Friday Fragments - "How is cool is that?" edition

Once again, it is time for Friday Fragments. That is the day that we take all of the little bits of randomness and try to make something of them, Why do we do this? Because Mrs. 4444 says we can and because we are just the coolest of the cool. Don't forget to go over and see who else is working on their cool factor today.

Several years ago, the son of a family in the next town over disappeared. He was seen in someone's back yard and ran into the woods and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Anyway, the father has started a fund in his memory for at risk kids. Today's paper mentioned a project that the fund supported. They purchased 30 chess boards and they were delivered to Belize. Now the kids in Belize and kids in New Hampshire are playing chess over the internet. How cool is that? They are receiving all of the developmental benefits of playing chess (google "benefits of chess" - it is mind-boggling) and they are expanding their worlds at the same time. Best of all, the kids simply think they are playing a game!

Years ago, when boy-o was in 2nd grade, I was his Cub Scout Den Leader. I decided that the boys should earn their belt loop in chess and proceeded to teach 5 2nd graders how to play. I am definitely not a chess champion but I was able to teach them the basics. Numerous people told me that they "were too young" and would never be able to learn. WRONG! Not only did every boy learn chess, one of them beat one of the fathers in a game - a man with a master's degree from Harvard. How cool was that? Very cool!

At another den meeting, I decided that the boys should work on another belt loop and it was agreed that Marbles would be a good choice. Problem. This was in the middle of the winter. Where would they play marbles? Solution. We had just installed a brand new laminate floor in our family room so I took a marker and drew a circle. The cubs thought that was the coolest thing ever! One boy dragged his mother into the family room to show her when she came to pick him up. The first words our of her mouth were "Did (insert her son's name here) do that?!>!" He proudly informed her that I had done it. They were both impressed when I took a damp cloth and wiped the circle up in less than a minute.(My cool factor was increased!) The mother was right to wonder if her son had misbehaved and drawn the circle because he was frequently in trouble at school. However, he never misbehaved for me. He was probably my best behaved cub. I think it was because I expected him to behave and he knew it. Don't you find that many kids live up to the expectations you have for them?

My son's calculus teacher is in Texas because of the birth of a grandchild. She realizes that a substitute teacher isn't going to be much help teaching calculus so she is going to use Skype and call in during class to answer questions. What a cool use of our modern technology! How cool that a teacher would take the time and energy to do that also.

This is my 99th post. How cool is that?

That is it for today. I have the day off so I am going to relax! How cool is that?

Here's to Friday Fragments.

Thankful Thursday

Once again, it is that grateful day of the week where we forget about the irritating customers and the co-workers who drive us batty and reflect on the things that make us smile and happy to be alive. My thankful list this week (in no particular order):

1) I am thankful that the Colts made it to the Super Bowl. I am not a huge football fan (in the least) but I am a Manning fan.

2) I am thankful that I have tomorrow off. I am trying to burn some vacation time.

3) I am thankful that I and going on vacation in in less than 30 days! See above about trying to burn off some vacation time.

4) I am very thankful that my son enjoyed the black bean chili I made for him in my crock pot. He has even said I should make it again!

5) I am thankful that the weather has been pretty mild this week.

6)I am thankful that our new heater is in the family room so that it will be toasty in there even when the temp drops to "stupid cold" this weekend. (The radio dj's words, not mine.)

7) I am thankful for all of the amazing kids in my town. We attended a student of the month breakfast this week and I was very impressed with the selections. I also spent time last evening writing a press release about a scout in our local troop who ran a food drive for the food pantry and collected enough food to feed their clients for 10 weeks. He was responsible for collecting over 11,000 pounds of food.

8)I am thankful for "girls' nights out". I am still smiling from the one that we had last week. I am thankful for non-busy restaurants who don't give us dirty looks when we take up residence for hours and hours.

9) I am thankful for leftovers that make it easier to keep my New Years Resolution of taking my lunch to work three days a week.

10) I am thankful for fellow bloggers who take the time to read my blog and comment.

What things are you grateful for this week?

Here's to the little things.

Twofer Tuesday

Twofer Tuesday is where I post two thoughts for the day.

