Wasted...or was it?

While I had a fabulous beginning to my day, I feel like it was wasted overall. The bulk of my day was spent putzing around the mall while waiting for Sears to put 2 new tires on my car and do an alignment. When I dropped it off they said about 2 hours, but it ended up being more like three.

While working through the first two hours, my first stop was Starbucks for my much needed caffeine fix. From there it was off to Eddie Bauer. In the last couple of years I've really developed a liking for their clothes. It's very much my style and not as pretentious as other stores. I tried on several skirts--I can't wait until summer skirt season! My favorite one looked wretched on--bummer for me. Then there was one that I had a very hard time saying no to since it looked wonderful, and I have the perfect heeled sandals to wear with it. But I could hear my friend's voice in my head when he heard I'd be lolligagging at the mall...something about it being payday and me shopping. So I left EB empty handed. BUT, when I went to Belk, guess who found a shoe sale? I cracked when confronted with such a fantastic deal. I bought a very cute pair of Joan & David heels. They're a deep chocolate brown in nubuck with patent trim. The heel is stylish, but substantial enough to walk on all day long. Even said friend approved of my find. I did also try on some dresses, but goodness if they didn't make me look like a 1950's housewife. Really, is that going to be the style this season? Mrs Cleaver?

Now that I'd exhausted my patience at the mall, I went back to Sears where I had to wait another hour. At least I had the forethought to throw a book in my purse. I am now about 1/3 of the way through. Finally my car is ready, I spend a good portion of my paycheck and head to the grocery store and gas station where I scored gas at 10 cents less than the other stations. Not that it matters all that much with my great little car. A bonus to my new tires and alignment is an increase in my MPG!! Now I'll be back to almost 40mpg. You're jealous, aren't you? I love the picture above, the way my dad photoshopped it. Doesn't it look like a little matchbox car in some architect's model?

Anyhoo, I came home, unloaded groceries and took a nap. Working all week, essentially by myself, had finally caught up to me. I even had to pass on a night out with a couple of friends. We're all planning on going out tomorrow, too, and I'll be feeling more up to it then.

random ramblings

Wow, so I heard from my friend Adam today! He is one of my shooting pals from when I used to actually go to matches. We caught up on things from the last time we talked, which we guess to be more than 6 months ago, but less than a year. The catch there was that he had read this page, so there wasn't a whole lot of new stuff for me to tell!

We didn't get the snow they predicted--shocking, I know. It was fabulously sunny all day long, but it sure was chilly! Brrrr!! The wind certainly didn't help. I tried playing with my dog outside (she has fur coat, what does she care about the temperature), but gave up when I could no longer feel my nose. She, however, is still outside self-entertaining.

And guess what I found when I got home?? Admit it, you're curious.... A lady bug, upside down on my kitchen counter. Bleh. Now, I like them well enough, one at a time--outside. Really not a fan of the bugs in my domain, and I don't particularly care for them en masse outside, either. One day last year I came home and my house looked like it had the chicken pox!!They were everywhere, and who knew they bite!?! For such a sweet name they sure are nasty little things.

I'm now trying to figure out a dinner plan. I defrosted some chicken and hadn't come up with any interesting ideas until I read Sarah's blog. She mentions having made salmon (which you will never find in my house unless my parents are visiting) with some of the peach preserves from her wedding. I think that sounds pretty tasty as chicken dish, don't you? Bon appetit!

While I start dinner, I put in one of my favorite CD's. Hardly anyone has heard of Laura Fabian, but she's wonderful. Actually, most of her CD's might be in Italian so that could explain a bit! Anyhow, her voice is the same caliber and quality as Celine Dion, but she has a more sensual sound. I'm disappointed American listeners didn't catch on to her.

birds fly over....

Today was a sweetly overcast day, but the sun made an appearance by late afternoon. I had an early dinner with my brother Shane who is in town for a few days. While on the way to meet him, I saw this beautiful rainbow. It was gorgeous and I could see the whole thing. I know this isn't a great shot, but it was the best I could get from the parking lot. Thanks to Mom and Dad I have my camera that goes everywhere with me--just for times like this!

