The Peace Globe Movement

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"All we are saying is give peace a chance ... "

Mimi Lenox of Mimi Writes sent out an email awhile ago about the latest Peace Globe Movement in the Blogosphere that is due to take place on June 6, 2007. In her email she invited anyone and everyone, regardless of political or religious beliefs, to sign a Peace Globe and add it to the ever growing number that have already been signed and posted on many, many blogs of all types and topics. I have visited many blogs that sport a Peace Globe on their sidebars and am sure that there will be many more to follow.

Ex-military though I may be, I do support World Peace and oftentimes wonder why, in the words of Rodney King, "can't we all just get along?" Why does someone always want what someone else has?, why does someone who is a bully and tyrant always want to be in charge?, why does there seem to be so much hate? Sometimes I just don't get it.

I decided that I definitely wanted to participate when, as Mimi put it, "We will storm Blogland again with Peace Globes and identical post titles on June 6, 2007. The goal is to get as many blog owners as possible blogging about world peace on the same day and displaying their signed globes from all parts of the world saying the same thing in the title - Dona Nobis Pacem - translated from Latin to English "Grant Us Peace."

To do that all I had to do was get a Peace Globe, put my name and/or a message on it, ship it off to Mimi, and then post it on my blog. Easy enough, right? Well - not quite. I have the artistic talents of a rutabaga so I asked my very artistic daughter to help me out with this as she has PhotoShopping skills second to none. However, trying to get her to take the time out from doing her own designs and drawings was akin to trying to pull my own teeth! Finally after much nagging (as she put it) and cajoling, she was able to fit me into her busy schedule and came up with the below Peace Globe:


I shall proudly display this on my sidebar and on June 6th will place it in a post with other bloggers all across the globe when "voices" all across the Blogosphere will cry out with the same message at the same time - Dona Nobis Pacem - Grant Us Peace! Maybe if enough people at the same time say the same thing the rest of the world will listen and something good will come of it!

Please join us if you haven't already!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - "Water"

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This is the Feng Shui water element that I built a few years back when I was attempting to get my house "balanced". A friend of mine in California had brought the elephant out for me as a gift one year because she knew that I liked elephants and collected various types of them.

I wasn't really sure what to do with it for quite some time and then when I was reading a book on Feng Shui, I decided it would make the perfect water element for the southwest corner of the house which is supposed to be my relationship corner. I figured it might do better than the coat rack that had previously stood in its place!

Well ... it hasn't improved my relationship status but it makes for a very nice conversation piece!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Participants

1. Becci-PowersTwinB 2. Lazy Daisy 3. tray 4. Connie 5. Autumn 6. maiylah 7. Biker Betty 8. letha 9. Barbara H. 10. Tara 11. Crystal 12. Friday\'s Child 13. Eph2810 14. Gattina 15. pelf 16. Dragonheart 17. lulu

18. Chelle & Chel 19. Amazing Gracie 20. Misslionheart 21. Daisy 22. Coonie 23. chupieandjsmama 24. Patricia 25. Jamie 26. Not Quite Crunchy Parent 27. Beckie 28. pat 29. Gewels 30. Claire Rachael Pitt 31. Ma 32. It\'s A Blog Eat Blog World 33. meeyauw 34. Rach

35. srp 36. Bobbie 37. empress bee (of the high sea) 38. Coffee 2 go 39. expatraveler 40. Arlene 41. TorAa 42. Amy 43. CrAzY Working Mom 44. Lynn 45. Leslie @ My Mommy\'s Place 46. Teena in Toronto 47. Barbara 48. Twisted Cinderella

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We interrupt our regularly scheduled program ...

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What We Call the News |Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

The good folks over at JibJab have come up with yet another funny spoof on life in these United States with their latest video, "What We Call The News". For those of us who grew up watching the evening news with anchors like Walter Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, and Howard K. Smith, men that we felt we could trust to tell us the truth, it's now just totally mind-boggling as to who's not only reporting the news but what passes as news.

I swear, if I have to hear one more lead story that involves Britney Spears or Anna Nicole Smith (God rest her soul), I am going to scream or throw something at the TV! These people are not news - these people are entertainment icons that belong on the entertainment magazine shows that were made specifically so that people who cared could get caught up on the who, what, when, where, how, and why of Hollywood. I, personally, am one of the people in this country who does not give a hoot if Britney Spears booked herself into rehab and then left again the next day or how Anna Nicole Smith died or what fight Donald and Rosie are currently embroiled in.

What I do care about is what is going on in the world or in the country or even in my own State that might somehow affect me. Nothing that Britney or Donald or Rosie will ever do is going to affect my life one iota unless, of course, The Donald wants to feel sorry for a poor single mother like myself who can't make ends meet despite working hordes of overtime and sends me a check for $1 million. Yeah - right! Now THAT would be news!

Maybe it's just me that thinks that priorities need to be straightened out when it comes to what qualifies as news these days but somehow I doubt it.

Anyone beg to differ?

Forecast for the Upcoming Month

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Just for fun I thought I'd post the Chinese Astrology Forecast for April 5 2007 - May 5 2007. Find your year and see what lays in wait for you for the upcoming month!

The Rat

• 18 February 1912 - 5 February 1913
• 5 February 1924 - 23 January 1925
• 24 January 1936 - 10 February 1937
• 10 February 1948 - 28 January 1949
• 28 January 1960 - 14 February 1961
• 15 February 1972 - 2 February 1973
• 2 February 1984 - 19 February 1985
• 19 February 1996 - 6 February 1997

Be careful when eating out this April, Rat - chances are, you may be susceptible to food poisoning! You will be better off cooking your own meals at home this month. Aside from this, the Rat person must also be super-careful when signing any legal tenders and documents - you should even seriously consider the assistance of a lawyer if you are unsure. This is because legal problems are potentially afoot for the Rat this April.

Rat people born in 1960 will find themselves a little antagonistic with others, therefore remember to practice lots of patient. Whereas for those born in 1984, curb your spend-happy tendencies this April!

The Ox

• 6 February 1913 - 25 January 1914
• 24 January 1925 - 12 February 1926
• 11 February 1937 - 30 January 1938
• 29 January 1949 - 16 February 1950
• 15 February 1961 - 4 February 1962
• 3 February 1973 - 22 January 1974
• 20 February 1985 - 8 February 1986
• 7 February 1997 - 27 January 1998

This month may see you a little sickly and out of sorts - this is due to hectic work schedules, as well as some disappointments that may affect you negatively. Get on your feet double-quick and stay on the course, Ox! This is not the time to give up easily. Backpedal your progress to see where you went wrong, and always try, try again.

Ox people born in 1949 must be careful of injuries to their limbs this month.

The Tiger

• 26 January 1914 - 13 February 1915
• 13 February 1926 - 1 February 1927
• 31 January 1938 - 18 February 1939
• 17 February 1950 - 5 February 1951
• 5 February 1962 - 24 January 1963
• 23 January 1974 - 10 February 1975
• 9 February 1986 - 28 January 1987
• 28 January 1998 - 15 February 1999

Tiger, it's going to be a good Wealth month for you this April! You will enjoy lots of opportunities to work on your income, and this is also a month for you to be a little more extroverted with yourself - this will do wonders this April, Tiger. Though this is the case, your colleagues and friends may resent your showing off a little, so keep in mind to treat them extra-special this month!

Tiger people born in 1950 must practice plenty of patience with the underlings at home and at the office, whereas those born in 1974 should steer clear away from high risk investments.

The Rabbit

• 29 January 1903 - 15 February 1904
• 14 February 1915 - 2 February 1916
• 2 February 1927 - 22 January 1928
• 19 February 1939 - 7 February 1940
• 6 February 1951 - 26 January 1952
• 25 January 1963 - 12 February 1964
• 11 February 1975 - 30 January 1976
• 29 January 1987 - 16 February 1988
• 16 February 1999 - 4 February 2000

Minimize the idle chatter and work extra hard this April, Rabbit, since indulging in gossip this month may backfire! This is also a time for you to lay low since you may unfortunately experience some setbacks. Keeping to yourself and maintaining smooth progress will be very beneficial for you this month.