Like many people, I have been making a real effort to save money this year. That is a big part of why I made two of my New Year's Resolutions. One was to use my slow cooker at least once a week and the other is to take my lunch to work at least three times a week. I am doing really well on both of these resolutions and I am amazed at how much money I have "left over" at the end of the week. With my slow cooker meals, I usually have leftovers that allow me to take something yummy for my lunch. Tonight, I put the fixings for Spicy Black Bean Chili together so it can cook tomorrow while we are all out of the house. It is a vegetarian recipe that my son picked out. Later this week, I have a chicken curry dish my husband requested and a roast with onion gravy planned. Keep your fingers crossed as the veggie chili and curry dish are both new recipes. We sat down and planned our menus for this week and made a shopping list this weekend. I know, I know. I should have been doing that. Anyway, I was stunned at the checkout. My weekly grocery bill was significantly cheaper than usual since I basically just bought what was on list and cut out a lot of impulse purchases. I didn't realize this would happen but it certainly put a smile on my face!

I love reality tv and I also love HGTV so the design competition shows are my cup of tea! I have watched each season of Design Star and I caught the first two episodes of Design Intern. However, when I tuned in for the third episode, it wasn't on. Hmmmm. I went onto the HGTV website a few days later and checked the time. It is supposed to be on Saturday nights at 10:00 pm according to their site. However, this past Saturday, it was House Hunters at 10:00 pm. What is up with that? If they start a reality show, they need to finish it! Seriously. It is so not fair to leave people wondering who won and who got cut.

That is it for today! Have a great Tuesday.

Here's to quick posts.

Fragmented Friday

Once again, it is time for Friday Fragments. You know how you take the unmatched socks that come out of the dryer and throw them in a pile to sort through later? Well, Friday Fragments is where we try to make sense out of all of the unmatched thoughts that are floating around our heads. Why do we do this? Because Mrs. 4444 says we can. Don't forget to go over and see who else is trying to match up thoughts today.

I can report a sighting of a VIP this week. No, no, I am not talking about the alleged photo of Tiger Woods - although this person has been about as elusive as Tiger lately. I got together for a Girls' Night Out with the one, the only, my BFF Mary Ellen. She hasn't fallen off the face of the earth. She is simply very busy with her (new) job and a killer commute. She is doing well and looked great. I know she misses everyone. It was great to see her and spend sometime talking, eating, and commiserating about life.

The latest on my son's eagle project is that the revisions have been made to his project plan and it has been resubmitted. They now require that the plan proposal be submitted in a binder. It cost me almost $6.00 to mail it out. The next step is getting an approval OR another revision. Either way, they refuse to mail it back and we will have to drive at least 45 minutes (one way) to pick it up. It will be nice when he gets to work on the actual project.

I have been taking karate lessons for several months now. I occasionally get a bruise but not all that often even though we block pretty hard. Last weekend, I was sitting at my home desk minding my own business when two binders fell off a shelf and hit me in the hand. You got it - I have a huge bruise on my hand. How ironic is that?

I am still doing pretty well on my New Year's Resolutions. I used my crockpot twice so fair this week and have everything ready for a chicken soup for tomorrow. In addition, I am doing better on not agonizing over decisions. I actually booked a cruise without debating for days and days. The day my husband and I got verification of the time off of work, I booked it. We head out on 2/27/10.

Did you read where Holiday Inn is "testing" human bed warmers in 3 hotels in England?
They will have staff members - dressed in a one piece fleece PJs and with their hair covered will slip between your sheets and warm the bed up for you. Can you imagine? Yikes. This seems like a recipe for disaster to me! How will the timing work? Will a guest be waiting their in their PJs (or lack thereof) ready to jump into bed? I wonder how they came up with idea!

That's it for today. Have a great weekend.

Here's to randomness.

Thankful Thursday - Special Anniversary Edition

Today is Thankful Thursday! It is the day of the week that I pause and reflect on all of the good things in my life. It helps me to remember them on those days when I just want to yell "REWIND" and start all over again. Since today is my 26th anniversary, I am posting a special list about why I am thankful for my husband.

1) I am thankful that he is an amazing father. He has come a long long way from the guy who wasn't even sure about having kids. From being a boy scout leader to waiting in line on New Years morning from 2:00 am -7:30 am for an XBox 360 to always being there, I know that Evan is lucky to call you Dad.

