Picturing New York City

Here are some more pictures of our recent trip to New York City that I wanted to share with you as there's still no time to sit down and write a post about the whole trip just yet. Darn having to work to make a living! Hey, Claire, if you're lurking let me know what places you want to see when you're here in September!

Times Square

Columbus Circle

Trump Plaza

Fountains at Columbus Circle just outside of Central Park

Being a statute in New York is for the birds!

The Brooklyn Bridge with one of the four waterfalls from the public art project designed by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. I would love to have seen this at night!

The view towards Brooklyn from Manhattan

Ellis Island - still on my list of places I want to go see (other than from Battery Park!)

The Statute of Liberty as seen from Battery Park (it was pretty hazy on Saturday so this isn't the best picture I'm afraid).

More to come another day ... like I said, I am going to get a lot of posts out of this trip!
Also, I will hopefully get back to visiting everyone else's blogs on Tuesday, I apologize for not having had the time to get to them since Thursday. Sometimes real life just seems to get in the way!

Taking a Bite Out of The Big Apple

No time for a long post as there is much to do before going into work this afternoon but I did want to let you all know that we have returned from our trip to New York City - safe, sane, and definitely sore! As soon as I get the time, I have a ton of pictures to upload and share but for now here's a few quick shots of some of our adventure -

Driving into the city on 34th Street - see the Empire State Building peeking out on the left? And yes, I drove in this traffic so I think I should get extra points for that!

Cate, Amanda, and Darci in Times Square shortly after our arrival. Don't let Cate's expression fool you - she had a great time but she refuses to ever smile for the camera!

Darci, Amanda, and Cate before heading to Terminal 5 where the Mindless Self Indulgence concert was to be held. Or should I say Kitty, Jimmy, and LynZ?

Friday night's event ...

Thank goodness I was up above all of this but Amanda and Darci are down there near the front of the stage. Yes, they are crazy and yes, I was worried. I'm too old for this kind of stuff!

Saturday afternoon's event ...

Even though it was a major culture clash from Friday night's concert - the girls absolutely loved the play and thought it was "practically perfect in every way"!

More to come later - for now I am practically pooped in every way because when you take a bite out of the Big Apple, it takes a bite of you, too!

The Cat That Roared

Still in New York and I'd be willing to bet that I probably feel a lot like Dennis' cat!

Hey! You spend two days in New York City with three teenagers and see how you feel!

You can be willing to bet I'll generate a lot of blog posts from this trip
once I get home ...
safely and, let's hope, sanely!

Pretty Pictures to Peruse

While I'm traipsing around down in New York City today I thought I'd leave you with a few more pictures taken by my friend Dennis for you to ooh and aah over. These were copied, with permission, from his photo collection on Flickr.

Someday, when I grow up, I want to take pictures as beautiful as these two!

Thanks again, Dennis!

Now ... the rest of you behave yourselves while I'm in New York ... I promise lots and lots of pictures when I get back!

Hair We Go Again ...

With the big Mindless Self Indulgence concert coming up in New York City, there has been a lot of preparation going on around here between Amanda, Darci, and Cate because - heaven forbid - they just put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to wear to the concert. Nope - they have to have costumes complete with drawn on tattoos, make-up, and - of course - hair. Frankly, the whole thing has worn me down but that's probably because I'm old and never even went to a concert until I was over 18 and I certainly never went to one that inspired me to dress up like the band members. If the excitement of these three teenage girls could somehow be harnessed and used for energy, I wouldn't have to worry about an electric bill for a very long time!

Yesterday and today turned out to be the major prep days for the concert as yesterday was when my friend and trusted hair stylist Trisha was coming over armed with bleach, hair clips, scissors, and a couple tubes of hair color that will never see a shaft of hair on my head thank you very much! Trisha will happily bleach Amanda's hair for me but when it comes to applying her choice of outrageous colors she lets me take over as "it's just too messy". Gee, thanks, Trish!

As you might recall, Amanda's had blue hair for quite some time now and wanted to change it to pink and green in order to match the jacket that we had made as part of her costume for the concert. The first trick was to get her hair bleached out so that we'd have a clean slate to work with when it came to the new colors but there was a bit of trepidation as to whether or not Trish would be able to get all of the color out. After a fashion she was able to get most of it and that left me with a blonde for a night as we needed to let Amanda's hair rest for a bit before putting it through the rigors of coloring.

In the meantime, Darci had talked her mother into letting her have a couple of pink chunks in her hair so Trisha bleached out two spots on the top front of her hair and two spots in the back so that when she puts her hair up in ponytails as part of her costume, the color chunks are in the right places. This was Darci's first ever foray into bleach and color so she was quite excited and in the end, her pink chunks came out very pink but very nice! Hopefully her mother will approve but if not ... uhm ... yeah, give it time and it'll fade out!

Fast forward to earlier this evening and my adventures with applying color to Amanda's hair. The pink side went on quite easily and was definitely the right shade but we ran into problems with the green hair dye as once we got it on part of her hair, it became quite evident that it wasn't really what one could call green at all but more like a dark aquamarine or teal. Amanda had her heart set on green so was pretty disappointed with the color but she eventually came around and decided that she was just going to have to deal with it. I really do wish that the green dye had actually been green as it would have matched her jacket better but in the end I'm sure it will be okay. Not perfect but okay. I think a letter to the manufacturer is going to be in order, though, as the tube is clearly marked 'green' and it was definitely not green.

Being that you weren't here to share in the "fun" I have put together a little slideshow for you to enjoy a shortened version of the whole process (a small pun intended for those who know hairdressing terminology!) ...


Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling somewhat harried (no pun intended there at all!) and there's still a ton of stuff to do before we leave for New York City in the morning and our great adventure. Myself, Amy, and three teenage girls take on The Big Apple ... this should be interesting! Especially considering I'm not wearing a costume to this concert and have no clue what to wear. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'm going to be quite blah compared to at least three teenagers I know!

The Return of the Youngest Child

Awhile back I had posted about the number of birthdays coming up this summer with a good number of them in June and Jamie's towards the end of July. When I wrote that post, I also was lamenting that Jamie wouldn't be coming home to Connecticut this summer to spend her 15th birthday here with me.

I was none too happy about that whole idea, especially considering that with rising gas prices I wasn't sure what airline tickets were going to look like come Christmas-time or next summer so what were the chances of her getting up here either of those times if she didn't come up this summer? Add on the fact that the idea of not seeing my youngest child for over a year was completely unacceptable to me and there was nothing for it but for me to find a way to buy a ticket for her to fly out.

So, what do I usually do in times of need like this? How does an almost-50 year old single mom handle these sorts of things? Easy - I picked up the phone and called my Mom and asked for her assistance in getting Jamie a ticket to come home! Sigh ... 50 years old and I'm still calling my mother to bail me out ... how pathetic is that?

I talked Mom into splitting the cost of a ticket with me for Jamie's birthday so she'll be flying up late next Thursday night in time for the fireworks here in Norwich on the 5th of July and staying through until July 30th. Which means she'll be here for her 15th birthday one month from today on the 26th of July. Yay!

I've been thinking about some fun things we can do while Jamie is here that aren't going to break what's left of the bank, one of which may be a trip up to Boston to visit Ms. Maggie Moo along with that duck tour we had talked about going on last time I was up there. I figure it's about time someone in the blogosphere met my other daughter and I'm pretty sure Mags can handle it!

Any other thoughts for fun things that don't cost much? I'm open to suggestions!

Portraits from the Past

One of the casualties of a divorce, in addition to the really obvious ones, can be pictures of your family. In my own divorce back in 2002, that was most definitely the case as the ex-husband got custody of the vast majority of the professional portraits that we had taken of the kids when they were younger. Chances are good I have some of them stashed somewhere around the house but, old and addle-brained that I am, I'm not exactly sure where they might be hiding. No doubt I'll come across them someday but for now it was a treat to find some of them while I was up at my mother's house this past weekend.

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog have seen quite a few pictures of Amanda, my oldest daughter, but I guarantee you that she looks nothing like the pictures of this little girl in these pictures. Of course I'm a bit prejudiced, but wasn't she just adorable?

The first picture above was taken when Amanda was a little over two years old, the one to the right was at age three, and the third one was taken when she was in third grade at Veterans School here in Norwich.

Time goes by so quickly that it's way too easy to forget what your children used to look like, especially when the child in question has taken to coloring their hair every shade except normal and, rather than a big smile, what you get most of the time is a surly teenage sneer. Sigh ... It's a good thing I found these pictures to help me remember!

Speaking of teenagers, Amanda isn't the only that I can lay claim to as Jamie is most definitely in the same category when it comes to her age - though certainly not her hair! This first picture of Jamie was when she was only about 4 months old. The quilt that she's posing on was one that I actually made myself for my son before he was born so it's circa 1981 and the only quilt that I ever attempted to make in my life. Each child used it as a baby and now it's stored away in a box in the basement. Now that I think about it, I should have given it to my son for my grandson to use - d'oh! Guess I'll have to try to remember it for the next grandchild - if there is a next grandchild!

This second picture of Jamie was taken when she was two years old, very close to the same age that Amanda was in the first picture of her above. As you can see, at that time I had one blonde daughter and one brunette daughter but both were real cuties - at least in my own non-prejudiced opinion! Oh wait, I'm a mom, is there really such a thing when it comes to your own kids? Probably not!

Another picture that I found on Friday is this one of Jamie wearing a blue sunflower dress that I just loved. Amanda had a matching red one and they both looked so girly and cute when they posed for these pictures. If you look closely, you can see that Jamie has that devil-may-care gleam in her eye and even though she no longer has that dress, she certainly has that look! She was always my "spit in their eye" child while Amanda was more of the quiet child. The girls are only 13 months apart in age but miles apart in personality - they always have been and probably always will be. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that these two individuals have the same parents but trust me, they do!

Last but certainly not least is a picture that I had completely and totally forgotten was ever taken but I'm so glad that I have again. This Christmas picture was taken in 1993 when Michael was 12, Amanda was 1-1/2, and Jamie wasn't quite 6 months old. A redhead, a blonde, and a brunette and yet all three of them are mine. Quite the assortment, isn't it?

When your kids drive you crazy, as mine sometimes do, it's easy to forget what a gift they truly are but this last picture helps me to remember - at least for a few minutes - until they do something to drive me nuts yet again! Or is that more like a short putt??

The Arte y Pico Award

This lovely statute is called the "Arte y Pico" award which was created to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and talents no matter whether it be in the form of writing, artwork, design, interesting material, or contributions to the blogger community. When a blogger receives this award it is considered a "special honor" and, once presented to you, it is to be passed on to at least 5 other bloggers who meet the criteria.

This past week I was given this award not once but twice by two bloggers and to say that I am flattered would be an understatement. The first person to give me this award, MamaFlo of the aptly titled MamaFlo's Place, stated that her reason for presenting me with this honor was "...because she so tirelessly remembers the fallen heroes that keep our streets safe. Her blog has a little of everything and she has a lot of heart." Thank you so very much for those wonderful words though I may have to debate that whole "lot of heart" part as my ex-husband might argue with you that I didn't have one at all! In the meantime, while I was still basking in the glow of MamaFlo's praise, Morgen of Captured by Gravity re-awarded me with the same award so how cool is that? They like me! They really, really like me!