Rabbit people born in 1975 may be caught in a bizarre love triangle that will cause heartbreak, so be careful of third parties this month.

The Dragon

• 16 February 1904 - 3 February 1905
• 3 February 1916 - 22 January 1917
• 23 January 1928 - 9 February 1929
• 8 February 1940 - 26 January 1941
• 27 January 1952 - 13 February 1953
• 13 February 1964 - 1 February 1965
• 31 January 1976 - 17 February 1977
• 17 February 1988 - 5 February 1989
• 5 February 2000 - 23 January 2001

Dragon, try to keep away from eating out this April, since there is a possibility for you to be attacked by stomach flu! You must also refrain from speculative investments and the like. Aside from both of this, it's a good month for you, Dragon.

Dragon people born in 1952 must practice loads of diplomacy in the work place this month, whereas Dragons born in 1964 must do the same, but at home!

The Snake

• 4 February 1905 - 24 January 1906
• 23 January 1917 - 10 February 1918
• 10 February 1929 - 29 January 1930
• 27 January 1941 - 14 February 1942
• 14 February 1953 - 2 February 1954
• 2 February 1965 - 20 January 1966
• 18 February 1977 - 6 February 1978
• 6 February 1989 - 26 January 1990
• 24 January 2001 - 11 February 2002

Snake, stay away from speculative financial investments this April since losses are in the cards for you! Aside from this, everything is smooth running for the charming Snake, especially love-wise. Now is a good time to set off on romantic escapades, but be careful - short tempers are possible, so keep yourself in good cheer at all times.

Snake people born in 1989 must practice a lot of patience with friends and family members this month, since they may inadvertently antagonize you month-long.

The Horse

• 25 January 1906 - 12 February 1907
• 11 February 1918 - 31 January 1919
• 30 January 1930 - 16 February 1931
• 15 February 1942 - 4 February 1943
• 3 February 1954 - 23 January 1955
• 21 January 1966 - 8 February 1967
• 7 February 1978 - 27 January 1979
• 27 January 1990 - 14 February 1991
• 12 February 2002 - 31 January 2003

Horse, if you're planning to cash in on the month of April, do reconsider and you're your money safe for the time being - this is due to the possibility of you losing your investments. If you are currently making a nice profit, you will need to pull the plug now rather than sit on it to see if your funds will double!

Horse people born in 1990 will have to control quick tempers this month - if you feel your good nature suddenly taking a turn downwards in a blink of an eye, simply close your eyes and count to ten. You will be able to control your fiery urges this way!

The Goat

• 13 February 1907 - 1 February 1908
• 1 February 1919 - 19 February 1920
• 17 February 1931 - 5 February 1932
• 5 February 1943 - 24 January 1944
• 24 January 1955 - 11 February 1956
• 9 February 1967 - 29 January 1968
• 28 January 1979 - 15 February 1980
• 15 February 1991 - 3 February 1992
• 1 February 2003 - 21 January 2004

Academic luck is on a high for you this month, therefore Goat people in the midst of exams should definitely capitalize on this good luck period! But, if you are in the middle of making decisions on investments, I would strongly urge you to postpone it to the next month. Aside from this, if you're looking for self-improvement courses and classes, now is the time!

Goat people born in 1979 must be careful when playing sports this month as you may be injured. Goats born in 1991 may have some sleeping problems this month.

The Monkey

• 2 February 1908 - 21 January 1909
• 20 February 1920 - 7 February 1921
• 6 February 1932 - 25 January 1933
• 25 January 1944 - 12 February 1945
• 12 February 1956 - 30 January 1957
• 30 January 1968 - 16 February 1969
• 16 February 1980 - 4 February 1981
• 4 February 1992 - 22 January 1993
• 22 January 2004 - 8 February 2005

The Monkey will have a wonderful time this month, social-wise! But, be careful of your expenditures during these outings, Monkey - and don't go overboard, too! You must be careful of exhaustion due to your hectic partying schedule this month.

Monkey people born in 1944 should avoid making any kind of investment this month, just to be on the safe side.

The Rooster

• 22 January 1909 - 9 February 1910
• 8 February 1921 - 27 January 1922
• 26 January 1933 - 13 February 1934
• 13 February 1945 - 1 February 1946
• 31 January 1957 - 17 February 1958
• 17 February 1969 - 5 February 1970
• 5 February 1981 - 24 January 1982
• 23 January 1993 - 9 February 1994

You will be easily distracted by social and entertainment activities this month, perhaps to avoid troubles at home or just to blow off work pressure. Better to spend the time resting than partying every night, Rooster! But, aside from this, your Wealth luck will be quite good.

Rooster people born in 1945 should avoid any financial transactions involving friends or relatives this month.

The Dog

• 10 February 1910 - 29 January 1911
• 28 January 1922 - 15 February 1923
• 14 February 1934 - 3 February 1935
• 2 February 1946 - 21 January 1947
• 18 February 1958 - 7 February 1959
• 6 February 1970 - 26 January 1971
• 25 January 1982 - 12 February 1983
• 10 February 1994 - 30 January 1995

The month of April sees the Dog experiences lots of changes! There is a possibility of you moving into a new home, or perhaps even switching jobs. It will be a little disquieting at first, but ultimately you will be able to adapt to this new situation at hand. You may experience some temper flare-ups, but if you control your emotions all will go well. Remember to practice some level of compromise and do maintain harmony.

Dog people born in 1994 may find they are often ill this month.

The Pig

• 30 January 1911 - 17 February 1912
• 16 February 1923 - 4 February 1924
• 4 February 1935 - 23 January 1936
• 22 January 1947 - 9 February 1948
• 8 February 1959 - 27 January 1960
• 27 January 1971 - 14 February 1972
• 13 February 1983 - 1 February 1984
• 31 January 1995 - 18 February 1996

Pig, legal matters must not be regarded lightly - if you have to look through or sign any legal documents, make sure you seek professional advice or have them scrutinized by a lawyer before you commit yourself. There is a strong possibility of legal hassles so obey the law and stay on the straight and narrow, even on the road!

Pig people born in 1959 should be careful of sports injuries this month.

Tids and Bits

First off, let me apologize for my lack of writing ability this week. I miss a couple of days and it seems that I have forgotten how to string two sentences together to form a coherent thought! I guess that will teach me to mess up my back and throw off my blogging schedule! Next time I'll have to try blogging while taking the Flexerel and Vicodin - who knows? It might be my best post ever!

While writing this, I have the latest American Idol results show on the idiot box for background noise and I just have to ask - what in the blue hell is wrong with the people in this country that a guy who can't carry a tune in a bucket is still sitting on the stage while other people are facing the axe? Yes, that's right, I mean Sunjaya - he of the very strange hair style and lousy vocals. Why he isn't in the bottom three is totally beyond me other than it just goes to show that despite what Simon Cowell proclaims, this is NOT a singing competition!

Last year Amanda and I watched every show but this year I couldn't tell you who all of the contestants were if you offered me a very large sum of money (which I could really use, by the way!). With the exception of Melinda Doolittle and the rocker-chick-girl who I like but doesn't have a snowball's chance in the Sahara Desert of winning the thing, there really isn't anybody very memorable at all. Even when I have it on, I don't watch it because I just could not care less. Big. Yawn.

Moving on ...

While catching up on my blog reading earlier tonight I was over at Dayngrous Discourse and came across a post of hers where you could find out what sort of "bloglebrity" you are. "To be an A-List Bloglebrity on the Internet, it’s all about the amount of link love you can score" so to find out how you score just click here. Like Dayngr before me, I'm a "B List" blogger and am now proudly sporting my new button somewhere down there on my sidebar! I rather doubt that I could ever be an "A List" blogger as I just have neither the time or the energy to devote to such an endeavor but I know some people that I think might qualify!

Continuing on ...