Don't dig too deep

Monday is not my favorite day of the week. And, truthfully, I don't have a favorite, BUT if I did, it most definitely would not be Monday. Today wasn't even a bad day--just Monday.

Despite the day of the week, it was beautiful out! The sun was shining and it was in the mid-upper 50's. On my way home I had my window down, but just halfway (I did say the 50's, not the 70's!). When I got home I opened my front door for some fresh air for a little while while the sun was still up. It's now low enough that I'm in the shadowland, so I've closed it again. But while it was so great out, my blond-brain dog and I played for about 45 minutes. Miraculously a 3rd tennis ball appeared--I knew she lost one, but I could never prove it!

I'm trying to figure out what, exactly, was wrong with whomever lived in my house before me. When we first bought it, it was GROSS inside--I mean get-me-out-of-here-and-into-the-shower kind of gross. But we fixed all of that. Now my challenge is all the...junk buried in various areas throughout the yard. I am convinced that they burned an entire vehicle in one spot. I have found gears, oil caps, chains, belts (tacky clothing belt), whole dinner plates, cassette tapes and more pieces of broken beer bottles than I can count. I mean, really!!! One of these days I'm going to go out there and dig some more of it out.

This afternoon, I saw what looks like the gas tank from a push mower. It has just started to surface. Every year I do scavenging, and every year more pops up. Sometimes I feel like I'm on an archaeological dig. Alas, no Indiana Jones, though.... *sigh* Last summer I dug up the heel to a man's dress shoe. When I first found it, it was upside down. I didn't know if it would be the entire shoe or what, but I did have the fleeting thought, "Oh, please don't let there be a body." Truly, I thought that. Weird stuff in my yard.

Sites to see

Oh, almost forgot to mention that I have added Sue's blog, Hope is the thing with feathers, and PostSecret. I snatched that off of Sue's blog. It is one where folks mail the site owner their secrets on postcards. Some are cute, some are sad, some are despicable, but all are interesting.

Delightful Dinner

So Sue and I met for dinner last night in Fredericksburg. At just under 60 miles and just about an hour, it's not a bad ride at all. The trickiest part proved to be navigating the "shopping center". It's like a mini metropolis! Sue beat me to the Outback, which had been our plan. But she sent me a text saying it was an almost two hour wait. Well scratch that! So our back up was O'Charley's. I had glanced at the shopping center's map briefly earlier in the day, and it is a way over-simplified interpretation of the reality that is Central Park. So both Sue and I got a little turned around but eventually found the restaurant. We were in agreement, though, that it would certainly help if they turned on their sign outside so that we could see it in the dark! But we had an enjoyable evening catching each other up on work, family and the various aspects of our social lives.

Random: Almost home, with less than 2 miles to go, I spy a small dark critter scurry across the road. Fateful feline or other? I've decided to go with the belief that it was a stripeless skunk and not a cat. If you can't prove it was a black cat then it wasn't, right?! I'm nowhere near as supersticious as my mother, but why test such theories...!

Spunky

I just had to add this one, too, since I work for a police department.

The left lane is for PASSING!!!

Today was supposed to be my day off, but I had to work half a day. But that's ok, I keep reminding myself that's 4 hours overtime. So I slept in a little, hung out with one of my friends and then finally went to work. It is very odd to go to work in the middle of the day. As soon as I get into the rhythm of things, it's time to go!

At least the weather wasn't as horrible as the forecasters made it out to be--it never is. The roads were icy this morning, but there wasn't the inch of ice I kept hearing about. When I left for work (at 11am) there was still ice on my car, but the roads were fine and the temperature was in the upper 30's.