Since getting this award I have been wracking my brain trying to decide who to pass it along to. There are so many special bloggers out there who deserve an award like this and to have to limit my choice to only five out of the many that I read is tough. Even though I was tempted to just close my eyes and randomly pick out five blogs, I gave it a lot of thought and would like to pass this lovely Arte y Pico Award on to the following five bloggers -

• Jamie @ Duward Discussion - Jamie is an historian and her posts are well thought out and enlightening. She writes them from a historic standpoint and passes along little known and interesting facts about our world that will either make you sit up and say, "hey, I never knew that!" or "ah-ha, so that's where that comes from!" I always learn something new at Duward Discussion and to learn something new each day is a great thing.
  
• Travis @ Trav's Thoughts - If you've ever stopped by the den of the handsomest wolf in the blogosphere, then you already know what a creative and entertaining blog Travis writes. His review posts of dancing shows and American Idol are absolutely phenomenal and if you're a sports nut, he's got lots of good stuff for you, too. Add in some of his own beautiful poetry and this blog is a work of art unto itself.
• Debbie @ New England Lighthouse Treasures - I have always loved lighthouses and the history behind them (that must be the New Englander in me!) and at Debbie's blog you can read about all sorts of historic lighthouses, lighthouses that are vacation spots, or lighthouses that are even for sale should you have some disposable income sitting around and always wanted to be the keeper of your own lighthouse! Beautiful pictures and details accompany each post.
• Pinky @ Cheese In My Shoe - Pinky is not your conventional mom of toddlers ... Pinky has a hot pink iPod and beautiful purple hair! She writes from the heart and her posts are thought-provoking and heartwarming. She also makes beautiful aprons and posts some mouth-watering recipes complete with pictures that will leave your stomach growling!
• Jeni @ Down River Drivel - If I had to guess, I'd have to say that Jeni has a heart as big as Pennsylvania - the state she calls home. As a grandmother who two autistic children in the household you know she's got to have her hands full and yet she writes posts that could not only put War and Peace to shame for their length but for their content! Jeni's drivel is definitely down home and reading her blog is always like sitting down across from an old friend and having coffee while you gab and gab and gab and ... !

All of the above bloggers are tops for creativity, for interesting material, and for their contributions to the blogger community. If you haven't had the chance to read their blogs, may I suggest you check them out - I think you'll like what you find!

Thank you again to MamaFlo and to Morgen for presenting me with this beautiful award; I hope that those I have bestowed it upon here will like it as much as I do!

To read more information on this wonderful award please visit Arte y Pico, the blog where it originated. However, if you don't read Spanish you may need to use Babel Fish to translate the page like I did!

I've Got a Question - You've Got an Answer

Ah, Tuesday - my day off after working a 16-hour shift on Monday. The day that I try to use to catch up on my housecleaning, my errands, my blog reading, my ... well, you get the idea - the day I use to try to catch up on pretty much everything! Sometimes I get caught up on a lot and other times I get caught up in a slump and get absolutely nothing done!

This morning, before I open my Google Reader and have a mild coronary looking at all of the posts I need to catch up on, I've got some things to do outside of the house and away from the computer but before I go I feel duty-bound to leave you folks with a new post to read. Not that there's anything wrong with yesterday's post as I think the night pictures of Norwich that I used for my Manic Monday post were quite nice but still ... what kind of hostess serves leftovers to her guests the next day? My point exactly ...

Having not picked the brains of you, gentle readers, with a question for awhile now I thought perhaps it was time to throw another out there at you. This time it's a question that popped into my head while I was lying in bed this morning debating with myself about actually getting up and facing the day. During the course of the debate (which was strongly leaning towards "stay in bed till noon!" before it was lost), I was trying to decide what to do a post on this morning before heading out into the world and I got to wondering how it was that other people came up with their post ideas and for that matter -

Why do you blog and how do you decide what to blog about?

As for me, I blog because I can't make a living writing professionally even though every great once in awhile I think I write something that's amusing or informative or moving. It's a creative outlet of sorts for me and even though I'm more Erma Bombeck than John Steinbeck, I enjoy it; I'll just never be able to give up my day job for it!

What to write about each day can be tricky, though, especially as I try to post something new everyday. My life, in and of itself, is not all that interesting but I try to find the parts of it that I think other people might enjoy. I've made a lot of friends since I started this blog almost two years ago and when I write a post, I try to write it like I'm sharing something with those friends over a cup of coffee or non-free refills of iced tea at a local restaurant! Do I always succeed? Well, let's put it this way ... have you ever been talking with a friend and they start telling the same story you've heard six times already but you don't have the heart to tell them that but instead you just kind of roll your eyes and go with it as you smile and nod your head in the right places? Yeah ... sometimes I think that happens here, too!

So, how about you? What is it that inspires you to sit in front of a computer screen and journey out into the Blogosphere? I really want to know and I will be looking forward to reading your answers once I get home from my search for Leptovox and other assorted things.

"Night" Falls on Manic Monday

When I saw that Morgen at It's a Blog Eat Blog World had declared this week's Manic Monday theme to be "night", I actually did a small happy dance as I had just gone out the night before and taken some pictures around town which I planned on using in a post at some future time. What a delight that I was able to use them so soon and for Manic Monday no less!

In addition to the pictures that I had taken (like the one of the flag outside of dispatch), my friend Dennis had uploaded a few to his Flickr account that he had taken from the roof of American Ambulance, where we work. Night photos all around - woohoo! Morgen, you couldn't have chosen a better theme for this week - thank you!

The three pictures below were taken by Dennis with his Nikon D3 and show the view of the Marina at American Wharf as well as downtown Norwich from the building where we work. Dennis told me he took these pictures around 11:00 p.m. or so and in the second two you can see the Strawberry Moon that had risen over Norwich. That moon was the reason I had been wandering around Norwich in the dark, too, but I wasn't able to get any shots of it myself. Oh, and just to show what a short commute to work I have, my house is located almost exactly below that moon!

So, what was I taking pictures of while waiting for the moon to rise that night? First off Amanda, Darci, and I stopped by the Hebrew Cemetery in Preston which is located just outside of the old Norwich State Hospital grounds. Even though I used to be scared to death of them when I was younger, cemeteries at night don't bother me in the least anymore and I actually like to take pictures of them to see if I can capture any sort of phenomena on the pictures - like orbs. If you look closely at these pictures, you can definitely spot orbs in places and they aren't reflections from a flash as I was using the camera on night landscape mode and there was no flash.


Just as a side note, when I took those pictures I was standing outside of the cemetery wall so don't think I was wandering around in there aimlessly at night. I'm not that brave or that disrespectful.

After deciding that the moon was apparently not going to show up in the sky anytime soon, the girls and I climbed into the car to head across town in an effort to see if we could see the moon closer to the river. While en route, Amanda decided to play around with the camera a bit ...




Unfortunately, once we got to where we were going by the side of the Thames River, there was still no moon so I ended up with just this one shot of Norwich as you view it looking up the river towards the harbor and the marina. The white tower is Norwich City Hall which actually looks quite nice lit up at night.


Chances are, that picture would look a heck of a lot better if I had Dennis' Nikon D3 but sadly, the best I could do was my own Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS. All things considered, I think it does okay though I think from now on if I need a night shot or two, I'm going to ask Dennis to get them for me!

If you'd like to see what other people are doing in the night, be sure to check out Morgen's Manic Monday Meme at It's a Blog Eat Blog World where each week it's a different word for us to play with. Go ahead and join in next week - you know you want to!

Game, Set, Match!

Kuznetsova, Hewitt, Safin, Ivanovic, Federer, Johansson … if all of those names mean something to you then you are definitely a tennis fan and no doubt are on the edge of your seat watching the matches being played out at the Wimbledon Championships, which run from June 23^rd to July 6^th. I f you’ve only been able to catch bits and pieces of the matches on TV, there’s a better way to watch all of your favorite players take to the Centre and No. 1 Courts by subscribing to MediaZone and “Wimbledon LIVE”, an online video service that provides fans a chance to watch live and on-demand matches right on your computer.

As long as you have an operating system of Windows 2000, XP, or Vista with Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher (sorry, MAC and Linux operating systems are not currently supported), you can sign up for a package starting at $24.99 that gives you the chance to watch up to nine current courts along with the ability to go back and forth between multiple courts. With that kind of coverage, you won't miss any of the action.

You and “Wimbledon Live” from MediaZone – it’s the perfect match!

The Best Deal of the Yard Sale

I may have only raked in a measly $18.50 at yesterday's yard sale but that doesn't mean that I didn't come home with a couple of things that I didn't have before - like a George Foreman style grill that didn't sell which my sister-in-law was just going to send to Goodwill and a couple of pretty blue kitchen cannisters.

The best thing, though, wasn't in the yard sale but was found in my Mom's house while we were gathering things up to put in the sale - this circa 1950 picture of my Mom when she was about 16 years old, the same age Amanda is now. You'll notice she doesn't have pink or blue or green hair, though!

She said that I could keep it and I've got to say that's worth a lot more than $18.50 any day of the week!

A Sweet Thank You!

Amanda's friend Darci has been visiting us from New Jersey for the past week or so and even though she's a very nice girl with manners that I wish my own daughter had, it's been a little overwhelming at times having to deal with two goofy, giggling, soda-guzzling girls with apparent bottomless pits for stomachs. Peace, quiet, and food in the house has apparently gone the way of the Dodo for now!

Having a house guest is not always a bad thing, though - especially when your house guest's mother is nice enough to surprise you with a box of gourmet chocolate-covered strawberries and half-dipped cookies as a thank you for letting her daughter come up and visit! Did I mention that it's okay for Darci to come up anytime?

Of course the trick now is to make sure I actually get a taste of these sweet looking treats before the two bottomless pits descend upon them!

No Wind in Our Sale

Alas, yesterday's yard sale turned out to be more like a boat beached upon the shores rather than a glorious sail on the high seas despite the fact that it was advertised in both the local newspaper and on Craig's List.

Personally, I'm going to blame it directly on the lousy economy that we are suffering from in our country. With the cost of gas being well over $4.30 a gallon here in southeastern Connecticut people are more apt to stay home then drive around to yard sales looking for great buys on secondhand merchandise no matter how beautiful the day is and how good the bargains might be.

In the past, when we've had yard sales, there have been times when there have been droves of people jockeying for parking spots and swooping down on the merchandise laid out before them like kids in a candy store with money burning holes in their pockets.

Such was not the case at yesterday's sale as the best we could boast for a crowd was maybe five or six people at one time. In the end, I ended up netting a whopping $18.50, my mother made $40.00 and change, and my youngest brother and his wife who had the majority of the merchandise in the sale managed to pocket $180.00. My oldest brother and his wife didn't make a dime. By yard sale standards, those were some pretty paltry proceeds.

Oh well, at least I cleared a few things out of the house but in the end my golf clubs came home with me so I figure that's either God's way of telling me not to give up on the game just yet or perhaps I should place them on Craig's List and see if I can do better there.