For those who are interested, I went to see my orthopedic doctor today (a very handsome gentleman with a most lovely British accent!) about my recent back issues and lingering leg pain. Even though my back has been feeling a'ight, I've been having quite a bit of pain down my right leg and around my right ankle that is all too familiar from two years ago so I was expecting to hear the worst. After taking some x-rays and a lot of poking, prodding, and walking around the room on my heels and toes, the doc told me that he thinks it might be just a minor flare-up that will ease with time. Whew! I was really sweating him telling me that I needed another MRI and with my insurance having a $250 deductible, I was already trying to figure out which bill I wasn't going to be paying!

I was sent home with a prescription for Neurontin (for nerve pain) and orders to do some light stretching to see if that helps ease the lingering pain. I'll be going back in two weeks for a follow-up consult and hopefully things will have straightened themselves out by then. Anyone who wishes to light a candle, send up a prayer, or cross their fingers for me are more than welcome to do so!

And finally ...

I am WAY behind on this but I thought it worth mentioning ... back on March 20th, I had my blog reviewed by Billy Mac over at Critique My Blog and he said some very nice things. In it he linked back to the very first post that I did for this blog and even I went back to read it because I had definitely forgotten what I had written all those months ago! Sometimes it seems like I started this just yesterday rather than over 230 posts ago!

It appears that time really does fly!

Wordless Wednesday - Come On Spring!

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Something to think about next time you're at the bank

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I'm still not feeling entirely up to snuff (wow, do these old sayings of mine really show my age!) so in lieu of not posting anything at all, I submit to you the following that I received from a friend in a recent email. Any of you ladies recognize yourself in this?? ...

MALE VS. FEMALE AT THE ATM MACHINE

MALE PROCEDURE:

Drive up to the cash machine.
Put down car window.
Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
Retrieve card, cash, and receipt.
Put window up.
Drive off.

FEMALE PROCEDURE:

Drive up to cash machine.
Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
Set parking brake, put the window down.
Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.
Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
Attempt to insert card into machine.
Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
Insert card.
Re-insert card the right way.
Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
Enter PIN.
Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
Enter amount of cash required.
Check makeup in rear view mirror.
Retrieve cash and receipt.
Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
Re-check makeup.
Drive forward 2 feet.
Reverse back to cash machine.
Retrieve card.
Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
Restart stalled engine and pull off.
Redial person on cell phone.
Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
Release Parking Brake.

The Lost Weekend or My Adventures NOT in Shangra-La

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As Mark Twain once said, "The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated" or - better yet - to quote from one of my favorite movies, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "I'm not dead! I'm getting better!" Least ways I feel better and am finally back on my feet despite, or maybe in spite of, a few grim prognoses from some of the people that I work with who were circling around the potential overtime my absence would produce like vultures around a bit of carrion!

For those of you out there who have also suffered from the occasional bad back and know what it's like to be totally incapacitated for days at a time, I think you understand what I mean about how you feel when you are finally once again able to get up and walk around like a normal human being, albeit a bit more gingerly! Perhaps it's not quite like Lazarus arising from the dead or the mythical Phoenix bird making a glorious return from the fire and ashes but it's pretty darned close as far I'm concerned!

Even though my back isn't feeling 100% (and probably never will!) I am beyond glad to be out of bed for several reasons; first and foremost is the fact that there really is such a thing as too much of a good thing and too much time in bed is one of them (hey, hey, get your minds out of the gutter!). After awhile there is absolutely no comfortable position that one can attain and what's even more discouraging is knowing that you can't even stand up or sit to alleviate some of the stiffness of laying in bed for too long. Normally bed is a place of comfort and refuge but after several days it becomes a place of torture!

One of the other reasons I'm glad to be mobile again is the fact that Amanda, bless her heart, is one of the world's worst caregivers. Ever. From the time she got home from school on Friday and asked me why on earth I was still in bed to yesterday afternoon when I was finally able to limp down the stairs, not once did that child ask me if I needed something to eat or drink! At one point I did ask her for some toast and you would have thought I had asked her to go on a quest to bring me back the Holy Grail itself (sorry, Monty Python reference again!)

The child could not have heaved a heavier sigh or rolled her eyes higher and for a lousy piece of toast no less! Can you imagine if I had asked for something more?? Nope, I definitely do not see a career in nursing ahead for her!

There were actually three teenagers in the house at various times that could have lent a hand or two as Amanda had Dan and Nicole over visiting but sadly, they appear to be heading down the same career path as Amanda and not one of them is going to be a CNA or home health aide!

At one point on Saturday, I awoke from one of my drug-induced states to see the three of them standing at the foot of the bed looking down on me with grim expressions on their faces while they just stared. "Wow, you look awful" was their pronouncement before they turned and fled back downstairs to take up where they had left off with their PS2 game while I contemplated what the purpose of their visit had been. Briefly I wondered if that was how Scrooge had felt when the three ghosts came to visit him before I remembered that they didn't all show up at once and then I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Last but not least, I am happy to be back on my feet because I was able to go back to work and put in the hours needed to earn that coveted paycheck that I can't live without. I had really wanted to get back to work yesterday but after attempting to get on my feet and ambulate more than ten feet yesterday morning, I knew it was a lost cause. Had I actually made it into work one of my 911 conversations may well have gone:

Me: American Ambulance, what is the address of your emergency?
Caller: I don't feel good at all, I really need an ambulance over here.
Me: You don't feel good? Ha! Let me tell you how I feel!

Nope, calling out and staying in bed for another day really seemed to be the wiser choice as far as my career was concerned!

Anyhow, all that aside, I am happy to be on the road to recovery and because I'm afraid this is a path I may very well find myself traveling down again, I have made an appointment to go see my orthopedic doctor on Wednesday to see what the discs in my back are doing - other than mashing some nerves that don't need to be mashed!

I just hope the next time I find myself feeling like I've been run over by a truck that my youngest daughter Jamie is here because she possesses the nursing skills her older sister doesn't and I might actually be able to get some tea and toast with a lot less hassle!

Finally, to all those who left me words of encouragement and well wishes on this blog, I want to say a very sincere and heartfelt thank you. Your caring and concern really meant a lot to me and I was touched by all of your comments and words of support. For those who might think that the Blogosphere is an impersonal space inhabited by those people who are merely out to tell their own stories and don't give a thought to anyone else, let me just say that couldn't be further from the truth. I have "met" some of the kindest, most caring, sincere people I could ever hope to meet through these electronic pages.

P.S., Kathy - thank you for the kind offer to take the kids to the concert, I know that would be quite the sacrifice for you and if I'm laid up again in May, I will keep that in mind! Also, no, I don't have that poster yet which is too bad because it would have given me something good to look at while I was lying captive hoping for a small crust of toast and a sip of tea!

P.S.S., I plan to get around to everyone's blogs that I've missed very soon! I'm sure I've got a lot of reading to catch up on!

I may be gone for a bit

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Why is that just about the time that I think things are going well, something comes along out of the blue and totally derails that particular thought? I would imagine that there is one of Murphy's Laws floating around out there somewhere that applies but right now I'm probably on too many drugs to really remember what it might be.

As some of you may or not know, I had some major back issues just about two years ago to the day that put me out of commission for several months with some of the worst pain of my entire life. This pain was so bad that I wouldn't have even wished it on my ex-husband! After a series of steroid epidural injections in the Spring, I eventually had lumbar back surgery in August of 2005 which seemed to repair the problem. Of course, since then I have been scared to death that I'm going to sneeze or move the wrong way or something and cause a relapse.

Last night when I went to bed, I had a minor backache that didn't really seem to be much of anything but when it came time to try to get out of bed this morning - not possible. The small ache in my lower back had turned into a full blown ache starting in my lower back and traveling down both of my legs. Oh boy ...

I managed to hobble downstairs and take a Flexerel and Ultracet (leftovers from two years ago that, thankfully, haven't expired yet) and then I worked my way back upstairs and into bed where I have been since then. I have no idea when I'm going to be able to get back out of bed again as just a simple trip to the bathroom is cause for excruciating pain and I'm in no great hurry to inflict that upon myself. Call me a wuss if you'd like but I don't do real well with pain and try to avoid it whenever possible.

