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

Hallie got some really great news this week but I am not going to tell. You have to go over to her blog and read it for yourself. She does a bit on Wednesdays called "is it just me..." where we all stop wondering and start asking. You know how you sometimes ask yourself if you are the only person who thinks a certain way? Here is your chance to clear out that log-jam of wondering. You better do it. If you don't, all those thoughts will jam up with the fragments and you won't be able to play along on Friday Fragments and your head might just explode from all of the randomness and wondering. That would be a bad, bad thing.

Is it just me or have you ever worked with someone who is clueless about what is going on in the office? A few weeks ago, a nice but very naive co-worked commented to me that she loves working where we work because "everyone gets along". I stared at her in absolute confusion. I have been there 12 years and we have more issues with personality conflicts than ever before. I really wanted to ask her where she was talking about because I just don't see it.

Is it just me or do you sometimes force yourself to go exercise and walk away with a smile? Last night was one of the few times that I have really wanted to skip karate class. However, I dragged myself and my aching back there. 2 hours later, I was very happy that I did. My back actually felt significantly better.

Is it just me or do you wonder if criminals ever read the newspapers? There are several newspapers in nearby Portsmouth NH. Two of them have been robbed several times in the past few years. Every 5 or 6 six months, there is an article in the paper about an attempted theft where the employees chase down the person and capture them until the police get there. Seriously, this happens on a regular basis. What don't they pick a different set of stores where the help doesn't chase them? They might get away with it. But, no, they try the store, get caught and are on the front page of the paper. I also wonder if the stores have speed in the 100 yard dash and self defense training as part of their job screenings. Just sayin' it might be important.

Is it just me or is time up? Have a great day!

Here's to Hallie's great news!

Twofer Tuesday is suspended for this week

Twofer Tuesday is suspended for this week because...... (drum roll please)
I won another award!! Yeah for me!! Thanks to the academy and all the little people.... Wait, it isn't that award? That's right, its a happy award and that makes me pretty darn happy! The kind (and crazy) Annie D is the one who gave me this honor. Make sure you check out her blog because she always makes me smile!


The rules for me accepting this award are:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her blog (or hyperlink).

3. List 10 things that make you happy.

4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know!

I am passing this award on to:

1) Melissa

2) Angie

3) Debbie

4) Nichole

and

5) The reason Girls' Nights Out make me happy, Mary Ellen




10 Things that make me happy:

1. My amazing boys, both of them (yes, husband does usually make me happy)

2. My dog when she put her head on me and looks at me like I am her favorite

3. Vacations (my next one starts on Saturday!)

4. Humpty Dumpty BBQ potato chips. That is my "OMG, I have had a bad day!" food. If you see me with those AND peanut M & Ms, you may want to leave the premises. Just sayin', Don't say I didn't warn you.

5. When my evil co-worker is on vacation. 'Nuff said.

6. Girls' Night Out

7. Sincere compliments

8. My kindle

9. Karate Class

10. New comments and new followers on my blog!

Here's to Annie D!

Have a great Tuesday.

Friday Fragments

Mrs. 4444 is my Favorite Friday Blogger because she gives us permission to be random. She wants us to empty all of the clutter out of our minds so we can enjoy the weekend with clear head and renewed focus. What a gal! Make sure you check out all of the other people who are looking forward to a decluttered weekend.

We have watched every season of Survivor and I am enjoying the new season. I am surprised, however, how a couple of my favorite heroes are really annoying me this time around. I liked both James and Rupert the past two times they won but this time, I am tired of the whining and fighting. I didn't like Boston Rob his first season but enjoyed him (and Amber, of course) in the All Star season and LOVE his play so far this year. I am surprised - make that stunned - that the Villains realize that they would be toast without him. I can't say that I ever thought about him as brilliant before but he is amazing with his ability to solve puzzles. I will confess that I went online and searched for "spoilers". So far, they are 100% on the first two kicked off. All I can say is that I hope it isn't true because I am not wild about how it is coming down. Just sayin'.

We have caught a little bit of the Olympics. Boy, Shaun White is one amazing snowboarder. He was so much better than everyone else. It was like watching a professional basketball player versus the small-town varsity team. I had forgotten how much chaos goes on in short track skating - and how much luck seems to factor in. Hard to believe that you could train for 4 years and end up losing because the person next to you takes you out. The Agony of Defeat.