Oh, and as for early birds and free coffee - the two people who showed up right at 8:00 said that they thought the ad was hilarious and almost came in with a cup in hand. They also ended up being two of the best customers of the day spending $25.00 on assorted stuff. See - sometimes a sense of humor does pay off!

Deadly Month for Law Enforcement Continues

Three more deaths in the law enforcement community across the country bring the June death toll up to eleven officers since June 2nd, making it the second deadliest month of the year so far. I’ve got my fingers crossed that it doesn’t pass January’s total of fourteen officers lost.

On Thursday, June 19th at approximately 3:00 a.m., Detective Sergeant Robert Deichman of the Youngstown Police Department in Ohio was killed when his patrol car struck a truck which was hauling a water tank that had backed out of a business driveway and into his path. The Detective Sergeant was on call and driving an unmarked car near his home at the time of the collision.

Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said Deichman, who worked in the accident investigation unit, was given the vehicle during off-duty hours in case he was called to the scene of a crash.

A nine-year veteran of the Youngstown Police Department, Sergeant Deichman, age 40, is survived by his wife, Lori; two daughters, Jenna and Juliana; and his parents.

At the United States Federal Penitentiary in Atwater, California located in Merced County at the site of the former Castle Air Force Base, Correctional Officer Jose Rivera was stabbed to death by two inmates on Friday, April 20th. The inmates stabbed Officer Rivera with homemade knives as he was locking cell doors in preparation for the 4:00 pm headcount.

Other officers immediately responded to the location and restrained both suspects while Officer Rivera was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds several hours later.

Deputy Tom MacKenzie with the Merced Country Sheriff's Department called it a real tragedy. "Our hearts go out to the family. God be with them. That's a hard thing to go though, especially with someone that's 22 years of age."

Officer Rivera had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for only 10 months.

In Colorado, the Pueblo Police Department is mourning the death of an officer who collapsed and died while responding to a disturbance downtown. Police Officer Nicholas Heine and several other officers were attempting to break up several bar fights when he complained of feeling short of breath and collapsed.

Other officers rendered medical aide performing CPR until Officer Heine was transported to Parkview Medical Center, where he died a short time later of an apparent cardiac arrest. “This has been devastating to the whole department but more his own crew than anyone else because they were so tight," said Pueblo Police Chief James Billings.

Officer Heine, age 30 and a picture of good health, had been with the Pueblo Police Department for nine years. His mother Patricia, a detective with the department, pinned her old badge on him when he joined the force. "He was everything you hoped your kids would grow up to be," she said.

In addition to his mother, Officer Heine is survived by his wife and two daughters, Nichole and Rebecca. "They're having a hard time with this," said Pat Heine. "They keep expecting daddy to come home and he's not going to."

For too many families lately, Daddy is not coming home.

If You're in a Tight Spot

Anyone who has spent any time at all on the internet is probably very familiar with the concept of payday loans. These types of loans have been around a lot longer than the internet but having a computer has certainly made it a lot easier to get one should you find yourself in a temporary bind. The thing to remember with this type of loan, though, is that it's best for a short term, quick turnaround loan as finance rates are a lot higher than you'll find with conventional loans that are designed to be taken out for a long period of time - generally a year or longer. With a payday loan you get your money fast and usually deposited right into your checking account so that you can take care of an emergency when you're strapped.

Setting Sail for the Sale

Rather than sitting in dispatch this Saturday morning, I'll be sitting at my mother's house in Canterbury just waiting for hordes of eager buyers to arrive with their pockets overflowing with money with which to buy some of the marvelous merchandise we have set out for their perusal. After all, hasn't it been said that "one's man trash is another man's treasure"?

In order to draw the crowds in, I placed the following ad in the Norwich Bulletin:

CANTERBURY: Sat. 8-2. Old Plainfield Road. No early birds unless you bring coffee!

Just as sure as God made little green apples, I have no doubt that people will arrive before the designated start time of the sale but I would also be willing to bet that none of them arrive bearing coffee! If any do, I shall be sure to take their picture and let you know because that, my friends, is the stuff that blog posts are made of!

Everyone have a fantastic Saturday - I'll be back tomorrow after I'm done counting the loot from my haul!

Semi-Sky Watch Friday

Sunrise Over Plain Hill
Originally uploaded by cole_photography
A lot of bloggers participate in a meme called "Sky Watch Friday" and even though I love looking at all of the pictures they post, I just haven't had the time to add a regular meme to my somewhat hectic schedule. Still, I have been fascinated by the sky lately and as Amanda says, have had my head in the clouds when it comes to a lot of my picture-taking recently. As a matter of fact, I took some yesterday that I will probably be sharing with you soon but for today, I wanted to post this picture that was taken by my friend and co-worker at American Ambulance, Dennis.

Some of you might remember Dennis from my post An Award for a Friend - he's the kick-ass paramedic who makes some equally kick-ass hot wings! Turns out he also takes some kick-ass pictures but that's probably because he owns a kick-ass camera - a Nikon D40 which he recently upgraded to from his Nikon D3. I swear, he's got all the cool toys that I'd love to have if I were a) younger, b) made the money he does, and c) didn't have the bills that I do!

With Dennis' gracious permission I will be using some more of his pictures for next week's Manic Monday Meme - the theme of which is night. Hopefully you can stop by then to check those out!

Put Down the Mouse, Step Away From the Blog and No One Will Get Hurt

Tomorrow we're going to be having a yard sale up at my Mom's house in Canterbury and I'm supposed to be searching the house high and low for items to put in it that might actually prove to be of value to someone else while they just sit and collect dust at my house. Yard sales are actually a pretty good way to make a little extra pocket cash (which I could really use with next weekend's upcoming trip to New York City with three teenagers!). The problem is, I don't seem to be too motivated to get stuff together and have been putting it off all week. Truly I have become The Queen of Procrastination! Hopefully Queen Mimi doesn't mind that I have declared myself queen of something; after all, I'm supposed to be Linda, Duchess of Norwich Upon the Thames and not Linda, Queen of Procrastination but in this case, it seems more appropriate!

Anyhow, to that end I am going to put up one last post after that this, remove myself from the computer and gather up my old golf clubs that I will sadly never use anymore due to my bad back, dust off my old bowling ball that I shall never use again for the same reason, load up the other assorted goodies I have around the house that are in need of a new home, and venture north to Canterbury to prepare for tomorrow's big sale. I shall return to the wonderful world of blogging after I have raked in phenomenal riches from selling all of my cast-off worldly possessions ... or not! I doubt I'll even have enough for any North Padre Island rentals but it sure would be nice!

Everyone else have a great Friday and as Arnold says, "I'll be bach!"

Mona Lisa Smiles!

When it comes to nice restaurants in Norwich that don't fall into the "Pizza Parlor" category, the list is painfully short. Unfortunately, Norwich is just not the restaurant mecca of southeastern Connecticut but I am now happy to say that I have found one more place that serves some excellent food in a nice atmosphere complete with friendly waitstaff - Mona Lisa's Restaurant & Lounge!

During EMS Week last month, I was lucky enough to win a trivia contest and receive a prize in the form of a $100 gift card to Mona Lisa's. I had never been there before so wasn't sure what the food was like or when I was going to use the gift card but I was pretty sure that $100 would buy one heck of a nice meal; I just wasn't sure when I would have occasion to use it. It dawned on me that perhaps Amanda's birthday would warrant the perfect occasion to make use of that particular windfall but when I broached the subject to Amanda and Darci after getting home from work on her birthday neither of them wanted to go! Apparently they had feasted on chicken fingers and fries just before I got home and they just weren't hungry. Oh ...

Still, better late than never as far as birthday celebrations go and we decided to go Thursday evening instead. The girls were told with ample time to plan ahead so as not fill up on anything else and after a brief stop at the Yantic Cemetery so I could take some cloud pictures (yes, more cloud pictures!) we got to the restaurant with plenty of time to beat the dinner rush.

After we were seated and had menus in hand, I told Amanda and Darci that they could order whatever they wanted including an appetizer or two. Amanda's eyes grew big as that's not generally something she hears from me - usually it's more like, "don't go overboard because I'm not made of money! " Given carte blanche with the menu, she was free to choose something she really liked but might not normally get the chance to have. Unfortunately they didn't have her all-time favorite - fried shrimp - on the menu but Amanda loves all sorts of seafood so she decided on the Broiled Seafood Platter. Darci chose one of the evening's specials, Chicken Kiev, and I decided to treat myself to the Surf and Turf with a 12-oz New York strip steak and broiled swordfish - which is one of my all-time favorites!

When the mozzarella sticks and stuffed potato skin appetizers the girls had chosen arrived at the table they immediately dug in but I had to interrupt and tell them to hold up, I needed to take pictures! Darci looked at me a little funny but Amanda, who has been the daughter of a blogger long enough to realize that everything gets photographed, told her that it was okay, it was "a blogging thing and just go with it." In that respect, I believe I have taught her well!

We had a lovely dinner - the food was quite excellent and the portions were more than ample, the waitress was very attentive and offered free refills (take note of that, Mr. Gus!) of our drinks, and the girls really seemed to have a good time even though we weren't at Burger King or the local Chinese buffet or wherever else it is that teenagers like to go!


All in all, it was a lovely evening and I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Mona Lisa's again should the occasion warrant it. Of course, I probably won't have the benefit of a gift card at my disposal the next time but it would be worth paying out of my own pocket! I'd be more than happy to recommend the restaurant to anyone who might be in the Norwich area, too - I'm sure Mona Lisa's could make anyone smile!

When you need to make ends meet ...

With the rising cost of everything in life these days, sometimes it's a little too easy to find yourself running short on cash and payday always seems like it's too far away. If you're like me and don't have an arsenal of credit cards on hand, what do you do when an emergency arises that you need a quick loan to cover? If you'd like to avoid applying for a loan at The Bank of Mom & Dad you could always consider the alternative which is to apply for a cash advance from an online source that will carry you over until your next payday. Even though you're going to be paying more interest than you would on a conventional loan, these emergency loans are quick, convenient, and save you the embarrassment of asking your parents! And sometimes that in and of itself is priceless!

Pondering the Possibilities

We had Chinese take-out for lunch at work on Saturday and this is my fortune cookie from that meal (I was playing around with the macro zoom on my camera!). Unlike some of the fortunes that you get in a cookie, this is the kind of fortune that I like to get as it lends itself to all sorts of possibilities and wonderings.

What sort of chance will I take? Will that chance pan out or fail miserably? And should I try playing those lucky numbers? The possibilities are endless!

June Death Toll Continues to Rise for Law Enforcement

Another young law enforcement officer was killed this week when he was shot during the course of a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in western North Carolina. The shooting occurred on Tuesday, June 17th after North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper David Shawn Blanton, Jr. pulled over a motor vehicle at approximately 10:20 pm. An argument ensued and the suspect, who is now in custody, struck Trooper Blanton with two shots, one that was not life-threatening and the other entering his torso in an area not protected by his bulletproof vest. That shot struck vital organs inside his body and proved fatal shortly after the trooper had been transported to Mission Hospitals in Asheville.

"Incidents like this remind us of what a dangerous profession law enforcement is," said Brian E. Beatty, Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety in North Carolina in a news release.