Now, I'm not an aggressive driver and I don't speed (excessively). HOWEVER when people lolligag in the left lane of an interstate it absolutely drives me crazy! I admit that I drive 9mph over the speed limit on I-64, usually. But I don't crowd people and I always try to get out of the way of faster drivers. WELL, I am stuck behind this car that does about 72ish when the right lane is completely empty but then slows down to 70 when passing anyone. It killed me!! I could feel my blood pressure go up and I'm just going crazy with frustration. When she went 72 it's fast enough that if I wanted to move into the travel lane to pass her I'd have to floor it in order to get by her before I caught up to the next car. (make sense?) Now, if this had lasted but a couple of miles, I'd be ok, but it went on for almost 10 before there was a big enough break in the right hand lane that I could finally pass her. And I'm pretty sure she sped up when I did!!! See, this is why I don't like driving. That is such a silly little thing to get worked up over, but I can't help it! I need a chauffeur.

So I made it home, called my mom who I found out has the sniffles. Mom's aren't supposed to get sick! It's supposed to be a reward for going through childbirth or something that you don't sick! I hope my dad is making her tea whenever she wishes. :) My coffee just finished brewing and I've changed into my pj bottoms to relax for the evening.

Tomorrow I am meeting my friend Sue for dinner in Fredericksburg as it's a good half-way point for us to meet. As I've mentioned before I've been friends with her and her sister since we were all 4-5ish. Sue and I have the goal of this being a monthly dinner, but it seems more like every 3 before we can get our schedules to mesh. So it'll be nice to see her again. I have to look up my directions on how to get there again. I take all these back roads to avoid the greater Richmond area and it's traffic, and I never remember...

Oh--so do you love trying to figure out what people's vanity plates mean? I get a kick out of some of them. This is a neat site where the guy lists all sorts of vanity plates folks have seen. Check these out when you've got some time:

Cool Pl8s (this site has pics)
Creative Plates

Birthdays and Beautiful Birds

Happy Birthday, Katlin! Today is my niece's birthday. I can't believe that she is 15 already. As of now I haven't a photo, but again I am hoping my father will come to my rescue.

On the way to my friend's house this morning, I passed a great sign that said simply: Be Happy. What a great sign. I may have to go back and take a picture, because I just like it.

Anyhow, I had to pick up a couple of things at Target this afternoon. Who knew I could be in and out in less than 15 minutes! I once told one of my friends that as long as I stayed on the carpet I'd be ok. (the carpet is only up front near customer service for returns!) While I was up in that part of town I called my brother to see if he wanted to meet for coffee, but noooooooooo, he's too busy for his baby sister today. *sniff, sniff* So I bought my own to go and then it was off to the dermatologist.

I've been going to the same dermatologist since I was 16. I think she's great--even when I lived in NY I still drove down here to see her. So one of my questions for her was, what do I have to do to have skin as great as hers when I'm her age (she's almost 50, but looks like she's in her late 30's/early 40's). As the nurse predicted, her answer was that it's all about genetics and that she was blessed. Grrrrr... Actually, I'm pretty happy with my skin, and according to her, redheads either have great skin or terrible skin and there's not much middle ground.

I then stopped at the grocery store and ran into one of the guys from work. He gently chastised me for being clueless about the winter storm in store for us tonight and tomorrow. I had said that I'm more of a day by day weather girl. He told me I need to live for the future, and I responded that one should live in the now! Speaking of this storm, I'm now a little perturbed at having to go into work in the afternoon when I otherwise could have stayed home all warm and cozy. Hmmph!

While I was driving here and there, I was reminded of how beautiful it is in this area. So often it's easy to forget in the day to day rush and running around. But every once in a while I am just struck with the beauty of the land. I also happened to see a hawk sitting sentinel on a power line, perusing the pasture before him for his mid-afternoon meal. I just think that birds of prey are generally beautiful and command respect--they seem so proud. I remember one day a few years ago, I was driving home when a hawk cut right in front of me and grabbed his target from the side of the road. It happened so quickly that I don't even know what his prey was, probably a rabbit or squirrel, but it was awesome.

I think I shall spend the remainder of the evening with a cup of tea (or hot cider, I haven't decided) and watch a movie.

And again, Happy Birthday Katlin!

Success!!