Anyone else remember watching The Wide World of Sports? I loved that show growing up. My father was a sports fan and we would watch it every weekend. Jim McKay announcing "The Thrill of Victory and The Agony of Defeat". Every week, the agony was illustrated by a clip of a ski jumper wiping out. Don't worry folks, no foreigners were injured in the making of the clip. The skier walked away.

I read a ton when I was younger. I loved mysteries but also read many biographies of a wide variety of people. I actually read Jim McKay's biography. I remember when he crossed network lines to broadcast the Olympics for another network because they realized that to many of us, he was the Olympics. Nowadays, it is Bob Costa who is the face of the Olympics.

Did you read where the college professor who killed others in her department because she didn't get tenure had killed her brother years ago? There are allegations of a cover-up. I can see the law suits coming!

That is it for today. Have a great Friday.

Here's to Mrs 4444!

Thankful Thursday - The Award Edition

Every Thursday, I do something I call Thankful Thursday where I urge everyone to pause to think about all of the good things in their lives. Even with an economy that is still in the tank, there are still plenty of things to appreciate.

Today, I am thankful that Melissa gave me a Sunshine Award. Yep. Little 'ole me!! How cool is that? Isn't she sweet? Make sure to go over and check out her blog. She is a stay at home mom of three adorable kids and keeps a positive attitude even when there seems like there is more bad than good going on.


So here are the rules:
1. Put the logo in my post or within my blog.


2. Pass the award onto 12 fellow bloggers.


3. Link the nominees within my post.


4. Let the nominees know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blogs.


5. Share the love and link to the person who gave you the award

Here goes: I am thankful for all of the bloggers but I will pay special homage to the following (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, FOLKS!)

1) I am also thankful for Caution who is so funny that she can make a story about buying a new hair dryer interesting. I think if we lived in the same town, we would end up being on a lot of committees together and having fun.

2) I am also very thankful that I found Stacie's blog. She is newly single, just bought a house by herself and does something on Monday's called "Not Me" that makes my Monday mornings bearable.

3) How can I resist Kathleen's blog? She is a fellow Mainer who lives in the same small town as my sister. That makes us practically related! I am thankful for her successful weight loss journey that is slowly inspiring me to follow suit.

4) Of course, I can't forget my favorite Friday blogger! I am thankful for Mrs. 4444 because every Friday she encourages me to clear out the clutter of my mind and dump it into a Friday Fragment post. I also love her posts the rest of the week. She is one dedicated blogger, mother and teacher.

5) I can't forget my facebook and football friend, Mighty Mom. We "watched" the Super Bowl together, you know. She doesn't have a TV so I did facebook updates to keep her advised of what was happening. It was fun. Mighty Mom is a busy nurse and mom to three amazing kids. Her block is chock full of a variety of different things.

6) Let's not forget June Freaking Cleaver who is embracing life and unemployment by finding ways to make us laugh.
She tells it like it is along the way.

7) Of course, I have to mention Mama Kat who wants to get on the Ellen Show to highlight bloggers. Her series of letters to Ellen are a hoot and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Mama Kat has written a book. Seriously, she has the talent.

8)I have some hope of meeting this next blogger as she is talking about moving to New Hampshire about 1 hour from where I live. Brainella is a talented artist who often shares photos of her pottery. I am not sure where she finds the time to do it as she has a young son, a husband and a job.

9) One of the most inspiring bloggers I have "met" is Heather who is in a battle against cancer. This young mother of two beautiful children is gonna kick some ass. She is a stay at home mom who is doing home school pre-school, fighting cancer, volunteering and taking graduate courses in her spare time. She was surprised when she was recently called "Superwoman".

10)When I think about inspiring, I also think about Hallie who has done so much for Organ donation awareness. She is passionate about that - and many other things. My favorite thing about Hallie's blog is that she shares all of her passions with us.
Hallie is #1 on the "Blogger I am most likely to meet" list.

11) Another talented artist and fellow Mainer is Elenka. Even if I didn't enjoy reading her blog, I would still visit it to gaze at the amazing artwork. What talent!
Her blog is full of a wide variety of interesting items too. \

12) I also enjoy Sue's blog about life in Cape Cod. She shares photos of her beautiful area and always makes me chuckle.

13) Claudia is another blogger who is sharing her weight loss story with us. I wish she lived closer so we could go kayaking together! She is very thoughtful and fun to read. I hope she enjoys her new kindle!