Trooper Blanton was from Cherokee, N.C., and a member of the eastern band of the Cherokee Indian tribe. He was the first of that tribe to serve with the Highway Patrol according to his father, David Blanton Sr.

The elder Blanton said his son had recently married and had one child, who had been born premature on May 31st. The baby boy, Brendan Tye, had medical issues when he was born and was still being treated at the same hospital in Asheville where his father died Tuesday night. Trooper Blanton's wife issued a brief statement through the hospital and talked about their newborn son who is listed in serious condition, "We sincerely appreciate all of the prayers for our family and especially for our son Tye," Michaela Blanton said.

Trooper Blanton, age 24, was a two-year member of the North Carolina Highway Patrol and the first to die in the line of duty since 1997. He is the 59th trooper to die in the line of duty since the North Carolina Highway Patrol formed in 1929.

Please join me in thanking this brave young man for his service and in sending prayers to his family, especially to his infant son.

If There's a Birthday - There's a Cake!

Amanda wanted a colorful cake for her birthday - I think this fit the bill, don't you?

The Birthday "Queen" seems pleased!
Happy Birthday again, kiddo, and best wishes for a fantastic year!

Happy Birthday, Sweet 16!

Sixteen years ago today I gave my mother a once in a lifetime birthday present - her first granddaughter. In addition to sharing a birthday, Amanda and my mother also share their middle name - Elizabeth. Originally I had wanted to name the baby who always seemed to have her big feet in my ribs Amanda Lynn but my cousin Amy had harassed me to no end as she said that sounded too much like a mandolin. Leave it to a bluegrass fan to point that out so Amanda Elizabeth she became!

Even though it seems to have become the norm for parents to now give their 16-year olds a major blow-out party I really can't afford one so later this evening we'll just celebrate with a cake and few friends while we save the bigger celebration for next weekend when Amanda, Darci, Cate, Amy, and I take on The Big Apple and a Mindless Self Indulgence concert at Terminal 5. I bet if I could somehow get Jimmy to sing "Happy Birthday" to her, albeit a little late, I'd be forgiven for not having a big party! Hmm ... I wonder ...

Happy 16th birthday, Amanda, and happy birthday to my Mom, too!

Amanda & Grandma celebrate their birthdays

Is It Just Me or ...

... is anyone else having problems with word verification with Blogger? Lately I have had a deuce of a time trying to leave a comment on some of my regular blog reads as I've had to keep trying the word verification over and over and over and over and ... good thing I'm stubborn or there would be a lot of blogs I'm not leaving comments on because sometimes it's taken me over twelve attempts before it takes!

I fully understand why some bloggers choose to use the word verification function as lately I've found myself deleting unwanted comments from quite a few sources (I especially find it distasteful when some inconsiderate boob leaves a link to a penal enlargement website on a Line of Duty Death post - shame on you!). I had even considered reactivating it myself but then knowing how much trouble I've been having with it, I didn't want to put any of my potential commenters through that same problem. After all, like all bloggers, I love comments!

What's a blogger to do? Is anyone else having this problem and if so, what do you do? Also, if I stop by to visit and don't leave a comment, please understand that it's not because I didn't want to - it's just that I couldn't though trust me - I try!

"It hurts your soul." ... Yes, it truly does.

It is only the middle of June and it is with great sadness that I need to add two more names to the Honor Roll for Fallen Officers on my sidebar with the deaths of two more law enforcement officers in recent days. In addition to these two fine men, I am also going to pay tribute in this post to a volunteer firefighter who was also killed in the line of duty. All three men died needless and tragic deaths helping to protect and serve their respective communities.

Traffic control for a fire near Fort Lejeune, North Carolina outside of Jacksonville turned tragic for a sheriff’s deputy and a volunteer firefighter during the early morning hours of Saturday, June 14th, when they were both struck and killed by a tractor trailer whose driver sped carelessly into an area with low visibility. Both men were directing traffic and assisting with two accidents on the road when a tractor-trailer struck them.

Deputy Sheriff Steve Boehm, a 10-year veteran of the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department, and Firefighter Gene Thomas, a member of the Verona Volunteer Fire Department for 33 years, both died instantly when the truck failed to slow down. A second deputy received minor injuries from the same accident and was released after treatment at a local hospital.

The tragedy has left hundreds of people in Onslow County numb and saddened as they mourn two fallen heroes. Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said that they will never be forgotten. Deputy Boehm worked as a School Resource Officer at White Oak High School and had started his first day on summer assignment on Saturday. Sheriff Brown described Deputy Boehm as quiet and reserved, “SRO was more than a job to him, he was a mentor for the school - it was a project for him, not a duty, and he was committed to that job," Brown said. "We will miss him and his family is going to miss him."

In addition to his duties with the Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Boehm, age 36, was also the junior varsity football coach for White Oak High School. An 8-year veteran of the United States Army, he leaves behind his wife, one son, and three daughters as well as one brother and a department and community stricken with grief.

Firefighter Gene Thomas, age 51, had been a firefighter for over 30 years “something he was born to do,” according to Verona Fire Department Captain Kevin Davis. “He has grown up in the fire service," Davis said. "His father was a firefighter, his two brothers are firefighters ... they enjoyed careers as volunteer firefighters and it takes a special breed to do that. He enjoyed volunteering and he enjoyed doing the work," stated Davis. "He was a (Department of Transportation) worker, he enjoyed doing that work and he enjoyed volunteering. He lives right across the street from the department and he was always the first one in the building.”

Thomas is survived by his wife and daughter as well as his mother and two brothers in addition to a department that is shocked over the loss of a member of their “family”.

On the other side of the country, members of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department are also mourning the loss of one of their own. Deputy Sheriff Jose Antonio (Tony) Diaz , a ten year veteran of the department, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Dunnigan, California, north of Sacramento, on Sunday, June 15th.

The incident began Sunday night after Davis Police issued a bulletin to all local law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for a subject who was reportedly driving under the influence with an infant in his car. Shortly after Deputy Diaz spotted the suspect, a high-speed chase ensued that ended when the suspect exited his vehicle and fired several shots at Deputy Diaz. The injured deputy radioed into dispatch that he had been shot with a high-powered rifle that penetrated his Kevlar vest. After other law enforcement units arrived, he was airlifted to Woodland Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:51 p.m.

The suspect, a verified gang member, fled the scene on foot leaving behind the infant in his car. He was apprehended following a massive manhunt on Monday morning. He is charged with one count of first degree murder.

In a statement issued Monday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "Deputy Tony Diaz was a true hero who sacrificed his life to protect the citizens of his community. The people of California will never forget Tony's selflessness, bravery and tireless dedication to keeping Yolo County safe. Maria and I extend our deepest condolences to Tony's family, friends and fellow officers during this difficult time."

"It's just tragic," Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto said during a news conference. "It hurts your soul." Deputy Diaz, age 37, leaves behind three daughters, ages 2, 4 and 16, from a previous marriage as well as a fiancée and her three daughters to whom he was a father figure.

Rest in peace, gentlemen. Thank you for your service to your country and your communities.

Porch Ponderings

It's been kind of cool and rainy the past couple of days here in New England but I'm not complaining at all, mind you - just stating a fact! A week ago we were having record-breaking temperatures hovering near the century mark on the thermometer - way too hot for June in my own humble opinion! - but since Saturday evening we've had rain and temperatures barely getting out of the 60's.

Personally, I don't mind the cooler weather at all (though I could do without so much rain if we're being honest!) but I think that the plants on my porch are getting somewhat confused with this constant change of temperatures! Still, they seem to be thriving and blossoming quite nicely so I thought I'd share a picture or two with you that I took recently.

My front porch looks to be a lovely place even though I can't boast of any teak furniture or anything fancier than a glider swing that my son gave me as a Mother's Day gift years ago, doesn't it? I'm hoping the weather warms up enough that I can go out and sit on said glider swing but doesn't get so hot that the porch is the last place I want to be! A little nicer weather is all I ask. Well, that and it might be nice to have someone to share that swing with but then I guess that would definitely be asking for too much! For now, I'll just take the nicer weather!

Hey, Kids, Let's Take a Poll!

Every great once in awhile when we need a treat during a long day in Dispatch & Scheduling at American Ambulance where I work we decide to make a Dairy Queen run. Not only is it close but it's ice cream and who can resist ice cream, especially when you're stressed to the max and need something to take the edge off? Certainly not us!

Blizzards® are the number one choice of the other people I work with but I tend to prefer a nice cup of vanilla with sprinkles - sometimes chocolate ones and sometimes rainbow ones. However, I've apparently confused the heck out of some people when I order my ice cream with "jimmies", which is what I've always referred to the chocolate sprinkles as.

This got us into a bit of a debate one day (the things one debates about in a dispatch center are quite varied as anyone who has ever worked in one can tell you!) so I thought it might make for a good poll in a blog post so that I could find out what other people refer to the little chocolate bits that you put on an ice cream cone or sundae as. Are they sprinkles? Are they jimmies? Are they shots? Are they something completely different? Take a moment to answer the poll below and let me know what you call them!

A big thank you to Darci and Cate for volunteering to eat ice cream so that I could take pictures for this post. Darci had a chocolate cone with jimmies, as she tells me they call them in New Jersey, and Cate had a chocolate cone with rainbow sprinkles - which were apparently quite fascinating to her!

Then there's Amanda, who avoided the debate completely, took the easy way out, and just ordered a chocolate cone with cherry dip - leave it to her to have to be different!

Reflections From a Mall Parking Lot

Teenagers & the mall ... they go together rather like macaroni & cheese, hot dogs & hamburgers, spaghetti & meatballs, peanut butter & jelly, steak & potatoes, hot chocolate & mini-marshmallows ... you get the idea, right? Some things are just meant to be together in life - especially on a Saturday evening when school is out, summer has begun, and you and your friends want to go somewhere. Least ways that's what my teenage sources tell me!

To that end, I'm sitting in my car in the parking lot of the Crystal Mall in Waterford, which is the closest mall to our house, while Amanda, Darci, and Cate explore the wonders of Hot Topic, FYE, Borders Express, Spencer's, Claire's and who knows what other stores. While they're inside ooh'ing and aah'ing over whatever it is that teenagers ooh and aah over these days, I'm waiting for them in the car with my laptop, digital camera, and mostly-unread Stephen King book - fully prepared to wile away whatever amount of time it takes for them to decide they've shopped till they've dropped. By my estimation that shouldn't take too long as the Crystal Mall is somewhat pathetic by mall standards and none of them, except for Darci, have more than $20 to their name.

Way back in the day when I was a teenager, we didn't have malls to hang out in (yes, we did have electricity and running water, thank you very much!) but if we did have malls, $20 would have gone a lot farther than it does now. As a teenager if I ever happened to be in possession of an Andrew Jackson I was quite thrilled but alas, these days whenever I give Amanda a $20 bill invariably what I hear sounds something like "Is that it? I can't buy anything with just $20!" Sadly, she's almost right and with the way the economy is going, I suspect it's going to be worth even less before too long. Heck, as soon as you break a hundred dollar bill now it seems to disappear like a quarter from a magician's hand so $20 today is probably the equivalent of $5 back in the mid-1970's when I was a teenager. I'd check online to see what the difference is but there's no WiFi signal where I'm parked and I'm too cheap to go across the street to the Borders and sit in the Seattle's Best coffee shop and pay for one to find out. Though now that I think about it, a nice iced coffee beverage would really be nice ...