I am hoping that this backache can be attributed to weather patterns (I think there's a storm moving in) or something simple that will clear itself up soon as I can't think of anything that I've done that would cause my back to go out on me again. Granted, once you have herniated discs, you always have herniated discs and no doubt they'll flare up once in awhile so I can only hope that's what this is and nothing more serious than that.

In the meantime, even though I have the laptop and can get on-line, I don't plan on doing a whole lot with it because the medications that I'm taking make me kind of fuzzy around the edges so I'm posting now to say that I may not be posting again anytime soon. I'm definitely sure I won't be doing tomorrow's Photo Hunt but if I'm not feeling too loopy, I will try to get around to a few other people's pages.

Anyhow, just wanted to let folks now what's up (not me!) if I don't have the chance to post in awhile or come by to visit your pages.

Everyone else take care and hopefully I'll be feeling better soon!

Newton's Laws of Motion As They Relate to Getting Up in the Mornings!

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I'm not the Science expert in my household - Amanda is much better at it then I ever could hope to be as she is, after all, taking Honors Science at NFA and doing quite well with it. As a matter of fact, I simply took the requisite science courses I needed in school and that was it. Lately, though, I've been giving some thought to a few things of a scientific nature.

These thoughts mostly occur to me when I've swatted the 'snooze' button on the alarm several times and am trying to talk myself into getting out of bed before I'm late for work. In particular, I have been thinking about Newton's "Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis", or Laws of Motion. Newton's First Law of Motion, the Law of Inertia, states that:

"Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it."

The key point here is that if there is no force acting on an object, or if all the external forces cancel each other out, then the object will maintain a constant velocity (speed of motion). If that velocity is zero, then the object remains at rest. Translated that means that if I simply hit the 'snooze' alarm every nine minutes and make no effort to swing my feet over the side of the bed and propel myself in the general direction of the bedroom door, I am not going anywhere! In other words, objects at rest tend to remain at rest!

Once I finally do swing my feet over the side of the bed and start towards the door, I should be able to continue that forward momentum unless there is a force applied in the opposite direction to slow me down. I think what that means is that if I turn around and look at the warm, cozy bed that I just left it could compel me to move backwards and I could find myself climbing back into bed and once again becoming an "object at rest". I believe this is what Newton meant but, again, I am not the scientific one in the family!

After I've actually managed to accelerate myself out of bed, which generally occurs after much mental cajoling, Newton's Second Law of Motion, the Law of Dynamics, comes into play:

"The acceleration of an object of constant mass is proportional to the force acting upon it."

This law concerns force and what causes objects to move and involves a lot of Calculus, another subject that I am not well versed in! Acceleration is the changing velocity of an object when a force is applied to it. According to Newton's Second Law, for an object (me) with a constant mass (weight) to be accelerated requires an external force be applied for the velocity to change. This is the scientific equation of F=m*a or a = F/m.

I believe what this means in relation to my getting out of bed and staying out of bed, is that the smell of freshly brewing coffee (a force) will get me (the object) to move more quickly (velocity) away from the bed. Scientifically speaking, it would be helpful for me to set the automatic coffee maker at night to start brewing coffee at about the same time the alarm clock is set to go off so that the smell of the coffee will help propel me away from the bed once I've managed to climb out of the thing and started heading towards the door.

Which then brings me to Newton's Third Law of Motion, the Law of Reciprocal Actions or the Action-Reaction Law:

"Whenever one body exerts force upon a second body, the second body exerts an equal and opposite force upon the first body."

Now I haven't quite got this one figured out as to how it relates to my being able to get out the door in order to get to work on time but what I think it might mean is that the caffeine reacts on my state of wakefulness and my state of wakefulness in turn pushes me out the door in the general direction of work. In other words, the caffeine acts and my body reacts. At least that's the closest I can come to figuring all of this out!

So who says you don't use Science in real life? I use it every single morning when I have the great debate with myself on how long I can prolong the inevitable process of getting up and going to work! My high school Science teacher would be so proud - and yet - so disappointed! Perhaps I should leave the Science to Amanda?

Wordless Wednesday - Need I Say More?

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In the beginning ...

I "borrowed" this from The Fire Insider, the blog of one of my friends and former dispatch partners. I told Boukie I was going to re-post it on my blog and he didn't protest so I hope he doesn't mind! Besides, he left us at American to go work at QV Dispatch and we haven't seen him since so I'm not too worried that he'll hunt me down and chastise me severely but if he does at least it will give us a chance to say hi and get caught up other than the times he calls to request a paramedic intercept!

"... In the beginning God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, with green, yellow and red vegetables of all kinds so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Dairy Queen Ice Cream and Magnums. And Satan said, "You want hot fudge with that? And Man said, "Yes!" And Woman said, "I'll have one too with chocolate chips". And lo, they gained 10 pounds.

And God created the healthy yogurt so that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 12 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad". And Satan presented Blue Cheese dressing and garlic croutons on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them". And Satan brought forth deep fried coconut king prawns, butter-dipped lobster chunks, and chicken fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man's cholesterol went through the roof.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition. Then Satan peeled off the healthy skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds.

God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan came forth with a cable T.V. with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.

Then God gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and the 99 cent double cheeseburger. Then Satan said, "You want fries with that?" and Man replied, "Yes, And super size 'em". And Satan said, "It is good." And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed ........ and created quadruple by-pass surgery. And then Satan chuckled, and created the National Health Service ..."

So you wanna be a rock star?

Things to do on a Sunday afternoon when you're bored ...

Amanda decided that she was going to spend some time this afternoon taking some new pictures for her MySpace page but before she posted them a friend mentioned that she never posts any in which she's actually smiling but that they were all rather serious. I've noticed this myself but when you're going for the misunderstood-teenage-wanna-be-artist type I suppose that smiling is out of the question!

Not wanting people to think she had bad teeth or anything, and in an effort to appease her friends, Amanda decided to take a picture or two complete with a smile. The way the pictures came out, it was easy to see that she wasn't exactly comfortable smiling for the camera - especially when she was taking the pictures herself!

Before posting the pictures on MySpace, she IM'd a copy off to her friend in Michigan with the disclaimer of "I look stoopid, that's why I don't smile!" Her friend immediately IM'd her back with the response, "wow, you look like Gerard!"* Amanda didn't believe her so Shelby sent her a picture of Gerard she had found on Deviant Art** to show her the comparison.

At that point I was called over to the computer for my expert opinion on the matter and all I can say is ... well ... I guess there is some similarity though I don't think Amanda looks quite as distressed as Gerard does!

Folks? Anyone want to weigh in on this one? Oh, and just for the record, Mom, Amanda knows I'm posting this and was curious what everyone else thought, too!


*for those who haven't been following this blog, that would be Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, Amanda's favorite band
**picture of Gerard with "akward" misspelling taken from the video "I Don't Love You" and deviated by myanimatedromance

Visual DNA

I filched this from Claire who fliched it from Ryan - feel free to flich it from me! As Claire would say, it's ace and spot-on so have a butchers and see if you aren't chuffed, too!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Maybe I shouldn't have missed that eye exam after all ...

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There are 9 people in this picture:

• If you find 6 your powers of observation are normal.
• If you find 7 or 8 your powers of observation are above average.
• If you find all 9 - Very intuitive - extremely observant.

I definitely need glasses or something as I had a deuce of a time getting past six until I picked up the computer and turned it this way and that for several minutes! Amanda, on the other hand, picked out all nine in no time flat!

How about you guys? How did you do?

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - "Drink"

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Grab the Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt code and play along!

This week's photo hunt theme is "Drink" and I decided I should go with the most popular drink in my household currently which is ... tea! There is nothing better on a cold March evening (or any cold evening come to think of it!) than a nice hot cup of tea.

This picture is of a teapot and matching mugs that was given to me by my Great Aunt Del when she was cleaning out her apartment not too long ago. I have a collection of teapots (18 as of last count) and there's always room for more! I also have quite the selection of teas and a lovely wooden tea chest that was given to me this past Christmas to keep them in.