2) I am thankful that after 26 years, we still have plenty to laugh and talk about. I enjoy spending time with you. With Evan getting closer and closer to college with every passing second, we are going to be empty-nesters sooner than later. It is nice to know that I won't be looking around the dinner table wondering what to say.

3) I am thankful that you are willing to be the fix-it guy with our electronics. You never fail to respond when I put up a panicked "SOS" because I have screwed something up on the computer or printer.

4) I am thankful that you badgered me into taking karate. I am having a ton of fun and it is great to have this activity to do together.

5) I am thankful that you have always supported me in all of my activities. When I sign up for something (Cubmaster, baseball, etc.), they always get two for the price of one because you will be there in the background helping out.

6) I am thankful that I never have had to worry about where you are or what you are doing. If you say you are at the mall or at work, that is where you are.

7) I am thankful that you put our family first in everything you do. You may not be wild about your job but you go every day and work hard because you want to support our family.

8) I am thankful that while we have shared interests, you have your own interests and you encourage me to pursue my own interests as well. You never have a problem if I want to get together with friends or go to a conference.

9) I am thankful that we live in a state that allowed us to get married at age 10 so being married 26 years doesn't mean we are old. OK. Maybe that one isn't true. However, there isn't anyone that I would rather grow old with.

10) I am thankful that you are always there to support me when I have a bad day or when I can't get my car up the driveway in the winter.

Who or what are you thankful for today?

Here's to my husband!

Twofer Tuesday

Twofer Tuesday is where I post two thoughts for the day.

I have a bunch of vacation time built up and they are not going to let me carry it over this year. This mean s that I have 14 1/2 days to take before the middle of April. A surprising amount since I took a vacation in August, a vacation between Christmas and New Years and several random days off. Yup. I had not used my vacation time up in several years. Anyway, my husband and I are considering taking a vacation and leaving the 15 year old home alone. Let me say that again. Leaving.a.15.year.old.home.alone. Needless to say, he is very excited. He is going on a school trip in April and isn't really that interested in going on another vacation. If we go a week besides school vacation week, the prices are much cheaper. Are we nuts to leave.a.15.year.old.home.alone? Of course, the rest of the story is that we live next door to his grandparents and they have agreed to feed him and keep an eye on him. We are thinking about paying one of his friends to take him to school in the morning. I am sure that Nick would do it for free but i don't mind throwing him a few $$ as he is a really good kid.


Extreme Home Makeovers came to a nearby town a couple of years ago and redid a house. That house is now on the market for sale. This redo was the main reason that I stopped watching the show. It came out that the father was an ex-convict for armed robbery. They put the wrong birth date down so the show didn't discover it until after the house was done. Also, I heard many other rumors about the father and alleged misbehavior after the story. Not sure if they are true but it does make me question his selection as a "deserving" individual. I know someone who volunteered on the project. She said that she would never want the house. In her opinion, the focus was more on a design that would photograph well and not on a home that is practical. I hate to be cynical about things like this but unfortunately in this day and age, things are not always as they seem. I did hear that the stars of the show actually spend very little time on the set. They will come in, pick up a hammer for 5 minutes and get the "shot" and then hand the actual task over to someone else. They were actually working on 2 shows the same week. One was in Maine and one was in Massachusetts. Anyway, if you want a house that was built for one of the shows, you can buy one in Wells, Maine.

That is it for today. Have a great Tuesday!

Heres to short posts.

Don't fret - it's fraggin' Friday!

TGIFF! That's right. Thank Goodness It's Friday Fragments! You know how your purse gets cluttered up with old shopping lists, receipts, half completed to-do lists and broken pens? Well, your brain does too! Friday Fragments is the day that we clean it all up and do something with those half thoughts and random ideas. We do it because Mrs. 4444 tells us we should. She probably wants us to clean out our purses too but we will leave that for another day. Make sure you go over to visit Mrs. 4444 and see what clutter everyone else has dumped out today.

The earthquake in Haiti is such a sad story. I just can't fathom what it must be like to be there. It definitely makes me appreciate where I live and makes me hold my family a little closer and a little longer. They are in my thoughts.