I thought it would be hard to highlight 13 (ok I cheated - sue me) bloggers and I am disappointed that I haven't been able to include more. You will note that I didn't include the person who got me started blogging, Mary Ellen. The only reason I didn't is because she hasn't been blogging lately. I can't wait until she comes back.

Here's to great bloggers! I am thankful for ALL of the bloggers.

Hallie, who joined a new decade yesterday, does a bit on Wednesdays called "Is it just me...." where we post what we are really thinking. You know how you wonder if there is anyone else in the world who thinks like you? This is your chance to find out. Make sure you pop over and see what thoughts Hallie and everyone else are wondering about this week.

Is it just me or is the crock pot (slow cooker) an amazing gizmo that is really under-appreciated? Seriously, I do about 5 minutes of prep, throw it in my crock pot and come home to a great smelling house and a dinner ready to serve. Recent items in my crock pot have been Black Bean Chili, Pulled Chicken, Beef Stew, meat loaf with cheesy potatoes and "roast" chicken. Chicken today means chicken noodle soup later in the week! Yummy. Note to self - do not feed dog the leftover Black Bean Chili next time. She loved it but got her revenge for days by stinking up the house. (Wrinkles nose).

Is it just me or does everyone put together a "Vacation Notebook"? I put in everything we need for the vacation. It has a zippered pencil case for important papers like the passports (so I don't make the mistake of taking the title to the motorcycle instead of my son's birth certificate again), edocuments (cruise tickets or hotel reservations, etc.), maps, print outs of attractions we might want to do (with addresses, phone numbers, hours, etc.) and maps. I am 99% done with the notebook for the next vacation. Just hope I don't forget it somewhere. Did that one time. Whoops. Luckily, we figured it out pretty soon and drove back and picked it up. Phew.

Is it just me or are you all SICK, SICK, SICK of reading or hearing anything about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? I don't care if they are together or apart or dating monkeys in Africa. I simply do not give a darn. It is to the point where I would hesitate to even watch either of them in a movie. Enough already.

Is it just me or does it drive you nuts when they make a book into a movie and change it pretty significantly? I remember when I was a young teen being obsessed with "The Other Side of the Mountain" book about an Olympic quality skier who was paralyzed in a skiing accident. I could barely wait for the movie to come out. I was so disappointed because so much had changed from the book. It seemed like the only thing that was the same was that the main character was Jill Kinmont and she got hurt. To this day, I usually hate the movies when I have read the book first. A few weeks ago, I went to see "The Blind Side" which is based on the true life story of Michael Oher and I really enjoyed it. I decided to read the book to get the "rest of the story". I am stunned, to say the least, that the movie was extremely accurate. A few things were done in a different order and they made it seem like he was clueless about football but a high percentage was accurate. Even the scenes that I thought "yeah, this was just for the movie because it is so funny" were accurate. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. The book is good also. It does include information on the evolution of the NFL which was much more interesting than I expected.

Is it just me or are you looking for book recommendations for your up-coming vacation? Oh, that is just me? Once again, I am looking to load up the Kindle before I head out to sea. Last August, y'all did such a good job and I can't wait to hear about what good books you have been reading!

Here's to Hallie - who certainly doesn't look 40!

Twofer Tuesday - Day off edition

I am STILL trying to burn some vacation time. Yee gads. My son is on vacation this week so I took today off to spend with him. Note to self. The next time you schedule a day off with a teenager, check with him. Yep. You guessed it. He already had plans. He is stage managing the high school drama club's competition one act play. I think stage manager is a good fit for him. He is a wee bit bossy. Not sure where he gets that from. Anyway, they have rehearsal from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm today - assuming that it doesn't get cut short because of the SNOW STORM! Here in Maine, after something like 30 days of no real snow, we have 4" to 8" of snow predicted.

Since I have the day off, I took the opportunity to do a couple of errands. I went to BJ's and bought 800+ candy bars. All set for the storm! Just kiddin'. Our boy scout troop is doing a fundraiser and selling candy bars. It is easy and pretty profitable. The person who ran fundraising before me refused to sell candy bars because they have no nutritional value. However, she does allow her daughter to sell girl scout cookies. She puts up a fuss every time someone suggests a car wash because of its impact on the environment but always suggests selling bottled water. Gotta love the inconsistency. After almost 2 months and hours of work and it being rejected 3 times, my son's eagle project was finally approved on Sunday. Yeah! Now he can begin working on it for real!