Never let it be said that we are not civilized in this part of Connecticut! Or at least in my small part of it! Now everyone go enjoy their green beer or Irish whiskey or whatever you're raising a glass of to celebrate this St. Patrick's Day! I think I'll have a cup of Earl Grey - hot!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Participants

1. letha 2. Amazing Gracie 3. Bobbie 4. Claire Rachael Pitt 5. Barbara H. 6. Biker Betty 7. Ma 8. Stacy 9. tnchick 10. Amy in NY 11. michelle 12. eph2810 13. Friday\'s Child 14. meeyauw 15. srp

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The ABC's of Aging

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To those who have stopped by and said "hey! there's nothing new here!", I apologize for not having posted anything recently. Things have been a little crazy the past couple of days between the 16-hour shift that I worked on Wednesday to the 2-day class that turned into a 1-day marathon yesterday.

Another dispatcher and I were attending a work-related class in Meriden (about 50 miles from here) that was supposed to be both Thursday and Friday but because of the impending snow storm that now rages on outside, it was decided to do the entire class in one day so that we wouldn't have to drive in the snow. We began at 8:00 in the morning and finished up a little after 10:00 p.m. followed by a long trek back in weather that had become a rain/snow mix. I got home just before 12:00 so that didn't really leave me time to post anything before I literally passed out!

Today I'm relaxing a bit and trying to get caught up on the blogs that I like to read that I haven't had a chance to get to since Tuesday. However, I need to post something new here so that you're not all coming back to the same old stuff! To that end, I give you a new version of the alphabet that a friend of mine in North Carolina sent to me via email. It won't apply to some of you for a few years yet but for me - yep, this sadly sounds more than about right!

A is for apple, and B is for boat,
That used to be right, but now it won't float.
Age before beauty is what we once said,
But let's be a bit more realistic instead...

Now, A's for arthritis; B's the bad back,
C is for chest pains, perhaps cardiac.
D is for dental decay and decline;
E is for eyesight, can't read that top line.
F is for fissures and fluid retention,
G is for gas, which I'd rather not mention.
H is high blood pressure - I'd rather it low;
I for incisions with scars you can show.
J is for joints, out of socket, won't mend.
K is for knees that crack when they bend.
L for libido, what happened to sex?
M is for memory, I forget! What comes next?
N is neuralgia, in nerves way down low;
O is for osteo, the bones that don't grow!
P for prescriptions, I have quite a few,
Just give me a pill and I'll be good as new.
Q is for queasy, is it fatal or flu?
R for reflux, one meal turns to two.
S for sleepless nights, counting my fears.
T for tinnitus; there's bells in my ears.
U is for urinary; big troubles with flow;
V is for vertigo, that's "dizzy" you know.
W is for worry, NOW what's going round?
X is for X-ray, and what might be found.
Y is another year that I've left behind,
Z is for zest that I still have - in my mind!

I've survived all the symptoms, my body's deployed,
And I've kept twenty-six doctors fully employed!!
May your troubles be less, your blessings be more
And nothing but Happiness come through your door!!

Wordless Wednesday - Courtesy of Amanda aka the Art-Munkey!

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Wordless Wednesday Participants

1. CrAzY Working Mom 2. SargeCharlie 3. Rav`N 4. Friday\'s Child 5. karen (miscmum) 6. Dragonheart 7. Amber That Crazy Bloggin\' Canuck 8. letha 9. Shaz@UsDanes 10. Autofocused

11. jenny 12. Gattina 13. Brian aka hummingbunny 14. ~ Stacy ~ 15. Jamie 16. Claire Rachael Pitt 17. amy 18. Skittles 19. Donna 20. mar

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Shameless self-promotion (and how you can get your own!)

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Who knew that writing a blog could lead to such fame and fortune? Who knew that last sentence was written tongue-in-cheek?

Seriously, though, when I first began blogging I don't think I really knew what I was getting into. Even though it should have been obvious that there were going to be hundreds upon thousands of blogs out there on the World Wide Web I never realized just how many there actually were or how many of them were so good!

There are Mom blogs, military blogs, humor blogs, political blogs, religious blogs, scrapbooking blogs, photo blogs, music blogs, writing blogs, shopping blogs, blogs about blogs. ... the variety is endless! When someone called it The Blogosphere they weren't kidding because it really is universal. Through my computer I have been in touch with an astounding number of people from parts of the world that I never would have had contact with if I hadn't become a blogger. I tell you, there are times when it just "bloggles" the mind!

So with all of those other great blogs out there, how does one go about getting their little ole' blog noticed? Well, that would be where a blog like "5 minutes for mom" comes in. The blog is run by Susan and Janice, twin stay-at-home moms, who have dedicated their blog to "bringing Moms the best in blogging, shopping, parenting, and entertainment". In addition to producing a quality blog, they also have two Internet Shops that they run; "A Rocking Horse to Love" and "Your Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles Specialty Store".

One of the ways Susan and Janice help you to promote your own blog is by offering to list your blog on theirs. Each listing includes a photo, a description of your blog, and an interview with several links to various locations on your blog. They have an amazing list of blogs, and not just Mom blogs, but a very impressive list of all kinds of blogs. For more info on getting your blog listed click on this link and go see what Susan and Janice can do for you.

Now if you'll pardon me, I need to go wait for the phone to ring with my offer to fly out to Hollywood to go over the screenplay for the movie they're surely going to want to make based on my blog!

... excuse me, Mr. Demille, I'm ready for my close-up!

"So come one, come all to this tragic affair ..."

********************

I thought I would share one of the latest drawings that Amanda did this weekend (in addition to a quite passable big mouth bass that I would be happy to show off, too, but which is no longer in our possession - sorry, Claire!).

As established in Friday's post, Amanda is quite the fan of My Chemical Romance and this picture is one of her tributes to the band.

Of course now she's nagging at me that she wants a jacket like this one (yeah, for the low price of $86 plus $18 shipping and handling) ... I don't think so!!!

If you'd like to see more of Amanda's artwork, go check out her page on Deviant Art by clicking here.

Capulus rumpo ... iterum!*

********************

So … last Sunday I wrote a post about the number of fires that we have had in this part of the country this winter and the impact that it had on one of my days at work. This Sunday, I get to write a post about the fire that happened on the same road as my house and the impact it had on my day at home before I went into work yesterday!

After spending a good part of the morning looking at some great architecture (the theme for the Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt), I had just settled down on the couch with a cup of coffee and some toast while Amanda was in the dining room attempting to draw a picture of a large mouth bass, when we both heard what sounded like a very large truck go past the house. On a Saturday that’s fairly unusual because we live at the top of two very steep hills in the middle of a dead-end road and generally the only large trucks we get are the garbage man or the UPS guy during the week. Though it piqued my curiosity, it wasn’t enough to inspire me to get off the couch and look out the window.

Moments later, we heard what sounded like another large truck in front of the house and this time it was enough to pique my curiosity so I swallowed the last bite of my toast, put down my cup of coffee, and left my comfy spot on the couch to look outside. Imagine my surprise when I saw a fireman hooking up a hose to the hydrant in front of my house while a very large firetruck idled next to him! As Amanda might say – oh snap, son!

Sticking my head out the door, I noticed a very large cloud of thick black smoke coming from the house four doors down while a group of neighbors was gathering in the street. Two things immediately ran through my head – 1) I needed to move my car out of the way (I park pretty close to the hydrant) and 2) I needed to make sure everyone was okay (it’s that whole 911 dispatcher thing!). Of course, first I needed to throw on something more than my robe and slippers!

Looking towards the fire

Grabbing the closest clothes I could find (my work pants, a t-shirt, hoodie, and sneakers with no socks), I moved the car and then went to the gathering of people where one girl was kneeling on the ground and crying. After assessing that everyone had gotten out of the house and was okay, I joined the rest of the neighborhood in discussing what had happened while a multitude of firefighters continued to trudge up the hill.

I knew that an ambulance was enroute as Jen had called from work to make sure it wasn’t my house that was on fire but I was beginning to think that more than one might be needed as I watched the firefighters struggling up an extremely steep hill in full turnout gear with Scot packs strapped to their backs. Knowing how I feel walking up that hill with nothing strapped on my back, I was envisioning any number of heart attacks or incidents of respiratory distress!