In an effort to resist temptation, though, I think I'll kick back and read some of Duma Key or maybe even take a bit of a nap while I'm waiting for my cell phone to ring to tell me that the girls are done shopping and "now can we please go get something to eat because we're hungry!" Teenagers & hunger ... they go together much like teenagers & the mall!

Note - This post was written using Windows Live Writer - if you aren't familiar with this great desktop application that makes it easy to write your posts off-line and then publish them later I suggest you check it out by clicking here! I first read about this over at The Life of a Father of Five and it's a pretty nifty little tool!

Amanda's Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat or Why I Was Wearing a Mask!

Sometimes it's not easy being a parent ... especially the parent of a teenage daughter who is a major fan of Mindless Self Indulgence, the band that has described their musical sound as being "industrial, jungle punk"; the band whose lead singer, Jimmy Urine (short for Euringer) wears outfits that look like these two here when on stage; the band who encourages their fans to dress up just as strangely when attending their concerts; the band who is performing two concerts in the local area very soon and which Amanda will be attending and heaven forbid she not wear something so outrageous that it will make Jimmy proud!

This is what Amanda wore when she met Jimmy for the very first time at last summer's Projekt Revolution concert in Hartford -

- but you can bet your last dollar that normal looking ensemble of t-shirt and jeans will not be what she's wearing when she attends her next MSI concert at the end of this month. Oh no - far from it!

Check out the video below to see part of what she'll be wearing and to see what I was up to with that bandanna and spray can! It definitely wasn't bug spray!

Like I said - sometimes it's not easy being a parent but why not have fun with it while you can?!?

"You say tomayto, I say tomahto ..."

Last year it was fresh spinach ... this year it's tomatoes ... what is up with all the problems with produce these days?

It's not bad enough that we have to pay almost $5.00 for a gallon of gas, $4.00 for a gallon of milk, $2.50 for a dozen eggs, and about $2.00 for a medium-size cup of coffee that just doesn't seem to taste like coffee anymore - now we can't even have a BLT sandwich because the T part of the equation is being yanked off of shelves due to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning!

Last year's pulling of bagged spinach from grocery coolers really didn't affect me as I'm not a fresh spinach eater as a rule but to not be able to have a tomato on my salad or my sandwich or hamburger is just downright unacceptable! Thank goodness I had the foresight to decide to grow my own tomatoes this year and bought a lone plant back in April. It's now happily growing in a container on my front porch amongst all of the petunias, dusty miller, morning glories, geraniums, and whatever else I have out there.

I bought it a cage yesterday to help support it as it's doing so well and I can't wait until this lovely plant starts producing some fruit so I can enjoy a homegrown tomato or two on my salads and sandwiches. Tomato scare indeed - we'll just see about that!

How about you? How are you surviving the Great Tomato Shortage of '08?

Also, come on back by later and I'll fill you in on what I was doing wearing that bandanna over my face yesterday - I've almost got all of the pictures together to tell the whole story!

Calling All Senses of Humor!

For a bit of a change, I thought it might be fun to run a "Caption That Photo" post and see what sort of sense of humor you, my readers, might have. Plus it gives me the chance to do a post and let you folks do the work!

So ... leave a comment with a caption for this picture and then come back tomorrow to find out exactly it was I was up to! Oh, and Miz Cyn ... don't spoil the fun by cheating and telling people what was really going on if you happen to stop by!

Good Food Served With a Side of Rude

Once a month my friend Rhonda, whom I have known for a good chunk of years now, and I get together to meet for lunch. Rather than lose touch with each other completely, which is very easy to do with people's mixed-up and busy schedules these days, we figure that this once-a-month outing gives us a chance to touch base and catch up on each others' lives a little bit.

We don't go to one spot in particular for our monthly get-together like my mom and her siblings do when they gather once a month for breakfast but, instead, we rotate from among our favorite places - The Olive Garden, Olde Tymes Restaurant, Friendly's, or a few other local eateries like Gus' Pizzarama here. After yesterday, though, Gus' will no longer be on our list as even though it's been in Plainfield for years and years and makes some fantastic food, I don't tolerate rudeness from people very well - particularly when that rudeness comes from the owner of the place.

Lunch, itself, was very nice. Rhonda ordered her standard small ham grinder - toasted, with oil no mayo - and I opted for one of the lunch specials - a chicken salad sandwich on a Kaiser roll with fries and cole slaw. It was very tasty and even though the service wasn't as good as it has been in the past, the waitresses were very nice. Oh, I should also mention that Rhonda ordered a glass of water and, because it was a hot day and I really enjoy a nice cold glass of iced tea on a hot day, that's what I had.

It was my plan to order a small pizza to take home for Amanda as she had a half-day at school and I knew that there wasn't much of anything to eat at home but once our food was delivered to the table our waitress seemed to do a disappearing act and we were done eating before I'd had a chance to put the pizza order in. No problem, that gave us a good excuse to order dessert as we had to do something while we were waiting for the pizza! Gus' doesn't have a dessert menu per say but instead has a chalkboard that lists the available treats (without prices listed). Rhonda ordered a piece of lemon meringue pie and I ordered another of my favorites - tiramisu - which was very good if just a little one the small side. At the time we ordered dessert, the waitress asked if Rhonda would like more water and if I wanted a refill on my iced tea. We both said sure and the waitress brought it right out.

So ... once we'd eaten lunch and enjoyed a lovely dessert and good conversation the waitress brought out Amanda's pizza and the bill (I've honestly never understood why people call it a check - I'm not getting money, I'm giving it!). I took the bill, looked at it, and was totally blown away by the total - $32.91! Even though our sandwiches were both under $6.00 the desserts were quite expensive at $3.75 for Rhonda's pie and $4.25 for my tiramisu. However, that wasn't the main problem - I had been charged $2.90 for two iced teas. Apparently refills are not free at Gus' but the waitress failed to mention that when she asked if I'd like one nor had I noticed that on the menu. The other item that I had to question was the cost of Amanda's pizza. It was listed as a taco pizza for $10.45 but I had ordered a two-item pizza with chicken and black olives for what I thought was $8.45. Thinking I could get that straightened out at the register, I took the bill up front to pay while Rhonda waited for me at our table.

When I got to the front, the owner of Gus' was operating the register and I asked him about the price discrepancy on the bill. He looked at it and said that even though I had ordered a two-item pizza that the two items I ordered were extra. Chicken and black olives are extra?? Funny, I hadn't seen that on the menu either. When I mentioned that I also mentioned that I didn't realize that refills were not free. It was at that point that things got ugly.

Mr. Gus - or whatever the heck his name is - looked at me rather condescendingly and said, "Why do you think you'd get a free refill? You don't get free refills at McDonald's." Even though I was a bit surprised that he was being so rude, I replied "Oh yes you do, they give you a cup and you can fill it as many times as you want. I guess next time I'll order water instead." To that he replied, "Then I will charge for water." I said, "You don't charge for water now" and he came back at me with "They charge for water at McDonald's, though, don't they? You don't get free water there!" Honestly, I was beginning to wish that I had gone there instead as I really wasn't sure where this guy's attitude was coming from. I hadn't made a complaint, I had merely questioned the cost of the pizza and the fact that they charged for refills.

I signed the charge slip, went back to our table, and told Rhonda what had just transpired. Her initial response was "Do I have to pay for my water now?" I told her I didn't think so as I had already paid the bill but I guess if Gus' starts charging for water in the future, that can be blamed on me! We sat there for a little bit longer while I made good and sure that I finished my very expensive iced tea and a couple of times I could feel the proprietor glaring at me but I was gol'darned if I was going to leave before I was good and ready! It's not like the place was crowded and they needed the table or anything anyway.

As Rhonda and I talked about how rudely I had been treated and lamented the loss of good customer service these days, I told her that I was just going to have to write a post about it as there is no excuse for treating your customers like that guy did. I was half-tempted to write a Letter to the Editor of The Bulletin but they only let you write one once every 30 days and I'd submitted one for EMS Week so wouldn't be eligible. Still - a blog post is just as good - especially considering I had my camera with me like every good blogger does!

So there you are Mr. Gus - free advertising for your restaurant with the rudest customer treatment in all of Plainfield, Connecticut. As much as I have enjoyed the food at Gus' over the years, I will not be eating there again which is too bad because the food itself is quite good. I just can't say the same for the manners of the owner.

Sunday Sunset

We here on the East Coast are in the midst of our first heat wave of the season which oftentimes means that thunderstorms are also present. An unexpected one blew through the region early Sunday evening while I was at my son's house in Rhode Island for my grandson's birthday party. The only thing we got where we were at was some distant rumbling, a major darkening of the skies, and a bit of rain but parts of Connecticut got hit hard which was evident on my way home from all of the branches and leaves in the roadway.

As I was driving north on Route 12 making my way back home, I could see over the trees that we were in store for a gorgeous sunset and I knew I wanted to get some pictures of it. Luckily I had my camera with me and even though the batteries were starting to run a bit low, I was hoping they had enough juice left in them for a few pictures.

The trick at that point was to try to find a spot where I could get some good shots unobstructed by the many trees that are in the area and it was then that I remembered a boat launch right off the roadway I was on and decided that would be the perfect spot. Below are some of the shots I got and I think they came out really nice - especially considering I apparently have this major fixation with clouds lately! As I told Mimi a bit ago, I think maybe it's because I'm spending more time looking up than I am looking down and that's when you see some truly beautiful things.





Amanda's favorite is the second one from the bottom, which I rather liked myself, too. The thought occurred to me, though, that if I keep taking so many pictures of clouds, I'm going to need some more computer memory to keep all the pictures in pretty soon! But it just might be worth it!

One Step Closer to Retirement?

After receiving the invitation to join AARP in the mail last week, I took a look at their website and some of the things they had to offer those of us who are approaching a slightly older age. After perusing things a little bit, I decided that maybe being a card-carrying Baby Boomer might not be such a bad thing so I saved myself a stamp and joined on-line. Woohoo! Let the savings begin!

Now if I could just be an actual part of the "R" in the name of the group I'd really be turning cartwheels but I'm afraid retirement is still a long, long ways away. Oh well, at least I can experience some savings until then, right? ... I wonder if I can get a discount on a cane??

Bank At Home to Save Gas & Time

With gas prices climbing higher and higher and higher with seemingly no end in sight, people are looking for more and more ways to save on fuel usage. There have been a lot of news stories lately talking about how companies are changing their employees' hours from 5 8-hour days to 4 10-hour days, people are starting to rethink public transportation, and gas-guzzling cars are going the way of the dinosaurs.

In addition, people are starting to rethink just jumping into the car and heading out for every little errand - groceries can be delivered to your home, bills can be paid online, prescriptions are ordered through the mail ... the list is endless. Online banking has really taken off in popularity, too, but it still requires a trip to the bank to deposit checks unless you want to mail them in and add on the additional wait time that snail mail builds in.