Have a great day everyone!

Here's to quick posts!

It's here! FF returns!

Once again, it is our favorite day of the week. It is time for Friday Fragments! What is Friday Fragments? I am glad you asked. Grab a cuppa joe and pull up a chair. Friday Fragments is where we all sit around and have a gigantic gabfest of random thoughts. Why do we do this? Because, Mrs. 4444 tells us we should. Mrs. 4444 is the popular girl in our virtual blogsphere and we are all hoping for an invite to her table! I hope you join the party. Don't forget to hop over to Mrs. 4444's to see who else is gabbing away.

I had to print a flyer this morning to let the other parents of my son's classmates about a parent meeting I am organizing. I ran out of white paper so I threw in a mixture of other paper. The white flyers looked great, the yellow were awesome and the goldenrod ones were nice. My printer/copier spit out every page of the light blue paper, however. I didn't know printers had color preferences but it is apparent that mine has a blue phobia.

When my son was a wee lad, I often laminated his "artwork" and made them into place mats for special events. Now my son has many talents but artistic ability is not one of them. My mother-in-law found place mats that he made for a cub scout function many years ago recently. Instead of getting a giggle out of how bad the art work was, she accused him of not caring enough on her place mat. She felt that the other ones were more detailed and that he rushed on hers. She also took offense that the paper he used on here was a different shade of blue. Hello. He was probably 6 or 7 when he made them. That was 8 or 9 years ago. I doubt there was any ill intent there and, if there was, who remembers?! Let it go. Just let it go.

I have season tickets to a local theater and last night was our show. This is the first year that we have been surrounded by other season ticket holders. It is nice to chat with the others around us. Last night, we talked about the holidays, the weather and where we should go for dinner before the show.

I am a huge "Survivor" fan and loved the opening show of Heroes vs Villains. Oh my! I think this is going to be a great season. How about my fav villain Rob starting fire? I would love to know how long that took. I am also impressed by how intent Colby is this season. I would love to see him do well. The preview for next week was a real tease. I hope Boston Rob is OK!

My son's school vacation is next week. He informed me that he only had 2 tests and 1 quiz today. Yikes. I sent the above-referenced flyers to school to be distributed and included a note to the principal saying "Have a great vacation!" He asked me why I said that because "she is probably just going to sleep in a coffin". He was kidding... I think.

Have a great day!

Here's to randomness.

Thankful Thursday

Every Thursday, I ask people to take a moment to pause and reflect on everything
good in their lives. Even on those days when you want to drive home via a bridge so you can stop and jump off, there are plenty of big and little things to celebrate. My thankful list for this week includes:

1) The fact that I live in the USA. My hat is off to the military people and their families who keep our country the free place that it is.

2) The fact that I have gotten a good night's sleep a couple of nights in a row. I don't always sleep well and I really appreciate it when I wake up refreshed.

3) A husband who understands that his mother is a little nutty. I am happy that it isn't just me thinking "OMG. Did she really say that?"

4) The fact that we didn't get hammered with snow like most of the east coast.

5) The fact that my vacation is just a couple of weeks away. This is the first vacation that we are taking without my son. Hard to believe.

6) That my son is so responsible that I am not (really) worried about leaving him home alone while we are on said vacation.

7) That I have a girls' night out tonight. No, no. Not with the famous Mary Ellen, but with another friend. We have season tickets for the theater and we go out to dinner first. We first started when my son was a teeny tiny baby and I really enjoy the company and the show. When we first started going, she was single and entertained me with her tales of dating woes. It is fun to look back and see how far we have both come.

What are you thankful for this week?

Here's to appreciation!

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

Hallie, everyone'e favorite weiner-lover, does a bit on Wednesdays called "Is it just me...." where we post throw the filters off and post what we are really thinking. You know how you wonder if there is anyone else in the world who thinks like you? This is your change to really find out. Make sure you pop over and see what thoughts Hallie and everyone else are wondering about this week.

Is it just me or is the fact that Maryland is getting more snow while my Maine yard is bare really screwed up? Don't get me wrong. I am not asking for the snow to come my way but it is just weird. Global warming works in bizarre ways.