I noticed that my number of followers decreased this week. Does anyone else panic when they notice that? I immediately wondered what I had done to make them leave. All my insecurities came rushing to the forefront. How sad is that?

My son has submitted his Eagle project for district approval but it got bounced back. We had to drive 45 minutes to pick it up because the new district rep doesn't believe in mail or email. The changes they need made before the final approval are not significant. In fact, they handed him a sheet that they use to review it. We were informed that he should have used this sheet when he was doing the original submission and that the scoutmaster has it. Our scout master never passes it out. How frustrating. My son is going to take his project workbook to school and review everything with one of his teachers. His social study teacher is an active scouter and has offered several times to help. I don't know why my son (or husband or me) didn't think to have his teacher review it before he sent it in. Oh well, hopefully they can finish it up today and the workbook can be resubmitted Saturday or Monday.

Back in the day (many. many years ago), teenage girls wanted blonde hair. They used the sun-in products, they streaked their hair or - if their parents let them - they dyed their hair blonde. I have noticed that several of my son's classmates have dyed their hair much darker. I have seen a couple of these girls and had to look twice. Funny how the times have changed in some ways (the color) but not at all in others (the desire to change the look).

I have been doing really well on my New Year's resolutions. I have done especially well on the "Use my crock pot once a week." Today, I put in my third dinner - this week! On Monday, it was roast chicken, Tuesday was Chicken Noodle Soup and tonight we are having lasagna. Yummy.

That's it for my frags this week. What are fraggin' about?

Here's to Mrs. 4444!

Tis another Thankful Thursday

On Thursdays, I take a minute to stop and reflect on all of the things in my
life that I am so fortunate to have. Even on those days when my head is hosting an
entire marching band and it is throbbing along with the drum section, I realize that I
am a very lucky girl. My thankful list this week (in no particular order):

1) That I live in the wonderful USA. I am thankful for the military like Stan, who is retiring soon, and CJ, who is deploying soon, and their families for keeping our country great.

2) I am thankful for health insurance so I can make a doctor's appointment without worrying about the cost.

3) I am thankful that I have a long weekend to look forward to.

4) I am thankful for a good night's sleep last night.

5) I am very thankful that I woke up this morning WITHOUT A HEADACHE!!

6) I am thankful to have people around me who inspire me.

7) I am thankful that it is staying light a little more each day.

8) I am thankful that my husband has finished his search for the perfect cell phone and perfect cell phone plan. He is happy, the boy-o is happy and, therefore, I am happy.

9) I am thankful that one of the other karate students asked me why I missed class on Tuesday. He actually missed me in class.

That is my heapin' helpin' of gratitude today. What are you thankful for?

Here's to great things!

Is it just me........

Once again, I am following the leader and joining in on the fun. The one, the only Hallie over at The Wonderful World of Wieners does a gig on Wednesday where the filters come flying off and we let you in on all of those things we are thinking. You know, those thoughts that pop into your head and you wonder if you are the only one that looks at something a particular way.

Is it just me or did you find the story about the almost-105 year old man who died this week after getting hit by a car a very sad story? I mean, anyone who dies after getting hit by a car is sad but the man almost made it to his 105th birthday!! He didn't die of old age, nope, a car mowed him over. He wasn't using a walker or in a wheelchair. Apparently he was healthy as a horse. Don't you wonder how long he would have lived had he not had an encounter of the worse kind with a vehicle?

Is it just me or are you getting nervous to read any magazine articles about science? I just read an article in Time magazine that said that what we eat can not only affect us but also our children and grandchildren because it can change our genetic makeup? So if I stop at dunkin donuts on my way to work today, my unborn grandchildren may have a shorter lifespan?!?!? Gee, talk about pressure. It is hard enough staying on a diet for ME- now I have to worry about my son's children? Yee gads.

Is it just me or do you get nervous when you get a call or letter from the school even though you are pretty sure your kid hasn't done anything wrong? We got a letter in the mail yesterday from the high school and my heart stopped for a microsecond wondering what it was all about. It was simply a letter inviting my husband and I to the Rotary breakfast in a few weeks to see our son recognized as STUDENT OF THE MONTH for the high school. Needless to say, I didn't have to worry and I am proud as can be. I have to confess, however, that I put on a stern face and asked my son if there was something he needed to tell me since I had been told I needed to go to the school for a meeting. Hee Hee.