If you're an eBay seller or have an online business of your own you probably find yourself having to go to the bank frequently to deposit checks but now there's a way that you can deposit those checks directky to your bank account from the comfort of your home. With DepositNow, a new technology that lets you make deposits electronically, all you need is a computer and a scanner and you can transmit those checks directly into your bank account without leaving your home or office and making a trip to the bank. You save time and gas - two things that we never seem to have enough of at this point!

The technology for electronic deposits has been around since 2004 but not a lot of people know about it and those that do may have been put off by the cost of a scanner figuring that they weren't going to save that much because, after all, how much could trips to the bank possibly cost? Well, with gas now over $4.00 a gallon nationally, the answer to that is probably a lot! DepositNow offers scanners for $225 that not only will electronically scan your checks but works as a full-color regular scanner, too. If you're an eBay PowerSeller and making lots of deposits, chances are good that scanner will pay for itself in no time flat as you find yourself sending checks off to your bank at any time of the day or night safely and easily from home. How cool is that? You can bank in your PJ's!

If this technology is something that you think you can benefit from, check out DepositNow and see what they have to offer. As an added bonus, if you enter my blog's name as a promo code, you can get $25 off the purchase of a scanner when you become a customer. Oh, and just as a heads up, you won't find the price of the service listed on the website as costs vary depending on how many checks you transmit per month but it's generally for less than cost of cable TV.

Check it out and then send those checks out - from home!

Hey, Speedcat, This One's for You!

While looking through the NorwichBulletin.com website this morning for stories involving the ridiculously high temperatures we're in the midst of here in southeastern Connecticut, I came across the following article from the Associated Press and immediately thought of that Grand Chicken Master himself, Speedcat Hollydale ...

Police investigate bomb-stuffed chicken

The Associated Press

Posted Jun 09, 2008 @ 10:44 PM

---

Simsbury, Conn. —

A whole raw roasting chicken was found by the side of a road Monday stuffed with a pipe bomb, police said.

A motorist noticed the chicken bomb about 9 a.m. on Powder Forest Drive. It was large enough to cause harm to a person if it went off, Police Capt. Matthew Catania said.

The road was closed while the Hartford Police Department’s bomb squad came and blew up the chicken.

Nobody was injured. No arrests had been made Monday night.

Unfortunately there were no pictures to go along with the bomb squad blowing up the chicken as that really would have added to this post but given the wild imagination and PhotoShop talents of not only Speedcat but his accomplice and sidekick, Miss Moneypenny CPU, I would be willing to bet that they could come up with something!

UPDATE:

I knew that Speedcat would be up to the task and sure enough, he's reproduced his own rendition of the scene of the crime ...

Just remember folks, Pipe Bomb Chicken should under no circumstances be confused with Beer Can Chicken! Yeah, yeah, I know ... that was truly fowl!

Ah, Summer and Camping ... Not!

With schools starting to let out for the year and people welcoming summer with open arms, I'd be willing to bet that a lot of people will be heading out into the great outdoors and participating in that wonderful ritual called "camping".

Now, my version of roughing it - as camping is often called - basically means a hotel without free wireless internet but for millions of people there is nothing in the world like becoming one with nature and heading out into the wilds armed only with a pop-up tent, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a water canteen, and dehydrated foods. Oh, and bug spray and sunscreen and bandaids and ...

Have fun, folks, I'll meet you over by the free Continental breakfast when you get tired of the great outdoors!

Manic Monday - Under

Over at It's a Blog Eat Blog World, the Manic Monday Man himself - Morgen - has declared this Monday's word to be under. Having not had the chance to do a Manic Monday post in awhile, I thought I would take this week's word under consideration and see what I could come up with. I was leaning towards a song post considering I hadn't done one of those in even longer than I hadn't done a Manic Monday post and almost immediately the perfect song popped into my head! -

The Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
Now believe it or not, I was still pretty young when The Rolling Stones first came upon the music scene in 1962. The band was formed when original leader Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by singer Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. Formed in London, England their music was originally based on rhythm & blues and rock & roll.

The group set out on their first UK tour in July of 1963 (when I wasn't even five years old) and shortly after the British Invasion hit the shores and ears of America when they performed their first US tour in June of 1964. In bassist's Bill Wyman's words it was, "a disaster. When we arrived, we didn't have a hit record [there] or anything going for us." On their second US tour in the autumn of 1964, the band played on The Ed Sullivan Show (a major showcase for new talent at the time) but you can bet your bottom dollar my parents didn't let us watch that performance!

During both of these tours, the group was mostly performing cover songs and not playing any of their own songs yet. Even though there had been a single or two released earlier that was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it wasn't until December of 1964 that their label, London Records, released the band's first single with Jagger/Richards originals on both sides: Heart of Stone and What A Shame. The "A" side, Heart of Stone, went to number 19 on the US charts. Shortly after that, the band stopped doing covers and concentrated on their own work.

Under My Thumb was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1966 and first appeared on The Stones' album Aftermath, their 4th UK and 6th US studio album. It was never released as a single but was still one of their more popular hits even though it set a lot of feminists on edge with its lyrics that celebrate a man's struggle to get out from under a pushy and dominating woman. In a 1995 interview, Jagger had this to say about the song - "It's a bit of a jokey number, really. It's not really an anti-feminist song any more than any of the others .... Yes, it's a caricature, and it's in reply to a girl who was a very pushy woman." Jagger may have been referring to a model named Chrissie Shrimpton that he was dating at the time as she has been cited as an inspiration for the song. Personally I'm not sure that's exactly the type of song I'd want to inspire but maybe Chrissie didn't mind!

All in all, The Rolling Stones have released 22 studio albums in the UK (24 in the US), eight concert albums (nine in the US), and numerous compilations; they have had 32 UK & US top-10 singles, 43 UK & US top-10 albums between 1964 and 2008; and have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. Last year they hit the road with the highest-grossing concert tour in history and they show absolutely no signs of slowing down. I'd have to say that these guys are certainly under no one's thumb!

For more Manic Monday posts, don't forget to visit Morgen at It's a Blog Eat Blog World and look under the picture for participants!

Law Enforcement Death Toll Climbs Again

The sixth law enforcement officer to die in the Line of Duty for the month of June was shot and killed at approximately 11:05 pm on Friday, June 6th in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Police Officer Todd Bahr of the Fredericksburg Police Department was on foot looking for a male suspect in a domestic violence call with other officers when he was shot once in the head. Nearby officers heard the shot and located the suspect who then opened fire on them. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect several times before he turned his gun on himself and ended his own life.

While Virginia State Police are assisting in the investigation, the Stafford Sheriff’s Office has sent trained workers to help Fredericksburg Police officers and dispatchers deal with the tragedy. Officer Bahr is the second area officer killed in the line of duty within the past year; Stafford Deputy Jason Mooney died in October when he wrecked while responding to a serious accident on Interstate 95.

Office Bahr, age 40, joined the Fredericksburg Police Department in August of 2006. Prior to that he owned a gun shop in Stafford and worked as an auxiliary officer. "He was a great guy, one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet," Fredericksburg Police Chief David Nye said. "But sometimes bad things happen, and they happen to good people."

Sadly, bad things happening to good people seem to be happening way too often lately.

Saturday Stuff

Ah, New England ... yesterday it was rainy and never made it above 60 degrees. Today the sun broke through the fog mid-morning and the temperatures climbed into the 90's. All of the doomsayers forecasters on the local weather channels say that this is the first heat wave of 2008 with temperatures expected to get even hotter than today through until Tuesday or Wednesday. Can I get an ugh?!? It's times like this when I wonder why it was I moved back to Connecticut in the first place ... oh yeah, my family is from here, I knew there was a good reason!

What I really should be doing right now is finding some cardboard boxes and getting stuff together for a yard sale that we'll be having at my Mom's in two weeks but to be perfectly honest, I have no desire to do much of anything except maybe kick back with that book I've been trying to read for weeks now and try to get through a page or two before I nod off as I'm sure to do! Come to think of it, though, I can't really do that either as it's after 7:00 at night and taking a nap now would be counter-productive to being able to go to bed in a few hours and get up to go to work in the morning.

So what's a vibrant and intelligent single woman like myself to do on a Saturday evening without a kid in the house because she's staying at a friend's? I know! I can play Bejeweled on the XBox!

Sigh ...

A Sad Week in Law Enforcement Continues With Three More Deaths

People have told me that I have been doing way too many "Line of Duty Death" posts and I've got to agree as here I am writing another one less than a week after the last one I did. These stories are sad and tragic and as much as I'd like to stop writing these posts, I can't as these men and women need to be recognized and remembered and that is my whole purpose behind writing these posts - not to depress people but to honor the officers who have fallen. Please bear with me; it's a depressing journey but one that needs to be made.

Police Officer Everett William Dennis, age 23, died in a one-vehicle automobile accident early Tuesday morning, June 3rd, in Carthage, Texas when his patrol car went out of control and overturned, ejecting him from the vehicle. At the time of the accident, Officer Dennis was pursuing another car for motor vehicle violations.

Officer Dennis joined the Carthage Police Department on July 9th, 2007, after completing the East Texas Police Academy of Kilgore in June of 2006. Prior to that he had worked as a jailer and dispatcher for the Harrison County Sheriff's Office, served on the Lakeport Lake Patrol, and served as a peace officer in Marion County. In addition to serving on the Carthage Police Department, Officer Dennis also served as a firefighter with Nesbitt and Hallsville volunteer fire departments.

"He was such a nice young man," Brenda Nix, administrative assistant to the city manager said. "He was a very conscientious and dedicated officer even though he was so young. He loved doing his job. It was his life."

June 3rd saw the death of a second officer as a result of a motor vehicle accident when Transport Officer Virgil Lee Behrens of the Marion County Sheriff's Department in Iowa died from the injuries he had received 12 days earlier. He and two detention officers were en route to the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to attend in service training when the vehicle driving next to them struck a deer throwing a portion of the deer through the windshield of the department vehicle that Officer Behrens was driving. The van went out of control and rolled, ejecting Officer Behrens. All three officers were transported to a hospital in Des Moines where Officer Behrens remained on life support until succumbing to his injuries.

A 43-year veteran of law enforcement, Officer Behrens, age 68, had served with the Marion County Sheriff's Department for 13 years and had previously served 30 years with the Iowa State Patrol. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter and grandchildren.

Deputy Sheriff Shane Tate of the Grundy County Sheriff's Department in Tennessee was shot and killed on Thursday, June 5th, in a small town about 35 miles northwest of Chattanoga as he and a reserve officer from the Monteagle Police Department served a probation violation warrant related to felony drug charges on a suspect.

Deputy Tate had graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy just two weeks ago and one of his first assignments was serving the probation warrant. After fatally shooting Deputy Tate and wounding the other officer, the suspect fled from the scene and was later found near his girlfriend's house where officers negotiated with him for about twenty minutes before he fatally shot himself in the head.

"He was a good police officer," said Grundy County Mayor Ladue Bouldin about Tate. "He was young, energetic, worked hard and wanted to catch the bad guys."

Deputy Tate, age 28, leaves behind his wife and five children as well as a stunned community. "This is definitely a great tragedy and a loss that really makes you wonder about where society's headed when things like this can happen," said Tate's friend, Al Wiley.