Is it just me or do you have your own 'first signs of spring' determined? The news photos of the 18 wheelers heading from Fenway towards Florida remind me spring will follow soon. That hasn't happened yet but with the pitchers and catchers due to report soon, it is sure to be on the local news shortly. Another sure sign of Spring for me is when Dairy Queen opens.

Is it just me or do the actions of some of our teenagers just amaze you? A recent graduate of my son's high school went missing in Georgia on January 31st. The students at the high school are raising funds for the family and also raising awareness in case his vehicle is seen in our area. The family no longer lives in our small town but they want them to know that we haven't forgotten them or their son.

That is all I have for today folks. Have a great day!

Here's to weiners!

Twofer Tuesday - The "why bother" edition

We signed up for a cruise and as an incentive the cruise line included a "special bonus" coupon book with over $400. in savings!!! Yeah, right. We received our coupon book yesterday. It is full of coupons for things that 99% of cruisers probably won't use. There are maybe two coupons in there that I could even imagine using and one is for a discount that I have seen on every cruise that I have taken in recent years. I didn't expect anything different but it does make me wonder if these sort of things are really successful. I know I didn't book our cruise based on receiving a booklet of useless discounts but I wonder if other people did. I just don't know why the cruise line even bothers to print them up.

I am on our boy scout troop's committee and we had a meeting last night. One thing that we discussed was an up-coming spaghetti dinner that we are having to benefit a local family. The weather report for the the night the dinner is scheduled is questionable and we have a significant amount of perishable food being donated. We all decided that it would be better to cancel the dinner now before the perishable items are purchased or cooked and reschedule for a later date. We were concerned that the people and businesses would not be able to donate the items twice and we didn't want items to spoil. The person in charge of the event was unable to attend the meeting but asked for us to discuss it. When she was notified of our decision, she disagreed and has informed us that we are going ahead as scheduled. It makes me wonder - why did we bother to discuss the issue if she was simply going to do what she wanted? Here's hoping the weather reports are wrong and we can pull it off.

Here's to wondering why!

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday Morning Musings

This weekend, my family had the privilege of attending a military retirement ceremony.
The town we live in has a naval shipyard and military families come and go with regularity. Over the years, my son has become friends with many of the military kids but, unfortunately, has lost touch with most of them as they have moved away. One exception, however, is Brett. They moved back to Connecticut 4 years ago but Evan and Brett are closer friends now than they were before they left. The boys manage to get together 3 or 4 times a year and stay in contact via text messages and facebook.

Brett's father was facing another relocation and decided to retire instead of making his sons move to another school. It was a long day but very interesting and moving. It was strange. I know the father as a baseball coach and as a father but had never given much thought to him as a military man. It was interesting to see the other side of him. I was very impressed to see that Brett's mother and both boys were given certificates of appreciation from the Department of the Navy. They realize that a military career involves the entire family.

I found it ironic to attend the ceremony marking the end of one military career after reading many posts over the past few weeks by Hallie about the pending deployment of her son. I am sure that Stan's mother and wife experienced many of the same feelings over the past 20 years. I hope CJ has much success in his military career. Career or short term job, CJ and the rest of the military folks deserve our thanks. God Bless them and God Bless America.

Mastercard Moment - Day off edition

You know those commercials where they list the price of things and then point out that the event was priceless? Well, on Friday, I had the day off because I am trying to burn some vacation time. I wasn't able to coordinate the day to spend with a friend so I had a day to myself.

Lunch out at Chipotle - $8.00
Afternoon chickflick - $7.50
Coffee and a pastry at Panera so I could surf the web on my net book - %4.00
Afternoon to myself to do what I want to - PRICELESS!

What have you done for yourself lately?

Here's to moments.

Friday Fragments

Once again, it is our favorite day of the week. It is Friday and that means it is time to put all of the bits and pieces of thoughts together and try to make sense of them. Why do I do this? Because the lovely woman over at Half-Past Kissin' Time tells me that I can. The lovely Mrs. 4444 is our leader and our coach in this process. Make sure you check out everyone else's bits and pieces!

I love my karate class. I get tired, I get sore, I get bruised and, sometimes, I get frustrated. However, I look forward to that 1 1/2 hour session every Tuesday and Thursday. How did this happen? Darn if I know. I don't like exercise and I am incredibly out of shape but I love karate. Strange but true.