So, my friend Kelly and I went shopping after work today (one of the perks to finishing work at 3pm). As I said before, I was on the hunt for jeans or boots. As the sale gods would have it, I found both plus a great top to complete the outfit! Usually trying on jeans, or any pants for that matter, ends up trying my patience. But I hit gold with the second pair!! Kelly kept searching while I was trying on and finally the perfect top was located. We then mosied on over to the shoe department. Now, I absolutely love shoes, but there are some might ugly shoes out there and I am amazed that there are actually people out there who'll buy them. Anyhoo, on the sale rack I found exactly was I was looking for. Plus, the regular price of $80 was reduced to the current $22!! You can't beat that, just can't.

Anyhow, it was pretty chilly out, ok-it was cold, and the mall is an outdoor mall. We decided that dinner was next on the agenda and came back to this fabulous Italian restaurant near where I live. Mmmmm...wonderful as always, and with plenty of leftovers as always. I don't think that I have ever been able to finish a meal there; they give you so much yumminess.

When we left the restaurant I got to see the late beginning of the lunar eclipse. Yea! (you can't see me, but I'm doing mental cartwheels) Then when we got back to my house, we had a great view and the sky was so clear, it was unbelievable. I just went back out to check and the moon is starting to re-appear. I am just glad that the winter storm I've been hearing about for the last couple of days decided to prove the weather-folk wrong (shocking, right?) and not materialize quite as they had predicted, thus enabling me to have this small joy.

I have so much going on in upcoming days off (I view my schedule in terms of days off, as opposed to the more common 'week'). Tomorrow I have a noon lunch with a friend and then a doctor's appointment. Friday I actually have to work half a day (hey, 4 hours overtime is 4 hours overtime!). Saturday I am having dinner with Sue, who is quite possibly my oldest friend. I have been friends with Sue and her sister Sarah for over 25 years! Now that Sue lives only 2 hours away, we try to have dinner together every so often. Then on my next Friday off I'm going out with the girls (thus the newly purchased outfit) and then the Friday after that I am visiting my next oldest friend, Teri, who lives about 2 hours away as well! It's strange for me to have things planned so far in advance! I usually haven't thought about the day after tomorrow, never mind the week after!!

Well, even though it isn't a work night, it is still past my bedtime and I need all the beauty rest I can get! I do hope that you all were able to catch at least a glimpse of the eclipse. I just think it is so cool!! Bon soir!

Just loony...

I am absolutely excited about tonight's lunar eclipse. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it won't be overcast so that I can watch. It's supposed to begin at 8:43, and it is suggested that you go outside by 8:30 so that you can see the full moon before it starts to disappear. As a bonus, Mars will be visible as well, and once the eclipse begins, Saturn should also appear.

I've decided that my fascination with the moon and water is because I'm a Cancer. If you ever read about Cancer, you will know all about me! No more mystery....

really, just Tuesday?

Why isn't it Friday? It feels like it should be. But, alas, another day of work before I can play. Hopefully playtime will begin immediately afterwards. A friend and I are going shopping, so that should be fun. I am on the hunt for either a new pair of jeans or a new pair of boots to go out in. It's a toss up as to which will be purchased--will I run out of patience trying on jeans before I break down and spend the extra dollars on boots? Hmmmm....

So I finally went to the gym again after work. I've been such a slacker lately. I almost cut my workout short, because I had such a headache. I don't know what in the world stresses me so much, but I have all this tension in my neck and shoulders and have regular headaches because of it. Anyway one of the guys gave me a quick neck massage which helped a ton. Now, he absolutely gives me the creeps, but I know he totally means to help me and isn't hitting on me or anything--well, it took a few moments to convince myself of that. I tensed up a bit in a I-don't-want-you-touching-me-but-I-don't-want-to-offend-you way. Then I realized he truly meant no harm and I relaxed. Earlier in the day I had wondered aloud about the possibility of getting those massage deals you put on your chair. I don't believe I've ever had an idea shot down so quickly--something about being lulled to sleep!! :)

Ah-ha! I know what stresses me (this would be my Eureka! moment)--my dog! My dopey but lovable, goofy but sweet dog. I came home to find stuff from the trash can strewn about the house. It's pretty rare that this happens, and usually means there had been something tempting and I didn't close the lid. She's all happy to see me, wagging her tail and whole self, and I'm being a dork and rubbing her neck saying, "Hi silly goose," in my ridiculous Jill-voice, BUT there is no mistaking the moment I spy her mischief. Suddenly I sound so stern and glare at her with my mean face (trust me, I'm so not convincing). She puts her head down and skulks behind the dining room table. Then I just say, "Bad dog, what's wrong with you?" She has no idea what I mean and then it's all over. I'm not a real harsh disciplinarian. This could explain why this happens from time to time?