Good point, Mr. Wiley. Very good point.

I've Got a Question - You've Got an Answer

I'm heading out to breakfast with my Mom here in a few minutes but wanted to toss a quick question at everyone before I left ...

What are you currently reading?

I've been attempting to read Duma Key by Stephen King now for the past couple of months and even though I am really enjoying the book, I seem to be getting nowhere fast with it! Somehow only reading a page or two every few days just doesn't seem to cut it. Maybe I need to set up a specific reading time? And I mean a reading time other than blog reading!

How about you folks? What pages are you turning these days?

A Homecooked Meal Cooked by Someone Else!

Today was that most wonderful of days that so many of us look forward to whenever it occurs - payday! - so I decided to take Amanda out to dinner at one of our local eateries after we ran a few errands. I'd like to think that I work hard enough at my job and put in enough hours that I can take the kid out to eat once every two weeks as long as we don't overdo it.

Tonight's choice of eatery was Old Tymes Restaurant here in Norwich, a one-of-a-kind family owned place that serves up excellent home cooking with entrees like meatloaf, roasted turkey, Shepard's pie, and - as advertised - prime rib! They have a radio jingle that says "at Olde Tymes Restaurant, home is just a taste away" and that's the truth! Breakfast is especially good here and even better when you're treating your newly-ex-husband to it after leaving court upon the completion of your divorce! Add your best friend to the table and it makes for a wonderful memory but alas, I digress!

One of the things I like best about Olde Tymes is that when you sit down at your table, the first thing the waitress does is bring over a basket with homemade blueberry muffins and biscuits that are fresh and warm and a great holdover until your food gets there. Yep, it's definitely comfort food of the highest caliber! Tonight I ordered one of the daily specials - the hot roast beef sandwich - while Amanda had her usual - a Rodney Burger. Named after the man who owns the place, the Rodney Burger is a big ole' beef patty that is deep-fried and served on a bulky roll with cheese and gravy. Served up with a slab of homemade fries, it's a heart attack on a plate but it's just oh-so-good that you never think about that part! At least not until you're licking your fingers! If you're really adventurous you can even spice it up a bit with the jalepenos that are served on the side!

The dining room was fairly empty while we were there this evening as it was still fairly early but there were probably a good five or six other tables of folks either in the middle of their meals or waiting for their food to arrive. It's definitely a casual atmosphere with the local country radio station playing in the background - so casual, in fact, that when Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" came on, a young man at one of the tables across from us broke out into song and joined right in with Mr. Greenwood. Amanda had her back to the soloist so wasn't sure who it was but as I looked up, I caught the eye of the mom who was sitting across from her singing son and we both smiled - sharing one of those "Mom" moments. Amanda caught that and when she asked me what I was smiling about I told her that it was nothing even though it was definitely something that anyone who transmits or receives Mom code knows. That young man may have been "proud to be an American" as he sang along with the song but I knew for sure that his mom was proud that he was her son.

Anyhow, there's no particular point to this post other than to take my mind off of the upcoming heat wave this weekend and the fact that I am going to once again wish I had a couple of basement dehumidifiers as no doubt by the end of the weekend my cellar is going to start having that musty, mildewy smell to it that I so hate and that lasts all summer long. That and I wanted to somehow work in the pictures I had taken with my cell phone of Olde Tymes!

The Final Concert for the 2008 Norwich Free Academy Concert Band

"Chorale and Shaker Dance"
performed by the Norwich Free Academy Concert Band

The 2008 Norwich Free Academy Concert Band, of which Amanda is a member for those new to my blog, wrapped up their season with The Spring 2008 Concert on Thursday, May 29th in the Slater Memorial Auditorium on the NFA campus.

The concert was slightly different from this year's previous ones as it featured a performance by the Combined Orchestra which is made up of lots of little kids playing lots of little stringed instruments along with the high school kids who make up the regular NFA Orchestra. It was a little odd to see miniature people with miniature bows and miniature violins and the like but they did a good job playing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to open the night's concert. Needless to say, there were lots of proud parents sitting in the very front of the auditorium snapping pictures and recording videos as their little prodigies did them proud.

After the really little ones took their seats, the Orchestra continued the concert with "Allegro" by Shin'ichiro Suzuki and "Tribal Dance" and "Creatures" by Brian Balmages. Following these musical pieces, the Orchestra took a short break to recognize the graduating Seniors who were performing for their last time at the school that night. As part of that recognition, it's a tradition at NFA to give each Senior a copy of a book that will remind them of their time with the band or help them as they continue their musical journeys. Had I been paying better attention, I could tell you what the name of the book is but alas, it's been almost a week since the concert and I'm not real good at remembering things from a day ago - never mind a week - unless I've got really good prompts!

Once the Seniors presented Mr. Mac (aka Daniel MacDonald, NFA's Band Director) with a few parting gifts from them their segment of the concert continued with "Fire Dance" by Soon Hee Newbold and then finished up with a piece that I really enjoyed, "Point Lookout (A Fantasy on Civil War Songs)" again by Brian Balmages. Bet you can't guess why I really liked that one!

After a little rearranging of the stage, the Jazz Band livened up the audience with three toe-tapping tunes - Stevie Wonder's "I Wish", "Mucho Mugambo" by Evan Rea, and "Secret Smiles" by Mike Tomaro. I have to say that I really enjoy the Jazz Band whenever I attend one of Amanda's concerts as the kids look like they are having an incredibly good time and you can definitely hear that in their music. You can also tell that Eric Hutchinson, the Jazz Band Director, is having a fantastic time up there and he's quite proud of his musicians - as he should be!

Once again the small stage in Slater Auditorium underwent some rearranging and then it was time for the Concert Band itself to take over. Their first piece, "Second Suite in F for Military Band" by Gustav Holst was very well played and I liked it almost as much as their next piece of music - "El Capitan" by John Philip Sousa. I can't help it - I love a good march and as far as I'm concerned, no one wrote marches like Sousa did!

Allow me to make the standard apology for the quality of the following video of "El Capitan" - which seems to be the case with any of my videos! I was using a new HD mini-camcorder that Amanda had gotten as an early birthday present and it was my first time using it. Add on the fact that Mr. Mac was wearing a white tux and the lights in the auditorium were making him glow! At any rate, the idea isn't to have you necessarily watch the video as it is to just listen to the music! However, if you do look at the video, I think you can spot Amanda's blue hair in the second row of flutes quite easily! I do believe that I am the only parent at NFA that can make the claim of having a blue-haired child performing in the band!


"El Capitan"
Next up was Senior Recognition for those graduating Seniors from Concert Band, some of which were also in Orchestra. As it turned out, one of the graduating euphonium players recently started work at American Ambulance as an EMT so I got to watch not only my daughter perform that evening, but also one of the guys I tell where to go on a regular basis! Pretty cool! Of course, from now on he will be known as "Ray the Euphonium Player" rather than "Ray the EMT" - at least by me anyway!

Following a few more gifts to Mr. Mac, the last piece of music for the night was one that the Seniors had chosen to play for their final performance as their favorite piece of their four years with the band - "Chorale and Shaker Dance" by John Zdechlik, which is featured in the video at the top of this post. While taping that one I decided to stand next to one of the poles in the auditorium for a slightly better view and maybe to take some of the glare off of Mr. Mac's back but alas, I didn't realize it was over ten minutes long and, because I still wasn't smart enough to have a tripod or monopod, things got a bit shaky again! Fear not, for next year's concerts I have invested in a cheap monopod so I expect my videos to be of a much better quality and won't be shaky like I just got out of drug rehab or something! At least I sure hope so!

All in all, it was another great night of music performed by some very talented teenagers. With 28 Seniors graduating next week, it's going to leave the band a little smaller but hopefully they'll pick up some new talent in September so that the concerts next year will be just as good as they have been for the past two years I've been going.

Kudos to Mr. Mac, Mr. Hutchinson, and all of the members of the Norwich Free Academy instrumental program as well as my own blue-haired flutist! Wonderful job all!

Bunches of Birthdays

With the advent of summer also comes a lot of birthdays in my family - my grandson turns 3 on June 12th, my favorite aunt has a birthday on June 14th, Amanda turns 16 on June 18th, my mother turns an undisclosed age on the same day, and Jamie will turn 15 on July 26th.

I'll be going over to my son's home in Rhode Island for a slightly early birthday celebration for Mathew on Sunday but as far as the others go, things are still up in the air. I know that Amanda would like to do something special for her 16th but I've got no clue what that might involve and, unfortunately, it looks like Jamie is going to be spending her 15th birthday down in Florida at her Dad's. Somehow I don't think any Quinceanera invitations will be coming forth from down that way but I'm going to have to make sure I send her something special to celebrate the day.

They recently got season passes to Busch Gardens so maybe she'll spend her birthday there riding the rollercoasters that she's come to really enjoy - just like I did when I was her age and didn't have a bad back and knew no fear!

Still ... I'd really rather have her home for the summer ...

Dona Nobis Pacem

"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Let's not have to explain to future generations why peace might have been - let's make it a reality now!

You Know You're Getting Old When ...

... this is what you get in the mail!

Sigh ... I know that 50 is coming up really, really, really fast but don't you think the good folks over at AARP could have at least let me have the summer thinking I was younger than I am before they dropped this in my mailbox??

Sad thing is - I think I'm going to send it back with the membership fee and join. The end is near!

Oh, and I guess this was better than the advertisement for Corpus Christi real estate that came along with it!

Three More Officers Become Line of Duty Death Statistics

The number of Law Enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in 2008 increased again in the past few days with the deaths of two more officers in unrelated motor vehicle accidents as well as a third officer who was killed in a shooting ambush.

Sergeant Leslie (Les) Wilmott of the Keifer Oklahoma Police Department died Thursday, May 29th after his cruiser was involved in a two-vehicle crash in Rogers County. The accident happened shortly after midnight when Sergeant Wilmott’s patrol car rear-ended a tractor trailer near his hometown of Oologah; the other driver and his passenger were not injured in the crash.

"There wasn't a person in this department that did not look up to him or would hesitate to go to him for advice," Kiefer Police Chief Stacey White said. "He was always there to give a listening ear. He was a mentor and a friend to everyone here. He was, in my opinion, as close to the perfect cop as you could ask for.”

Sergeant Wilmott, age 54, had been in law enforcement for 33 years previously serving as a Patrolman at the Jenks and Claremore Police Departments, the Chief of Police for Inola and Beggs Police Departments, and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office.

"He's going to be deeply missed by both his true family and his law enforcement family," Creek County Undersheriff Rick Ishmael, who worked with Wilmott for 25 years, said. "He was as good and honest and decent of a law enforcement officer as anyone I've had the privilege to meet or work with." Surviving Sergeant Wilmott are his wife, a daughter, two sons, and two grandchildren, as well as his parents and one sister.

A 26-year veteran of the New Mexico State Police, Lieutenant Michael Avilucea, died Friday, May 31st, in a single vehicle rollover crash north of Santa Fe in Rio Arriba County. Lt Avilucea, assistant commander of the Alamogordo District Office as well as commander of the State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, had supervised the disposal of some explosives in the Chama area and was on his way home when his truck flipped throwing him from the vehicle at approximately 2:30 p.m.