Is it just me or is timing everything? I read a news article this morning about a Maine man who accidently shot someone during a sex game and he is on trial for manslaughter. The thing that struck me the most was that 4 days after he shot this person, he testified in support of Maine's Gay Marriage law. No matter what you feel about that law, you do have to admit that it is controversial. Maybe it is just me but I think having someone involved in a homosexual shooting during a sex game testify is not really going to help your cause with the conservative people who oppose gay marriage.

That is it for today. What thoughts are you pondering?

Here's to Hallie!

Twofer Tuesday

Welcome to Twofer Tuesday. This is a quick post where I share two thoughts.

Did you see where Miep Gies recently passed away? She was one of the people who helped hide Anne Frank and she is the one who saved Anne's diary. She was 100 years old and always insisted that she wasn't a hero. She said that she did what was right and what she had to do. She was an ordinary person who did an extraordinary thing. Just like the passengers on the Christmas Day flight to Detroit who subdued the bomber. Do you know any ordinary people who have been heroes?

All of my Christmas decorations are down and put away - except for the pile of Christmas cards. I always wonder what to do with them. I usually throw them out - but always feel so guilty. I really feel guilty about the photo cards but I do receive photo cards from people that I am not that close to. Am I obligated to display their kids in my house? What do you think? What do you do with your Christmas cards? Did you notice that there seemed to be a lot of glittery cards this year? A vast majority of the ones I received sparkled in some manner. Also, when I write out my cards every year, there are a few people that I pause over and think "Do I really need to send them a card?". You know the people I mean, you were casual friends 20 years ago and haven't seen them since. If the truth be told, you only think of them twice a year - when you address their card and when you receive one from them. I always think "If I don't get a card from them, I will simply drop them from my list." Of course, they are ALWAYS one of the first cards that I receive so they stay on the list. The people you don't get cards from are usually family members that would be upset if they found out you still sent cards but left them off.

PS for Sue: Yesterday, I "roasted" a chicken in the crock pot. YUMMIE! Today, I am using the leftover chicken and making a chicken noodle soup in the crock pot. One of my resolutions this year was to use my crock pot an average of once a week.

Here's to quick little posts.

Monday Morning Musings

Monday Morning Musings is where I blog about things that I am currently pondering. You know, those thoughts that you turn this way and that way trying to make sense of. Those things that make you go hmmmmmmm.

My son's social studies teacher has apparently given me a nickname. He has a very casual class where he encourages the students to express their opinions. However, he is not afraid to challenge them and state his opinion too. My son stated an opinion that the teacher disagreed with and he asked Evan "Do you think Mama (insert last name here) would approve of that?" This is the same teacher that came up to me in a store Thanksgiving weekend and tried to point out clothes to purchase for Evan. Apparently, he figured if we bought Evan ugly clothes for Christmas, he would have something to tease him about. As I said, he is a very relaxed teacher! He is, however, very passionate about his students and is already planning an independent study course for Evan to take his senior year. I am not sure why he decided to give me a nickname (the reason I am going hmmmmm) but I am choosing to believe it is because he knows that I am an involved parent and a strong advocate for our high school. I am so tempted to drop him an email and sign it Mama (insert last name here)!

Our dog is a little high strung so we have doggie prescriptions for her for times of stress. Yesterday, she was limping around the house. She wouldn't let anyone really check out her paw so my husband gave her one of her doggie tranquilizers. She was sleeping on the bed at the time. unfortunately, she decided to jump off. For some reason, the pill hit her hard and she had no control. She went sprawling. No yelp. Nothing. I jumped up to check on her and she was just lying there. It was pretty scary. I called for my husband as there is no way that I can pick her up. She was absolutely fine and not at all upset that she couldn't get up. He picked her up and put her back on the bed and ended up carrying all 90 lbs of her downstairs to go out. He did get to check out her paw and there is no evidence of injury. We have no idea why she is limping but seeing a 90 lb dog zoned out on drugs was pretty funny - once I got over the panic of seeing her collapsed on the floor.

That's it for today - I am off to throw something in the crock pot. Have a great Monday!