The Silver Screen

I absolutely love movies. Tonight I was torn between watching The Transporter or Where the Heart Is. Now there are a couple from opposite ends of the spectrum! In the end I watched neither--I've seen them both. BUT there are new movies coming out that look good. A couple I want to see, and which may warrant the price of a theater ticket, are Vantage Point and Jumpers. Another one, that I hadn't heard of until today is Be Kind, Rewind. It stars Jack Black and Mos Def, who must be hysterical together! This is more DVD worthy (I am so cheap), but it's one to keep in mind. A couple of others for DVDage are The Counterfeiters and Charlie Bartlett. The first is a foreign WWII drama for a serious evening and the second is about a resourceful high schooler soothing the angst of his classmates. But I will forget about them all by the time they're on DVD!!

conversational hop-scotch

The good thing about working on a 'holiday' is that, for me, it's like working on a Sunday--not much happens! The only drama for the day was the cancellation of my doctor's appointment. Apparently she has the flu, so I had to reschedule (uh-oh, I don't think I wrote that down!). While this is really a small thing, it threw off my plans for the day. I now had no idea what I wanted to do! Shopping alone isn't a big enough draw for me to go into town---I have to need something, and I'm pretty set.

But now looking for something to do and not wanting to go home, I figured I should get a birthday card, and while I'm in the shopping center it wouldn't hurt to get more coffee creamer, and after having denied myself yesterday when I was there, I treated myself to Starbucks. I also stumbled upon a new addiction--coconut kisses! Yum! I may need to throw out the rest of the bag, because I am so not needing these. I absolutely love chocolate (hello--I am a woman) and I also love coconut. And speaking of coconut, one of my brothers turned me on to coconut rum and coke, actually diet coke. SO good! Using regular coke is entirely too sweet, but with diet it's perfect. I'm not even a rum person, really.

Anyhow, I digress...Jill and I have just finished our daily game of fetch. While it looks like beautiful weather from here at my computer, it is actually mighty windy giving it a bit of a bite out there. I didn't stay out with her for too long. I must say, though, that she does make me laugh. There isn't an ounce of grace in her--maybe a wee bit, but she's just so klutzy it eclipses everything else. She sounds like a bloody horse when she runs, but she sure runs with flair.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Paulette!!! While my sister-in-law's birthday isn't until tomorrow, I wanted to be sure that this was posted for her entire day!! Theoretically there was a time when I didn't know her, but I have no recollection...she has always been a part of my family! I was searching for a picture to post along with this, but Paulette is very slick about avoiding cameras--I do have a very nice shot of the kitchen entrance in her house in my vain attempt to capture her on 'memory card'!!

Ah-ha!! My father so graciously supplied a photo upon my request.

A new strategy, perhaps?

On the way to and from work today, I saw an opossum on the road. Each time I wondered about their 'survival' technique. While playing dead might work in the critter world, I don't think it's such a good idea when frolicking in the road. I'm not so certain that's not why he was still there on my way home...also, can opossums frolic?

Mangia!

Well, it is another day at work. The best part about starting my week on Sunday is that I get to ease into work. If I started on Monday it would be a shock to the system that no amount of coffee could aide. And lo and behold there is another holiday, Presidents' Day, I believe. My brother gets great enjoyment picking on the cush county job I have, as I am sure he is working a full week this week! However, my 'holiday' is delayed until Thursday. Come to think of it, I don't believe I have had my day off on the actual holiday--ever. Oh well...