State Police Chief Faron Segotta, called Lt Avilucea a dedicated "state policeman's policeman” whose “experience and passion for his job will be irreplaceable.” “He was dedicated to serving the citizens of New Mexico and loved the department dearly. We will miss him very much."

Lt. Avilucea, 51, a native of New Mexico and Las Cruces resident, is survived by an adult son, his parents, and a brother who is a retired state police officer.

In Arizona, Police Officer Erik Hite, a four-year member of the Tuscon Police Department, passed away on June 2nd at the University Medical Center as a result of injuries sustained during an ambush that occurred on Sunday, June 1st.

Officer Hite was shot several times including once in the head while sitting in his patrol car during an incident that began about 10 a.m. Sunday morning after residents in a county area reported shots fired at homes by a man driving a red Ford Mustang. The suspect, dressed in camouflage, wounded two Pima County sheriff's deputies less seriously before he surrendered without incident to deputies part-way up Mount Lemmon in the northeast side of the city.

“From what preliminary information I have, I’m going to say it bluntly that Officer Hite was ambushed,” Tucson Police Chief Richard Miranda said Sunday. “There was some thought behind what the shooter did.” On Monday Chief Miranda called Hite an exemplary officer and stated that "there's a tremendous feeling of sadness" at the Tuscon Police Department where they are trying to come to grips with the first Line of Duty Death in five years.

Hite, age 43, joined the Tucson Police Department in February 2004 after a 21-year career with the Air Force. He is survived by his parents, his wife, Nohemy, and their daughter, Samantha, who will turn a year old next week; as well as a son, Roy David, who is currently serving in the military. Officer Hite was also a member of Shadowriders.org, an online motorcycle enthusiast group.

Please keep these men, as well as their families and communities, in your thoughts and prayers as I add their names to the honor roll that is growing way too rapidly on my sidebar.

Brother, Can You Spare a Better Interest Rate?

I've been watching the cost of everything going up recently - gas, milk, bread, eggs, electricity, water ... the list is endless and gets more distressing with every passing day. I'm not sure about the rest of you out there but as a single mom I'm really beginning to start to feel the squeeze on my bank account. Truth be told I don't know why I even call it a bank account, it's more like a short rest stop for my hard-earned pay before it continues on its way to pay for the necessities of life. It doesn't really matter that my checking account with is with a credit union and I could earn interest on my money as it never stays there long enough to earn anything!

One of the things I've really been looking at lately are auto loan rates and wondering whether or not I could do better than what I currently have as my current monthly payment is what one could politely call way too darned high! Granted, I only have about another two years to pay on my loan and my car will be paid off but most months it pains me a great deal to send out that car payment.

When I bought my Mazda, I had more disposable income than I do now and even though the payments were higher than I would have liked I could make them without wondering whether I was going to be able to eat for the next two weeks. Now though ... with the cost of everything else skyrocketing ... the story is completely different. A smaller payment would really be nice but my current lender has no interest in working with me on that AT ALL.

Recently I came across a website that specializes in auto loans and does its best to match your needs with that of lenders for auto loans. You can search for information on new car financing, used car financing, and even refinancing on your current loan - which is right up my alley! They even have a blog where people can write about their experiences with auto loans and getting the best rate possible. It's something I might look into as I could definitely use a smaller payment, even if it stretched the loan out for just one more year. In an ideal world, I'd like to have it paid off but I think Amanda would also like to eat, too! Decisions, decisions!

The "Usual" Excuse and an Apology!

Just a quick apology for not having had the chance to make my usual blog rounds lately. It's been a bit of a hectic week (as per usual) what with going up to visit Mags and seeing dead people in Boston this weekend and then going back into work on Monday for my standard 16-hour shift.

Nothing for nothing but spending 16 hours sitting in a dispatch center on chairs that are nowhere near as comfortable as leather home theater seating can really put a cramp in your day and week! Not to mention your lower regions! It makes it kind of hard to want to sit down in front of a computer and catch up on blogs but I promise to try to do better the rest of the week - honest!

Tapas, Tombstones, and Trains - Oh My!

Even though yesterdays' weather wasn't New England at its finest, I was holding firm to the adage that an overcast or even rainy day in Boston was infinitely better than a sunny day in dispatch and that proved to be correct as I had a great time visiting blogging buddy (and real life friend) Mags in her new home this weekend.

When I first met Mags she was still living here in Connecticut but after graduating from culinary school she decided to pursue a dream of hers, sold her house, and moved to Boston to live the life of a brave young woman in a big city. I teased her a bit about being our own real life Mary Tyler Moore and that she was only in need of a beret to toss in the air to make the picture complete but I have to say that I totally admire her greatly for having had the guts and determination to do such a thing. I also envy her greatly as it's such an adventure and something I would love to have done if my life had taken a different direction.

Anyhow, even if I can't live in a big city with all of the excitement that it has to offer, I can certainly go up and visit Mags, right? Right! To that end I climbed on board an Amtrak train in New London Friday afternoon and made the slightly less than 2 hour trip north. I had planned on making this trip completely on my own but much to my surprise while I was sitting on a bench outside of the Amtrak station waiting for the train to arrive, who should walk up but one of the EMTs I work with at American? Not just any EMT either, mind you, but one that I've mentioned in my posts before as being extremely cute - this one in the middle of this gang of guys.

Well, I certainly wasn't going to turn down an attractive travel partner just so I could listen to my iPod so we made the trip to Boston together. It was a great chance for me to get to know JM a bit better and find out why he went into EMS to begin with as well as some other things I'm not going to find out in a work environment. JM is always "on" at work and it was nice to talk to him when he wasn't in a constant joking mode. Besides that, it gave people at work something to gossip about as I couldn't help but call dispatch from the train and hand the phone to JM to tell them 'hi'! I know, I know ... I'm bad but what can I say?

Upon arriving at South Station we went our separate ways as JM went off in search of his friends and I continued on to Mags' apartment via the Red Line to the Green Line. I've only been to Boston a couple of times but I have always been impressed with their public transportation system and find it extremely easy to get around without getting at all lost. I don't mind feeling like a tourist but I'd rather not feel like a lost tourist, thank you very much!

When I got to Mags' part of the city she was sitting outside of her apartment building waiting for me and after a big welcome hug I got to see her new home on the 5th floor that has a very nice view of Boston itself from her living room window. For dinner, Mags had made reservations for us at a Tapas restaurant and I was really looking forward to trying something different. Tapas are a Spanish cuisine which are basically small appetizer-size servings of all sorts of different dishes. Because the dishes are small, you can order three or four of them and be able to try a variety of things rather than just one main meal. I had never tried Tapas before but they sounded delicious so we took off in the direction of the restaurant which was almost at the top of a rather high hill. By the time we reached the restaurant I was more than ready for the Sangria we were planning on ordering - or at least a big glass of water!

Dinner was absolutely delicious as I tried a Tortilla española (a traditional Spanish potato and onion omelette), Costillas de ternera (slow oven braised boneless beef short ribs over scallion mashed potato), along with Pollo curruscante del ajo (crispy garlic chicken) - all of which were fantastic! Mags ordered Gambas al ajillo, (sizzling shrimp in garlic), Albóndigas (homemade tenderloin meatballs in green peppercorn sauce), Empanadillas de queso de cabra (herbed goat cheese empanadas served on a roasted red pepper relish), and Bocaditos de tomate, queso manchego y anchoa (garlic toasted bread with tomato, anchovy, and Manchego cheese). Even though these were all small servings we were pretty full by the end of dinner and decided a walk to Brookline for dessert might be in order.

After stopping and changing my shoes (I will never get the whole proper walking shoes in a city thing right!), we hit the streets for a walking tour of the neighborhood of John F. Kennedy's birthplace. Brookline is, as they say in Boston, wicked awesome and I loved all the little shops that we passed along the way. The side streets were lined with very nice residences and homes that had probably been in families from one generation to another throughout many, many years. We stopped at JP Licks for ice cream and then walked back to Mags' where I had absolutely no problem falling asleep on her extremely comfortable couch!

Saturday was calling for a chance of showers but I was thinking positive as we headed out on the T towards the Boston Common and our day in the city. Being the history nut that I am, I wanted to drag Mags around to a couple of the local historical hot spots that she said she hadn't seen since moving to Boston. For some unknown reason I always think that because I enjoy history and learning about our country from its inception, other people will too so I sure hope that Mags wasn't bored to tears as we walked through the Granary Burial Ground, which is the 3rd oldest cemetery in Boston, as well as Kings Chapel Burying Ground which is also part of the Freedom Trail and Boston's oldest cemetery.

The Granary Burial Ground is the final resting place of such historical notables as Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and the parents of Benjamin Franklin - who was born in Boston even though he's best associated with Philadelphia. At King's Chapel Burial Ground one can find the graves of John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts, as well as Mary Chilton, who was the first woman to step off the Mayflower. Most interesting though is the gravestone of Joseph Tapping which depicts a skeleton and Father Time battling over death. Having not spent a lot of time in old cemeteries, Mags thought that a lot of the gravestones with their depictions of leering skeleton heads and the like were pretty creepy and I can't say that I blame her. People were just a lot more superstitious about death back in the 1700's and it showed on a lot of their tombstones.

After touring King's Chapel, which was built in 1754 and holds Sunday services to this date, we continued on towards Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market as the skies above us started to cloud up even more. We had a lovely lunch at The Purple Shamrock, an Irish pub with windows that open onto the street so you can watch the city as you enjoy your lunch. From there we continued on to Haymarket and the produce sellers that hawk their wares every Friday and Saturday. Mags picked up a few things for dinner and then we made a quick stop by the North End and Mike's for a cannolli to take back for dessert. At that point, the umbrellas that Mags insisted we take with us came into good use as the skies above us opened up and the 80% chance of rain the forecasters had predicted turned into 100%!

Back at Mags' apartment we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and watching silly shows on MTV. Mags made a delicious dinner of pork chops topped with a delicious pineapple and cilantro salsa, mashed potatoes, and zucchini. She didn't go to culinary school for nothing and her skills in a kitchen are nothing short of amazing! I had learned this the first time when Mo and I visited her last September but it was certainly nice to have a tasty reminder of her talents with food! Had I done nothing else in Boston all weekend except eaten that dinner, it would have been more than worth it!

At the end of the evening I caught the Green Line back to the Red Line back to South Station and my awaiting Amtrak train to make the trip back to Connecticut and home. Not having any adorable company sitting next to me that time I spent the trip listening to my iPod and thinking about my next visit to Boston. I told Mags that perhaps I'd bring Amanda with me the next time and we'd take a Duck Tour as well as eat in one of the many cute little Italian restaurants in the North End.

Thank you again, Mags, for your hospitality and allowing me to drag you through the burial grounds of Boston! Next time we'll keep our fingers crossed for only a 20% chance of rain rather than the other way around!


Oh, and Mags - as to why people place stones on top of the graves, the best I could find is this - No one's entirely certain of the origin of the tradition, but most people believe that the tradition is borne out of the desire to mark your visit somehow -- to let the world know, "Someone was here. This person is not forgotten." If anyone knows where and or why this tradition started I'd love to know as there were plenty of stones left on top of the gravestones we visited!