Here's to thoughts that make you wonder.

Fragments for Friday

It is Friday and you know what that means! It is another edition of Friday Fragments. Mrs. 4444 over at http://www.halfpastkissintime.com/ is the self-proclaimed Fresh Princess of Fragments and we are just her lowly subjects. It's ok, though, as she is a benevolent ruler. What she wants is for all of to shake free all of those little bits of thoughts that can clog up our minds. Make sure you head over to her site to check out what everyone else is up to.

A few days ago, I mentioned the Nathalee Holloway case. Does anyone else think that it is strange that Jon-Benet's father and Nathalee's mother were an item? I don't know if they are still dating but they were as of 2007. That seems so bizarre to me.

Now the current case is the missing mother where Dad allegedly took tow toddlers car camping in a snow storm on a Sunday night. While they got back, the wife was missing and there were fans set up in one of the rooms to dry the carpet. That is so suspicious to me.

I read somewhere where the leading cause of death of pregnant women was murder by the father of the baby. When you stop and think of all of the famous cases - Lacey Peterson, Carol Stuart- you start to believe that it is probably true.

We had the television on for about 5 minutes the other night showing the People's Choice Awards. I was so excited to see them reveal the "Heroes vs Villians" cast for the up-coming Survivor. I have to admit, I was actually gleeful at some of the choices. In the first minute, I was thrilled to see that blue hat with the big red B - Yes! Boston Rob was back!!! He is a villian but I really loved how he played the game in the last All Star version and in the two Amazing Races. Colby, Russell, James, JT, Tom.. all of my favorites are coming back! Some of them are favorite good guys and some of them are favorite bad guys but they have so many players that I find fascinating. I can hardly wait!

I can't believe that I still have my Christmas tree up. We usually have it put away before New Year's Eve but just didn't get around to it this year. That is definitely on the list for this weekend. Besides that, we don't have much planned except to go out to dinner at a Rib Place tonight. My son, the vegetarian, has something to do tonight so Tom and I can act like the carnivores that we are and pig out on BBQ. Yum!

That's it for today. Have a great weekend!

Here's to Friday Fragments.

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my day of giving Thanks. Every (OK,OK, MOST) Thursdays, I take time and reflect on all of the great things in my life. Yup, even today, when I am existing in the week-that-will-never-end, I have many things to be happy about. I hope you join me in pausing to look at the little things that make you smile.

1) I am oh-so happy that I won a prize this week. Georgie over at Decisionally Challenged had a little contest where she personally picked a creative comment on her holiday photos. She picked little ole me! How cool is that?!?! I have been thinking about ordering a magazine and now I can save a little moola in doing that - just because Georgie liked me! She really liked me! (Channeling my inner Sally Field there, folks!) Thanks so much Georgie!

2) I am thankful that I finally got my netbook today. I can tell I am going to have a lot of fun with the little one.

3) I am thankful that I have been able to give away a couple of items that have been cluttering up my house.

4)I am happy that - so far - my New Year Resolutions are going pretty well. 1) Make 1 crock pot meal a week (It is Tuesday and I have made 2 already!) 2) Take my lunch to work 3 times a week (It is Wednesday and I have already taken it twice - and have a meal packed for tomorrow!) 3) Walk three times a week (I have walked once so far but know I will walk a couple more times before Monday).

5) I am thankful that a friend gave me several books this week. I might be a Kindle snob but I don't say no to free books!

6) I am thankful that my new printer is up and running.

7) I am thankful that my husband is good at fixing all of the things that I screw up on my computer. I will overlook the times that he has messed things up by doing upgrades. He has always been able to fix those problems too.

8) I am thankful that I am starting to feel a wee bit better.

9) I am thankful for Windows 7 that allows me to easily do a blog post and farm on farmtown at the same time.

10) I am thankful that my childhood friend, Betty-Lu, reached the 50 milestone before I did! OK. What I am really grateful for is facebook that has allowed me to reconnect with her and other classmates.

What are you grateful for in this new year?

Here's to gratitude!

Is It Just Me,,, edition two

Once again, I am taggin' along with someone else. I never realized what a follower-joiner- inner person I am. The amazing Miss Hallie over at The Wonderful World of Wieners does a gig on Wednesday where the filters come flying off and we let you in on all of those things we are thinking. You know, the thoughts that make you wonder "Is just me thinking this?".

