

So Ian thinks he knows all there is to know about playing Texas Hold 'Em and Poker, and now he wants me to teach him how to play Blackjack. What is it with this kid and gambling? He didn't get that from MY side of the family! :D

Tristan

Here is my beautiful, gorgeous, absolutely wonderful Grand Nephew, His Royal Highness Tristan of Seattle! He is currently in charge in Jeff and Kaia's home, and with that smile, who's arguing? :D

Just a little down today...

I've had a few really bad days.

Thursday night, Ian was in aikido as normal, when Sheila threw him (as she was supposed to do), but he came down wrong. He is usually so dramatic when something even minor happens that I didn't believe he was really hurt.

Friday, after spending the day between the pediatrician, radiologist, and orthopedic specialist, we discover he has a Salter-Harris Type II fracture of his fifth toe. This basically means he broke the growth plate. (Wow, did I feel guilty for not believing him.) The doctor said if he doesn't injure it anymore, wears a firm shoe, no gym or aikido, no running, no jumping, no kick ball, etc., he'll be fine. If he dislocates it further, he will require surgery - the kind that involves instrumentation. {heavy sigh} The doctor told me to try to keep him off of it for a couple weeks. I laughed and said, "Doc! He's 8!" He laughed too. Wonder if he has kids. 8-year-old boys don't sit still for long.

And because I think it's fun to torture myself, Saturday I used the opportunity presented by Ian laying on the couch all day to clean his room. I took four trash bags of stuff out of there - the kid is a packrat! I think he kept every single paper he did last year in school. He told me he is keeping a few of his broken toys "for the memories". And he certainly hasn't been doing all his laundry. I found most of my towels, and he now has only six socks with no matches. Ah, well. He's 8.

Work has been tough, too. The lady I work with is out sick, and as usual, these things happen at the worst possible time. The boss is gearing up for trial, and I am so slogged under I don't even want to get up in the morning. Motivational issues, I guess. I'm just trying to keep all the balls in the air until she comes back and things return to relatively normal. I can't wait until they get the mold cleaned up in the basement (where my office is). That mildewy smell in my clothes is sickening, and I'm going through Kleenex like crazy. Hopefully the clean-up will happen this week.

It's been a bad week for some of our clients, too. Most of them just don't realize how difficult it is for me to listen to the injuries - me, who doesn't do blood. I am totally in the wrong business. I feel so bad for people who get hurt, and some days it is really hard for me not to get down. I always remember to smile as I pick up the phone and say hello, because I know that the person on the other end has much bigger problems than I have ever experienced, and they certainly don't need to hear grumpy. If things get bad, I view a slide show in my brother's pbase site, and I feel better. This link goes to my favorite section: http://www.pbase.com/michaeltabor/places. It's like taking a mental stroll through an art museum.

Ian will have to go to work with me tomorrow. It is his class' field trip day, and because of his foot, he can't go. They are going to Mumford, and it is a walking tour. He is NOT happy, and giving me a wee bit of a hard time because of it. I keep telling him, this isn't for forever, but for now, he's got to stay off that foot. But he's 8.

Top it all off with the fact that I smelled winter in the air this morning, and baseball playoffs have started - which means the end of summer.

Hmm. I seem to be feeling a bit bluesy now. Time to check out that pbase site again.

Thank goodness for big brothers. :)

And things will get better again. I'm just in a slump. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Ridiculous!

All right. Just between us normal people, haven't our local retail establishments gone just a little overboard with the bonus card thing?



Michael said...

My wallet is a full three quarters of an inch thick because every business I deal with makes me carry some kind of effing card under threat of extortion - if you don't have our card, we will charge you 10% more. Because we can.

Serena said...

I have them alphabetized on that key ring so I can find the one I need when I need it. What kills me is the stores that don't offer the key card, so I have no choice but to carry an extra card. Ugh.

Poker

"You went all in on That hand? What were you hoping for in the flop?"

"Nothin'. I was just blushing."