As a bonus, when I arrive at work on Sunday morning, I get to chat with the girl who works the midnight shift before me. Sunday is the only day we really get to talk and catch up. This morning she was trying to find a good recipe for chicken. I am soooooooo the wrong person to ask. Don't misunderstand, I'm not a bad cook, I just don't know a lot. Truthfully, whenever I do cook, it's generally pretty good. Baking is my forte, however. Part of my frustration when it comes to cooking is that it's just me. I could make dinner for several people, but I have a hard time convincing myself that it is worth the hassel when I'm the only one.

Coming back to my New Year's Plan, part of the 'doing more for me' was learning how to cook. Like the dance classes, I looked into local cooking classes and didn't find what I was looking for. There are a couple of restaurants in the downtown area that offer classes, but I have an aversion to anything related to downtown. That may be an unfair prejudice of mine, but I can't help but relate "downtown" to politics, and I am absolutely not in sync with that crowd. But I have started buying real food to cook and prepare. I was so good last time and split the package of chicken as soon as I got home. That way, instead of a package of, say, 4 chicken breasts I had 4 ziplocs with 2 each. The chicken is always too thick for me, so I halved each one and put them in the freezer.

I have some really great cook books that either I picked up or were given to me. I do want to get one of Giada de Laurentiis' cookbooks. She hosts Everyday Italian on the Food Network. Her recipes are very simple, but wonderful! I've printed out a few of her recipes and they've turned out marvelously! But one of the best books I have is an authentic Italian cookbook my mom found a few years ago. I keep wanting to try making sauce from scratch, but it's an all day event and yields a LOT!! According to my dad, my grandfather (who was Italian) used to make homemade sauce from time to time. Unfortunately it is one of those things lost along the way.

A winning day

I love Saturday's, don't you? I slept in a bit, made some coffee and even enjoyed it quite leisurely back in bed! It was both cozy and relaxing, actually. It makes me wonder what happened to the breakfast tray my mom used to have. I remember when I would be sick as a little girl, my mom would bring me tea and lunch on the tray. I absolutely loved that--it was the best part of being sick!!

After my perfect cup of coffee, I showered and dressed for the monthly IDPA match at the range. It took me just as long to figure out what to wear to the match as it takes me to figure out an outfit for shopping. While I might be shooting guns, there's no reason I shouldn't look cute and coordinated while doing it, right? I finally settled on a brown, long-sleeved fitted shirt to go with my brown and pink NY Yankees hat. Functional, yet stylish! (obviously, the picture I've posted is not from today--let's try Oct 2005!)

It has been quite some time since I've last gone to a match. My friend Meg helped me figure out just how long--OVER A YEAR! That's just terrible! But everyone was glad to see me, and I was just as glad to see them. Of course I had to endure the required ribbing from my friends for being such a stranger. However, I would like to take this more than golden opportunity to point out that I was there, but my dear and darling brother, who had told me around 4pm yesterday that he would be there, was NOT! When I had spoken with him and told him I planned to go, his response was, "I'll believe it when I see it." Does this mean I'll have to wait for scores to be posted, for he wasn't there to witness the occasion?!

With the exception of a couple of weeks ago when I met Phil at the range to practice some, I haven't fired a gun in....I'd say 6 months is a good guess. Needless to say, I didn't do terribly well, but neither did I do embarrassingly poorly either--at least, I don't think so. There were an awful lot of head shots, meaning a wee little square of cardboard to hit, and some of those had to be done on the move. We had swinging targets, disappearing targets and a lot of hard cover where half the target didn't count! But regardless of how I did, I had fun and am glad that I finally went again. Going to matches is part of my New Year's Plan--do more.

Now that I'm home again I have to do those necessary evils--mainly laundry. Society tends to frown upon going to work naked. Match scores should be posted in a day or so, and we'll just have to wait and see if I decide to share them with you! In the meantime, I shall impress upon you the fact that the going, the having fun and enjoying the sunshine and camaraderie is what matters, not the score of the game....that carries over to the larger picture of life, too, don't you think...