Is it just me or do you all join me in thinking that Hallie is wonderful for doing everything she does to make everyone think about organ donation? Make sure you jump over to her site and check out her latest giveaway.

Is it just me or do you expect the "2nd day air" shipping option to get to you two days after it was shipped? I paid extra to have a package shipped to me this way. It was shipped on Thursday, December 31st. I still don't have it. It is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I know there was a holiday and a weekend in there but still. This should be called "One day less than a week air".

Is it just me or is the times that you don't want to go exercise but somehow manage to drag yourself there the times that you actually feel the best during your workout? I take karate and had class tonight. All day, I had a headache and a sore back. I was really suffering and wasn't sure if I would survive class. However, my husband was testing for his 2nd degree brown belt and I wanted to be there to support him. I explained to my Sensei that I wasn't feeling well but that I would give my best effort. By halfway thru class, I realized that my back was feeling better and that my headache was 90% better! Ahh. The benefit of exercise.

Is it just me or did you ever wonder why there wasn't a public outcry against Nathalee Holloway's school for not providing better supervision? My son is going on a school trip in April and they - and the parents - had to sign a form stating that there would be no drinking even if they are old enough. This was a school functuion. The bar that she was in was a known issue. Her step-brother apparently told her not to go to that particular bar. Where were the chaperones when this was going on?

That is it for today, folks. Have a great day!

Here's to Is it just me!

Twofer Tuesday

Twofer Tuesday is a quick post when I spew about two different topics.

Last year, my favorite Christmas gift was my Kindle and I still give that high marks. I use it almost every day. In the past month or so, I have figured out that there are a fair number of free books offered by Amazon. Often, they will offer the original books and then you get sucked into paying a sequel. The other day, I downloaded 3 books for free and then paid $9.49 for the latest book in the series. 4 books for less than $10!?!? Score!

However, I have a new love. I am not giving up my kindle but my favorite present of this year is my....... ROOMBA! What is a Roomba you ask? It is a round vacuum cleaner robot that goes around the house. It is pretty darn cool, I tell you. When actually got two Roombas. Target was having a buy one higher model and get a lower model for free. So we have the fancy one (that returns itself to homebase for recharging when it runs low on battery charge) downstairs and the cheaper model upstairs. I have to tell you, they both do a great job. Seriously, I don't think my floors have ever been this clean. I pushed the button on the downstairs one when I left for work this morning and came home to a cleaner floor and the Roomba back on its homebase. How cool is that? Having a second one upstairs is going to be great too because of our allergies. We will be using it quite frequently.

What gadgets do you have that make your life easier?

Monday Morning Musings - 2010!

Last night on facebook, my college roommate mentioned a security breach at Newark airport because it delayed her son's trip back to college. About 1 hour later, I was on MSNBC.com and saw a "breaking news story" about it. Scooped by facebook! How funny! I have several friends with students in college. It amazes me how they have to go back at vastly different times. Her son headed back today, another friend's son has to be back on January 10th and another friend's daughter doesn't go back until 1/25/10! I wonder why the wide range? I don't know what colleges would have a 4 or 5 week break at Christmas. Seems a bit excessive to me.

My son is named after his two grandfathers. My father was named Van and my father-in-law is Edwin. We figured that Evan would make both sides happy. My only concern was that the same college roommate had a son at the time named Evan. I hated to copy her but we had picked out the name before she had her son AND we live hours apart AND we weren't really in contact that much. Her son was born quite premature but ended up surviving with no ill effects. I ended up sending her a note with the birth announcement saying that I hope she didn't mind that I borrowed the name but that I hoped my Evan would end up being a fighter like her Evan. She was fine with it. Another one of those memories that have been rolling around in my head lately and just popped out on the blog.

My son had a few friends over for New Year's Eve and the surrounding days. I always let them use my laptop in the family room to surf the net and go on facebook. I have never had an issue with it. This time, however, someone changed my chair adjustment and I about ended up on my a$$ on the floor when I tried to sit down. They also changed the font since so it is now itty-bitty and I can barely read it. What is up with that? I can't imagine making changes to someone else's computer area like that! I have changed the chair back but am having issues changing the font size back. Hopefully my son will read this blog sometime and fix it for me. I hate to admit that I am technology challenged but I truly am.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Here's to quick posts.