Why were they walking up the hill rather than arriving on the back of a firetruck, you may well ask? Well, like I said, we live at the top of two very steep hills on a narrow dead-end road that doesn’t have room for a lot of fire apparatus; plus, there is only fire hydrant on the road. The next closest hydrant is down at the bottom of the main road so once an engine had hooked up to that and driven up the hill dropping hose behind it, there was no way that anyone else could drive over it and come up the hills. This meant that any other responding personnel (fire, police, and ambulance) had to park at the bottom and trek up on foot. And trust me – it is not a fun trek on the best of days!

Pretty soon I saw the ambulance crew arrive pushing the stretcher over the crest of the hill and my heart (and lungs) went out to them! One firefighter had been injured in a fall so they didn’t even have time to catch their breath before they needed to start patient treatment. After getting the injured party loaded onto the stretcher, they now had to start back down the hill which was probably going to prove even trickier because if the stretcher got away from them, the guy on it was going to have one wild ride and he’d have a lot more than an ankle injury to deal with!

At that point, I decided it was time to do more than stand around and talk with the neighbors and offered to carry some of the gear back down the hill to help out the ambulance crew. Due to the incline, I ended up not only carrying the gear but helping to hold the stretcher back until we got to the bottom of the second hill where the patient was loaded into an ambulance and sent to the hospital.

Not being in any great hurry to climb back up to my house, I stayed down on the main road for awhile talking with some of the cops I used to work with and the ambulance crew that was standing by at the scene should additional medical help be required. But I was just putting off the inevitable as I needed to be at work myself in just a little over an hour plus I had never finished my cup of coffee!

View from the bottom

Finally, having no other choice, I climbed back up the first hill and then took some time to catch my breath while I watched one of the engines backing down the hill and rolling hose up as they went. After a couple of moments I began the second part of my ascent and eventually reached the summit and wheezed my way back into the house. Amanda wasn’t having a whole lot of sympathy for me as she walks up those hills every school day while lugging a 20-pound backpack so she just smirked when I collapsed on the couch to finish my coffee. I can’t say that I blame her, had the role been reversed I probably would have done the same!

By the time I was ready to leave for work, almost all of the fire apparatus had left the area though there was one engine still at the scene doing overhaul. The fire could have been a lot worse than it was but the City of Norwich Fire Department had done a fine job getting it knocked down and extinguished before it engulfed the whole house.

Sadly, though, a single mom and her three children are now without a home as a result of a microwave oven spontaneously combusting. Still, it could have been so much worse. Which reminds me, I’ve got to call my insurance agent about that renter’s insurance we were discussing just last week …

If you're interested, you can read the article from The Norwich Bulletin about the fire here and for my more pics (including the firefighters climbing the hill!) click here.

*Translation: Coffee interrupted ... again!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt - "Architecture"

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Grab the Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt code and play along!

For this week's theme of architecture I have chosen the most prominent building on the campus of the Norwich Free Academy, where Amanda attends ninth grade. This building is the Slater Memorial Museum which houses not only the school's auditorium but also a museum and art gallery.

The building is named for John Fox Slater, a successful Norwich businessman and donor of the largest gift made to education in his day; the establishment of a $1-million fund "for the education of freed men" in 1882.

In 1884, the son of John Fox, William Slater, expressed an interest in finding a way to honor his distinguished father. It was suggested that a building for The Norwich Free Academy would be a tribute to his father's far-sighted gift of philanthropy, and to that end Mr. Slater provided $100,000 for its construction. The building was designed in the Richardsonian-Romanesque style by Worcester architect Stephen Earle.

"Meanwhile, the Academy's third principal, Dr. Robert Porter Keep, a noted Greek scholar, suggested the idea of creating a collection of plaster casts of some of the world's greatest sculptures for the new museum. On March 23, 1887, Edwin Robinson, then in charge of the classical collections for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, accepted Dr. Keep's offer to select, purchase and install a collection of Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Roman and Italian Renaissance casts in the museum. Robinson went on to become Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and now, more than 100 years later, the Slater cast collection is one of the three largest remaining in the United States." **

The Slater Memorial Museum is truly one of Norwich's finest buildings and is quite majestic during all seasons. Maybe one of these days I'll actually go to the museum part; Amanda tells me it's very interesting!

** excerpt from the Norwich Free Academy Museum/History

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Participants

1. srp 2. A. 3. GoofyJ 4. ribbiticus 5. bonggamom 6. jenny 7. Gattina 8. Larry 9. Chateau 10. Dragonheart 11. Coonie 12. viamarie 13. Daisy 14. pat 15. Lazy Daisy 16. Pollywog Creek 17. Caylynn 18. Bobbie 19. Friday\'s Child 20. smalltown RN 21. roman

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43. Mrs Lifecruiser 44. Lulu 45. meeyauw 46. Pastormac\'s Ann 47. superkimbo 48. PEA 49. Terri 50. chupieandjsmama 51. incog & nito 52. Chelsea 53. Autumn 54. CrAzY Working Mom 55. Michael - Lover of Amy 56. kailani 57. Frances 58. Melissa 59. mar 60. Sanni

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Amanda - This One's for You & Nicole ...

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My Chemical Romance

Growing up in my parents' home, if I wanted to listen to "my" music I was more than allowed to do so as long as it wasn't anywhere within hearing distance of my folks. The radio in the car didn't get switched over to what we kids might have wanted to listen to as it was my parents' car and that made it their radio. Hence I grew up listening to a lot of Johnny Cash, Slim Whitman, Jim Reeves, and the like. I'm not complaining - just stating a fact.

Amanda has no idea how lucky she is in that I not only let her listen to "her" music when I'm within earshot but I actually like some of the stuff that she listens to. Granted, I don't like all of it - Mindless Self Indulgence, H.I.M., Marilyn Manson, Korn all come to mind - but lately I have taken quite the liking to one of her favorites bands, My Chemical Romance.

My Chemical Romance (or MCR, My Chem, or The Black Parade as they've come to be known by their fans) is an alternative rock band from the great State of New Jersey (with the exception of drummer Bob Bryar who hails from Chicago). The band was formed a week after the 9/11 terror attacks by lead singer Gerard Way after he saw the planes crash into the World Trade Towers. The band's first song "Skylines and Turnstiles" was inspired by Way's experience on that day.

The band released its first album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love in 2002. As a concept album, it tells the story of two criminals who are gunned down in the desert, a la Bonnie and Clyde. In 2003, after signing a deal with Reprise Records and following a tour with Avenged Sevenfold (another of Amanda's favorite bands), MCR began work on their second album which continued the storyline from their first album. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, released in 2004, went platinum within a year. The band released three singles from the album: "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)", "Helena", and "The Ghost of You". All of which I can say I've seen on video many times over!

In October of 2006 The Black Parade was released as the band's third concept album centering on a character known as "the Patient," who, dying of cancer, looks back on his life from a jaded perspective. The first single "Welcome to the Black Parade" was pre-released on iTunes September 11th, 2006 - the fifth anniversary of the World Trade Center terror attacks. The song became the band's first U.S. Number One single when it topped the charts on October 26, 2006 and stayed there for seven weeks. Since then they have released the single "Famous Last Words" and on April 2 will release "I Don't Love You" as their third single.

MCR's music has been described as emo, emocore, pop punk, and punk revival - all of which mean nothing to me - I just like the way they sound! The band themselves have said that their music was inspired by the likes of Queen, Iron Maiden, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pink Floyd and in some of their music this really shows. Growing up, the band members were also very influenced by horror films and comic books (Gerard was working at DC Comics at the time of the 9/11 attacks), and because of that their music, lyrics, and image all have overt elements of fantasy, storytelling, horror, and theatricality. Not unlike David Bowie and Alice Cooper of my day!

I recently bought The Black Parade CD for Amanda and after listening to it, I am hooked and can't seem to get enough of it - after all, I do so love a good parade and marching band! Seriously, though, I find the music itself to be really good and the lyrics definitely tell a story. And just to throw out a useless and little known fact, Liza Minelli does guest vocals on "Mama" - which just goes to show that I'm not the only older woman who likes these guys!