An embarrassing note: I had to look up the spelling of camaraderie. However in the doing so, I enjoyed the definition as put by Merriam-Webster: "a spirit of friendly good-fellowship"
Perfect!!

I flit, I float...

It's amazing how much more there is to want to chat about when you get to spend the day as you wish instead of wasting it on that whole go-to-work bit! While I had fabulous plans for the day, impish gremlins felt the need to wreak havoc, so my day was adjusted accordingly. I do find it rather astonishing how much one can accomplish when necessary, though.

If there is one chore I absolutely abhor it is taking the trash to the dump. Truthfully, the reason is that I don't like all of that 'junk' in my car. To rephrase my father, an accident is simply waiting to happen, and I will be most unhappy when it does! So due to my perfected procrastination, I had an embarrassing amount to take. On the upside, my silly hound came along for the car ride--one of her most favorite things (sure beats whiskers on kittens--or does it?). But there were more destinations in store for the day, so Jill had to go back home while it was off to town I went.

There were returns to make, but purchases were in store as well. I had the devil of a time finding the ink cartridge I needed for my printer. So I called my dad to make sure this color exists, and wouldn't it just figure that as soon as he answers I spy that which I am seeking! Bonus for my dad, though--conversation with me!! For what more could he wish?

So here and there I went, and then to the grocery store for just a few things that added up to over $80 in a shockingly short amount of time. But then I went to Blockbuster and picked out a couple of movies to keep myself entertained. Due to the gorgeous weather we had, I was in an exceptional mood and nearly skipped to the car. I'm sure I didn't look like I was on the verge of such behavior, but I was certainly doing so in my head! Then, when I turned on the car, some silly but fabulous song from the early 90's was on--it takes so little to make me happy. However I do believe that the guy in the truck across from me was convinced I had lost my fragile mind. Why is it that people tend to think happy folks have gone crazy? I think that's a bit of sad commentary, don't you? So I happily drove home to my own personal loony bin!!

Enjoying the beautiful day, I indulged my dog and we played for almost an hour. We did have a minor battle of the wills, but, hey, I'm not the one who wants to play, so I can wait her out. After an hour she was done, and I was inspired to rake leaves from behind bushes. I bet I'm on the very short list of people who do yard work while wearing a sweater labeled 'Dry Clean Only'!! While trying to rake the leaves onto a tarp, Jill kept dropping her tennis ball into the pile for the sole purpose of having to find it again. I felt as though I were Mr Wilson and she was Dennis the Menace. While she truly meant no harm and just wanted to have fun, she was impeding my progress exponentially! But she's so cute it doesn't even matter.

I realize, of course, that entries aren't supposed to be so long-winded--but it's MY blog, so there! And you'd be amazed at what I've left out!!!!

Right now I'm listening to my Leahy CD. They're an Irish-Canadian (sure beats French-Canadian!!) family of a gazillion siblings, about 8 of whom make the group. I first heard them when they were in town a couple of years ago, and my then-employer bought a bunch of tickets for her employees. They're coming to town again in March, but I don't know anyone else who would really like this kind of music to go with me. Tragic.

I absolutely love music, in almost all styles. And my love of music leads to the wish that I could dance. I can bee-bop around the house while cleaning or making dinner, but that's about it. I can dance when I dance with my mom who is great. But I can only dance with her since she is rather forceful when it comes to leading (ouch!). Part of my New Year's Plan (as opposed to resolution) was to do more and to do more for me. So I had looked into dance classes, but they're out of my budget. They're reasonably priced, but it would leave no room for any surprises for the month, and with me--there are always surprises.

Where there's hope...

While I usually wait until the twilight hours of the day for reflection, I just couldn't wait for this. A friend of mine just got back from a trip with the new love of his life. They had a wonderful time and just from listening to him, I can hear the happiness in his voice. I was surprised and touched by what he told me. See, he'd been unhappy for a while and thought his opportunity for happiness had come and gone, and he held on to the popular belief held by so many that "all the good ones were taken." But he said that he remembered that a while ago I was looking for someone, and he considered me to be one of the 'good ones'. So he decided to start looking again, and he found his hope, as he puts it. Now they've been together for a while and are loving every minute of it!!!