Friday Fragments - Happy New Edition

Before I go racing into 2010, I thought I would take this opportunity to look back at 2009 and look forward to what I expect 2010 to bring. I have permission to be random, you see, because Mrs. 4444 tells me I can be. Every Friday, she hosts a plethora of randomness and encourages the rest of us to join in. Some may think she is being a bad influence but I say that she is the exalted ruler of de-clutter. Jump on over and see what everyone else has cleared out of their minds.

2009 has had its challenges work wise. Money is tight at work and the boss is not dealing with it very well. Our wonderful laid back boss is now a flame-breathing bear. Here's hoping that things settle down in 2010.

2009 has had some surprises for me. Last year at this time, I not only didn't know about on-line blogs but I would never ever in a million years have imagined that I would be writing one. Thank you all for accepting me, for commenting on my posts and for allowing me into your worlds. You inspire me and entertain me. In 2010, I will a) reach 100 posts and b) meet Hallie in person. Who knows - maybe even meet other bloggers in person too.

2009 also saw me - yes, the out-of-shape, middle-aged, clumsy ME! - start karate. The idea of ME! taking karate would have caused me to roll on the floor and laugh. My husband guilted me into taking a 6 week self defense seminar (under MUCH protest, I will admit) and I ended up loving it. Yes, loving it. Who knew karate could be so much fun and that I would love comparing bruises?

2009 saw me sitting back and enjoying the growth in my son. He finished his freshman year in high school, continued to excel academically, got his first (and second!) jobs and took driver's ed. I admire the young man that he is maturing into. 2010 will see him complete his eagle badge in Boy Scouts, get his license, and travel overseas without me. This is going to be another fun year to watch!

2009 saw me reconnecting with many old friends and making new friends because of social networks like facebook and various blogs. I anticipate that the same will continue in 2010. With some of my friends, I wonder how I survived being out of touch for so many years. I am happy that I got to see some of them in person in 2009 and I look forward to additional "reunions" in 2010.

My son had a few friends over for his annual New Year's Eve sleepover so I have taken advantage of the time to review some of my old posts. It has been an interesting experience. Some of the posts remind me of forgotten goals or ideas (diet and making jewelry), some make me cringe (sorry for whining) and some make me smile.

My son has been hosting a New Year's Eve sleepover since he was in first grade. That year, we had about 8 boys and it was the first time that many of them had ever spent the night at a friend's house. In addition, it was the first time that most of them had stayed up until midnight! My job that year was to keep them fed and entertained. It was fun but exhausting. This quickly became a much requested event! Fast forward until middle school. We were up to 12-15 boys (I stopped counting for my sanity!) and my job was to keep them fed (which took an amazing amount of food) and somewhat quiet. They yelled, they ran and they stayed up all night. That meant, of course, that I also stayed up most of the night. They also created a massive mess so I spent most of my time cleaning up after them. This year, my son only invited a few friends and my job was to provide food and stay out of the way. They were quiet, well-behaved and my only complaint was that they left a light on when they went to bed. No more all-nighters. No more yelling. No more trashed house. Life is good.

The only family member not excited about the sleepover was the dog. She likes the boys and they are all very good to her. However, she is definitely a creature of habit. She was not impressed that I stayed up past her bedtime. Our fierce doberman/dalmatian is afraid of the dark so she doesn't like to go upstairs by herself. She showed her displeasure by going to the foot of the stairs and barking to let me know what she wanted. Alas, I made her sleep on the couch until after midnight. She was very relieved when I (finally) said "Bed, Katy". As usual, she beat me upstairs and had her place claimed on the bed before I reached the top of the stairs.

I posted "May 2010 be happy for you" on a high school student's facebook wall. Her response was "Why May?". Yup, she was seriously thinking that I was telling her that May of 2010 was going to be a good month. Sigh. I had to explain that I meant "may" as in "I hope that" and not "May" as in the month. I guess she doesn't know any Irish blessings!

Here is hoping that 2010 is everything that you want - and more! Here's to randomness.

Happy New Year!