The Black Parade World Tour, with over sixty concert dates began in February and, with any luck and some financial finagling, I hope to be able to get tickets for Amanda and a few of her friends when the second part of the tour comes around to the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 8th. This would, of course, require that I attend the concert also as I can't very well leave them alone but I'm sure that this is a cross I could easily bear! But don't get too excited yet, Amanda - this is certainly not written in stone!

The only question that needs to be asked at this point is why - at my age - do I find a 29-year old who wears eyeliner and black mascara, so drop-dead sexy? I fear that I may have been spending way too much time with Amanda and Nicole and need to get out with adults more often!

What's even stranger is how when I consulted with my older-than-me best friend out in California, expecting some words of wisdom along the lines of "get over it, Linda!", we ended up in a debate as to whether Gerard looked better with black hair or blonde!! MizCyn is leaning towards the blonde but I've got to go with the black ... maybe ... the blonde is pretty nice, too ... oh, I don't know! He's just too cute!! I think I need help!! Lots & lots of help!!

Gerard from the new video "I Don't Love You"

I would like to thank the Academy ...

********************

Thank you! Oh! Thank you! I can hardly conjugate verbs! I feel so lucky! And this honor - it's so honorable! Oh, thank you again! I just want everyone to bow down before me and accept that even in my wildest hallucinations, I never would have fantasized that this could ever validate my mediocrity. And to the other super-amazing bloggers out there, I want each of you to know how totally mega-pumped your jealousy makes me feel right now!

You know when they first told me I was a Goddess on Earth, I just had to take a Xanax and obsess about how freakish my experiences have been. I guess it all just makes me feel kinda numb.

You know, there are so many obsequious talentless success stories to thank! First off though, I want to pay off Barb, who looked deep within her Magic 8-Ball before giving me this fantastic award (that was 10's and 20's right?)! Also, I want to thank Charleton Heston, for being such a powerful force in my life. And to the US Supreme Court, who taught me to take life by the fifth of bourbon. And finally, to all the people who take the time to read my little blog - I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you America, and good night!

**Acceptance speech courtesy of The Academy Award Speech Generator

Well, okay, maybe not ...

For those of you wondering what the above babbling is going on about, I received a very pleasant surprise yesterday while reading over some of the email comments to my latest Wordless Wednesday post (see below); it seemed that I had been named The Bestest Blog of the Day over at Bobby Griffin's The Bestest Blog of All-Time!! This is an honor that I have been coveting ever since I joined the group of wonderful people who are all part of Bestest Blog and, had I not been at work, I might have jumped up and done a happy dance upon hearing the news! Matter of fact, maybe I shall do that now ... hold on a sec ... okay, I'm back! {{ow! my back!!}}

I am now in the ranks of such blogging luminaries as Sarge Charlie, Crazy Working Mom, A Little Piece of Me, The Curmudgeon, Dixie's Heart and Soul, Mimi Writes, Dr. Blogstein, and way too many other fantastic blogs to list them all as otherwise this post is going to read like the "Who's Who" of the Blogosphere!

This most auspicious of honors was bestowed upon me by Barb of Skittles' Place and a finer lady could not be found this side of a Blogger Dashboard! Even though I have never had the pleasure of meeting the woman in person, thanks to her heartfelt postings and honesty in speaking of the trials and tribulations of her life, I have every confidence that she is the type of person that anyone would be proud to call "friend". Barb, I hope you don't mind that I refer to you as such.

Eventually they tell me that I should have a really cool banner to place prominently on my page to brag about, flaunt in the faces of lesser beings, declare to the world, humbly proclaim that I am the greatest, a veritable master of the written word,King of the World!, doing something right on this little blog of mine.

In all humility, though - thank you very much - I really am honored! As Amanda might say, I'm having the best week ever!

Wordless Wednesday - Over the Rainbow

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Now that Wordless Wednesday is officially over, I would like to give credit where credit is due to the photographer of this picture. It was taken by Bethany, who is a school nurse in Plainfield, from the front yard of her home. Obviously "excellent photographer" is another of her many talents in addition to being a compassionate and caring nurse, loving wife, fantastic mother, healthcare instructor, etc., etc! Thank you, Bethany, for a great picture for Wordless Wednesday!

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13. karen (miscmum) 14. Skittles 15. Jan 16. Joyful Days 17. Friday\'s Child 18. amy 19. whenn 20. incog & nito 21. Dragonheart 22. Amazing Gracie 23. Beckie 24. Brian aka hummingbunny

25. delilah 26. Toni 27. Gattina 28. busy 29. waspgoddess 30. Chris 31. Jamie 32. Shaz@UsDanes 33. CrAzY Working Mom 34. celfyddydau

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In the not so distant future ...

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Amanda has one whopper of a head cold so I thought I should stay home from work today and make her tea and toast while forcing some form of cold relief medication down her throat. In between I thought I'd share some "Senior Moments" that I got via email. Sadly, I can see myself doing some of these things not too far down the road! Enjoy!

An elderly Floridian called 911 on her cell phone to report that her car has been broken into. She is hysterical as she explains her situation to the dispatcher: "They've stolen the stereo, the steering wheel, the brake pedal and even the accelerator!" she cried. The dispatcher said, "Stay calm. An officer is on the way." A few minutes later, the officer radios in."Disregard." He says. "She got in the back-seat by mistake."


Three sisters, ages 92, 94 and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?" The 94-year-old yells back, "I don't know. I 'll come up and see." She starts up the stairs and pauses "Was I going up the stairs or down?" The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful, knock on wood." She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."


Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day. One remarked to the other, "Windy, isn't it?" "No," the second man replied, "it's Thursday." And the third man chimed in, "So am I. Let's have a beer."


Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years, they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards. One day, they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me .. I know we've been friends for a long time, but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is." Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"


As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Interstate 77. Please be careful!" "Heck," said Herman, "It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!"


Two elderly women were out driving in a large car - both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself "I must be losing it. I could have sworn we just went through a red light." After a few more minutes, they came to another intersection and the light was red again. Again, they went right through. The woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous. At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was red and they went on through. So, she turned to the other woman and said, "Mildred, did you know that we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!" Mildred turned to her and said, "Oh, crap, am I driving?"

"Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer." ~ Author Unknown

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The above picture is how my day started out last Monday ... minutes after I walked into the room and started getting turnover from the out-going dispatcher we heard Norwich Fire toned out for a possible structure fire on Stonington Road. The scanner had barely stopped squawking when our direct line to NPD lit up with a request for our Rehab Unit to respond to the scene.

The Rehab Unit is that 16-foot trailer you see sitting behind our paramedic chase vehicle (also known as Gamma 1). The trailer is a climate-controlled environment where trained medical personnel can monitor vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate & rhythm, and respirations) for firefighters and Haz-Mat technicians. The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) requires a certain range of "normal" vital signs for post-fire activity and a stricter set of vital signs for Haz-Mat technicians both pre- and post-entry. The range of vital signs is based mostly on height, weight, and physical condition. Once a certain amount of body weight is lost through fluids it has to be replaced and medical personnel in the Rehab Unit provide rehydration so that firefighters can continue their job of fighting the fire.

In addition to sending out the Rehab Unit, we also send out at least one ambulance to standby in case someone needs to be transported to the hospital. In the case of this particular fire, we sent out three ambulances as the fire was at an apartment complex and there was the potential for multiple victims. This was a lot to deal with at 6:50 in the morning sans coffee but I couldn't exactly throw everything on hold while I got a much-needed caffeine infusion (memo to self: pick up coffee on the way into work!)

Thankfully most people were evacuated from the buildings very quickly and there were no fire victims, though we did transport several people from the scene for other medical issues. It wasn't until almost 1:00 that my units at the scene were freed up to do other calls and by then the day had gone the rest of the way down the tubes. Suffice it to say, it wasn't fun but I did eventually get some coffee into my system and that helped immeasurably.