I was just so touched that I had unknowingly had such an impact on someone and helped them find happiness again. It is somewhat humbling.

Butterflies and puppy dogs

Ah, amore....that's right, today was that day. Happy Valentine's Day to all!

So I had a vanity appointment, as I call it, after work. This brought me to a part of town I usually avoid only because I have an intense dislike for driving on the main thruway of our fair 'city'. But since I was there I checked off a few items from my to-do list. I got feisty while driving so decided it was probably best to leave the rest of my list for tomorrow. As my mother once put it, I have the mentality of a New York driver, but the manners of a Virginia driver. I do, however, believe I was holding back on my NYer as she was in the car with me. But as my reward for good behavior every song on the radio was one I loved! It's really a shame that you can't dance while you're driving.

Ever have one of those days where - WOW - you just look good?? Today was not that day, but the other night was. I even had to call my mom to tell her it was such a tragedy that no one could appreciate how perfectly everything came together. (I can feel my brother rolling his eyes this very moment!) Who knew you could still have great hair after going to the gym? The kicker is that all this new makeup that I ordered (yes, off of QVC, but it's soooooooooo much cheaper than retail!) was beckoning me from my doorstep when I got home. So, of course, I played, and it is wonderful! Why can't I ever achieve this look before going out somewhere instead of at 9pm when it's time to take a shower and go to bed?? Fate can be cruel. :)

In honor of this day, Yahoo had an article about various flowers and their hidden meanings. Daisies are probably my favorite and they supposedly mean Innocence. I just think they're sweet. And I do like the traditional Valentine's Rose, but please don't give me red. Yellow or pink would be my pick. While they mean "joy and friendship" and "gratitude and appreciation" respectively, I would know it meant you knew me!

Ok--I just had to add this one last tid-bit. Earlier I had emailed my parents inquiring about the Valentine's Day plans, if any. In an email from my father: ...as Mom said, "we don't do Valentine's Day because it's a coercive holiday." Well that's just TERRIBLE MOTHER!!! One should always expect romance! It pains me that mum is not so much on the romantic side. Where did I come from?????

Fickle Winds

I had thought that I checked today's weather as I should, but, well, a bit off the mark I was. It never rose above chilly, and I was rather surprised when I went to my car after work to discover that it wasn't just wet as it so appeared, but that my car had turned into a cherry icicle! Needless to say the roads were a bit icy as well, and I was caught up in accident traffic on my way home. But I made it home in time to cast my vote in the primary.

The little devil inside enjoyed the moment, and the anticipation, of when I let my dog outside. Her course, as always, was to catapult off the steps and bark at the horses behind my house. But you see, those steps, like my car, not just wet, but ICY! So Jill had a mild wipe-out for which she was absolutely unprepared. Poor thing--I'm such a mean mom! But she barely missed a beat as she continued to bark at the same particular horse that she has barked at since it arrived this summer. All the other horses don't hold the same level of fascination for her as this one. I think they have a relationship.

A new venture...

Well it is with a certain degree of interest and trepidation that I begin this. Certainly I shall begin rather uninterestingly, but then I wonder, really, how interesting are most blogs? Only people who have some insight into my personality will (theoretically) come across this, so we'll just see how things progress.

I feel that I should at least impart some wee little nugget of interest. Today was somewhat of an undecorated cookie-cutter kind of day. No crazy tales from work, typical shenanigans from my dog and fun was had by all!! I did however pick up more random debris from the crazy winds that we had yesterday. When I came home last night I had to remove my rather large, fairly heavy wicker chair from my front yard and return it to its proper place on my porch. Upon surveying all of the mayhem in my yard, I derived a certain satisfaction that while all sorts of things were askew, my adorable, impractical and vaguely accurate frog rain-gauge was still upright enjoying the sunshine! Really, who wants some ugly plastic sticking out of the ground to disgrace the landscape, especially when such adorable frogs work just as well!!