Back when I worked at the Norwich Police Department in addition to dispatching police officers, I also handled fire dispatch so I had a pretty good idea what my compatriots across the street were going through on their end. If the noise the scanner was making was any indication of the type of day they were having, I fervently hoped that they had gotten their coffee on the way into their shift as chances were it was too busy for them to make a break for the coffee pot in the Chief's Conference Room! But knowing the people across the street, I know that they, like myself, were pretty much glued to their consoles and chairs for the duration because most dispatchers are going to want to stay with "their" people throughout the incident. Call it an occupational hazard but we get attached to those people we send into harm's way.

Whereas I may be sitting in a nice cozy (well, maybe not cozy!) dispatch center, there are a lot of guys and gals out at the fire scene who are far from cozy. Instead they're putting their own lives on the line to save other lives and protect property in a job that some might call crazy but which is vital to every community. Granted I might be juggling six things at once but none of them are going to kill me - unless I have a stress-induced heart attack and have sent all of my medics out of the building on other calls and left no one to revive me! The people out fighting fires run many risks including falling through a roof, smoke inhalation, burning debris, etc., etc. The risks are innumerable.

But they love it ...

I have never had a great desire to run into a burning building no matter how many times I may have watched Backdraft (it's one of those things that's right up there with jumping out of a perfectly good airplane - other people may enjoy it but it's not for me!) but since I went to work in EMS I have met a lot of people who not only like going into burning buildings, they do so on a volunteer basis. At last Monday's apartment fire in Norwich, the City of Norwich Fire Department was assisted by no less than ten other departments - eight of which were volunteer departments.

Volunteers. Why do they do it? What could make people dedicated enough to get out of their warm beds in the middle of the night, to leave in the middle of a meal, to forego whatever it was that they were doing at the dropping of a set of tones or beeping of a pager? What could make them put in hundreds of hours of unpaid training and practice? What could make them want to endanger their own lives for free? Well, more than the flashing lights, blaring sirens, driving the big red truck and wearing cool turn-out gear it's a sense of pride and desire to help other people in a time of need.

I asked one of the many volunteer firefighters I know why he had joined his local department and he said, "Because I like to help those that need it the most. When people call 911 they are in need and I like the feeling of being able to step in and provide that help. I also like the feeling of being able to walk into a situation that is completely out of control and recognize what needs to be done and do it. Knowing I had something to do with a good outcome is a great feeling and knowing that the training and sacrificing I have done paid off is ... great."

Considering the overwhelming number of fires we have had in Connecticut this winter alone, I think it's more than great that there are men and women like him who have that dedication and desire to help others. Without them there are many communities that would have no one close to come when they called 911 for whatever their emergency was - water in the basement, car accident, fire, medical emergency, or _____ - you fill in the blank.

Fire Prevention Week won't be observed until October 7th-12th this year but it's never too soon to tell your local volunteers thank you. The job they do is nothing short of amazing and awe-inspiring. Please join me in thanking them for the tough job that they do and for being there should we ever need them; I'm sure they'd appreciate hearing it!

A big thank you, also, to Josh Maloney of Windham County Fire Shots for allowing me to use his great fire pics! More photos, as well as a video recap of January and February fires, can be found by clicking the link and visiting his page. Tell him I sent you!

Movie in a Minute

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Before I run out the door for another fun-filled day of 911, ambulances, and wheelchair vans I thought I 'd throw out a quick question to my faithful readers who actually take the time to post a comment every once in awhile (and for those of you who read but never comment - now would be a great time to jump in here!).

Now that the Oscars are over and Hollywood is once again done patting themselves on the back for another year, I want to know - what's your very favorite movie and why? When flipping through channels on TV what movie is going to make you stop, sit down, and forget that you were going to do or watch something else? What movie did you just have to have for yourcollection regardless of the cost?

These thoughts occured to me last night while Amanda was clicking through channels while were getting ready to watch the elimination show of American Idol (which I just haven't been following all that closely this year) and she came across Moulin Rouge on IFC. That was it, the clicking stopped right there, and we both dropped what we were doing to watch a movie that we've both seen at least a dozen times and could watch anytime we wanted to do because I own it on DVD.

For those not familiar with Moulin Rouge, it's a story about love...

Christian [Ewan McGregor], a young writer with a magical gift for poetry, defies his bourgeois father by moving to the bohemian underworld of Montmartre, Paris. He is taken in by the absinthe-soaked artist Toulouse-Lautrec, whose party-hard life centres around the Moulin Rouge, a world of sex, drugs, electricity & the shocking Can-Can. Christian falls into a passionate but ultimately doomed love affair with Satine, the Sparkling Diamond [Nicole Kidman], the most beautiful courtesan in Paris & star of the Moulin Rouge.

My favorite quote from the movie is "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return" while Amanda has been prone to quoting, "Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love!" (especially after the past few days!).

Written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, Moulin Rouge won 2 Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design as well as legions of fans after it was released in June 2001. I never saw it when it was on the big screen but came across it after it had been released on DVD and after the first watching I was hooked. In the grand tradition of like mother - like daughter, Amanda has always put it on the top of her list of favorite movies.

So, what about you, constant reader? What movie is your favorite and why?

Satine and Chrisian from Moulin Rouge

Art From Her Heart

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As parents we do our best to protect our children. We immunize them against diseases, we teach them "Stranger Danger", we warn them about the consequences of drugs and alcohol, we even instruct them about the predators who lurk on the Internet. But no matter what we do, we can't protect them from everything that might cause them hurt - it's just not humanly possible.

A few days ago I wrote a post about driving past the house of a boy that Amanda liked and the memories that evoked for me. Amanda knew full well that I was going to be writing that post and I had her approval even though I think she was a little bit afraid of what Dan might think (the guy that Amanda liked). I believe that she was both nervous and yet curious to find out what his reaction would be and, after a couple of her friends pointed him in the direction of said post, she found out today what he thought ...

This would be the part where I can't protect her.

Dan, who really does seem to be a nice kid, does not reciprocate the feelings that Amanda has for him and simply wants to be friends. Of course Amanda was hoping with the hope that all teenage girls have that things might have worked out differently and is, understandably, sad and feeling heart-broken. She drew the above picture shortly after talking to Dan this afternoon (I found it posted on her MySpace page and snitched it from there to post here.)

I really do feel Amanda's pain and I hurt for her. If I had a nickel for every tear I cried over a boy when I was a teenager, I would have had enough money to buy a car by the time I was 16 - and a good car, too, not some piece of junk! It's a very familiar feeling and, as much as I wish I could have protected her and spared her this particular hurt I know that it's a life lesson she had to learn on her own. Ah, unrequited love - it doth truly suck!

When you see most of your friends around you pairing off with someone and no one seems to be interested in you, it hurts. It hurts more when there's someone you meet that you'd like to be more than "just friends" with but their feelings aren't reciprocated. It's a kick in the ass to your self-esteem and makes you ask yourself the eternal question of "what's wrong with me?" It never dawns on you that there's nothing wrong with you - that's just not how the whole process works.

Even though she may not feel that way now, Amanda has a lot of time to find the right guy who will appreciate her for who and what she is. Granted, were she still living in Kentucky she'd almost be in prime marrying age (sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist!) but she's really only 14 & 3/4's and she's got a lot of life ahead of her despite her broken heart of the here and now.

Not that I want to delude her into thinking that it necessarily gets easier as you get older (my last broken heart wasn't so long ago that I have completely forgotten it) but there will be so many more opportunities ahead of her to meet guys that she's going to like and eventually one of them is going to look at her and think "wow! I gotta get to know her better!". And then it's going to be Dan-who?

In the meantime if she wants to be a little Emo* or a little angsty then I can fully understand it and appreciate it as long as it doesn't go on for an overly long and dramatic period. I can be sympathetic and understanding for awhile but not for an infinite amount of time!

Now as for Dan, all I can say is - your loss, fella! When Amanda has become a famous artist and musician you're going to wish you had the bragging rights to having been her first boyfriend! Tsk, tsk.

*A group of white, mostly middle-class, kids who find imperfections in their life and create a ridiculous, depressing melodrama around each one. Definition courtesy of the Urban Dictionary