Not only did I get a phone call from a stranger (well, as much of a stranger as you can get in a small town), I have also received email, facebook comments and in-person comments thanking me for my letter to the editor this week.

My son has re-submitted his Eagle Project. This is the third submission. Please keep your fingers crossed for him. It is a great project that will benefit the school. It is something that he cares about and something he wants to do. Please let the approval come SOON!

My co-worker gave me several paperback books recently and I just finished one. It was one of the few times in the past year that I read something not on my kindle and I HATED IT. It was bulky, it didn't stay open as easily and it didn't automatically save my place. I was hesitant to get a kindle because I wasn't sure I would like reading from an electronic gadget but I was wrong. Not only do I like it, I now know that I prefer it. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

I see where they have just made a 120' inflatable condom for World Aids Day. It is actually a hot air balloon (of course) and is the "goodyear blimp" of condoms. It is starting a world tour. I understand the need for awareness but is that a discussion that I want to have with a small child when we see a hot air balloon float by? Reminds me of watching "The Amazing Race" with my son when he was quite young. They always give the teams a "tag-line" such as "NFL wives" or "Harlam Globetrotters". This one season the tag line was "Dating 11 years and still virgins". Of course, my son pipes up with "What are virgins?". Being of an age where we didn't want to get into the sex talk, we ignored him. The next time they mentioned it, he once again said "What are virgins?" My husband stumbled over his words to say "It's an astrological sign."

That is all I have for today. Have a great weekend! Don't forget to check out all of the other Fragmenters.

Here's to Mrs. 4444!

Thankful Thursday

Thursday is the day of the week that I ask everyone to pause to count their blessings. Yes, even you! We all have a lot to be thankful for and it is nice to take a moment to reflect. This week (in no particular order) I am thankful for:

1) Winning! I won a contest over at Hallie's and am now the proud owner of two oh-so-cute pillows. The best news is that I GET TO MEET HALLIE IN PERSON! The second bonus is that I imagine that our mutual friend, Mary Ellen, will also come. Wow, if I hang out for a couple of hours with two amazing awesome and entertaining people like Hallie and Mary Ellen, do you think people will think I am awesome too? Here's hoping.

2) I am thankful for two pets who like to cuddle on these cold winter nights.

3) I am thankful for the opportunity to visit with scout parents last night.

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

5) I am thankful that my vacation is approaching with incredible speed.

6) I am thankful that my husband is willing to go to a retirement party this weekend (and drive 3 hours each way) even though I know he really doesn't want to.

7) I am thankful for the music students who are coming over to my house this weekend to staple raffle tickets so I don't have to.

8) I am thankful for the stranger who took time out of her life to look my phone number and call me to leave positive comments on my answering machine about a letter to the editor that I recently wrote.

9) I am thankful for the bloggers who have added me on facebook. I am enjoying getting to know you a little better.

What are you thankful for this week?

Here's to reflections.

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

On Wednesday, I jump on Hallie's bandwagon and join in with "Is It Just Me...." where we share those thoughts where you wonder if anyone else thinks the way you do. Who is Hallie you ask? Hallie is an amazing person who has done an incredible job raising organ donation awareness. When she isn't out there reminding us that "you can't take it with you so leave it behind and let someone else use it", she is a loving mother, wife, daughter with a wicked good (Maine-speak for really really great) sense of humor. Her son is deploying overseas in a few days so make sure you hop on over and leave her a comment to cheer her up.

Is it just me or is one of the most under-appreciated things in our society the sacrifice that our military families make? Seriously, our soldiers would not be able to serve if it wasn't for their wives/husbands/mothers and other loved ones at home who keep things going in their absences. There is a family here in Kittery with 4 children. The mother doesn't drive and whenever her husband was away on an aircraft carrier, she walked everywhere - and I mean, everywhere! She would walk miles and miles and miles for a meeting, appointment or grocery shopping. She probably put on 30 or more miles a week. Seriously. So, the next time you thank a soldier - don't forget to thank their family also.

Is it just me or do you have the urge to sing everytime you get to the "dot com" part of a web address? Remember the ads for Expedia? I have that little jingle "dot com" stuck in my head and I always want to sing that part of every web address. What? This one is just me? Oh. nevermind.

Is it just me or is The Good Wife with Julianna Margulies a great television show? I love the courtroom scenes. Also, Julianna is an actress that I have enjoyed for several years. I thought she was awesome on "ER". The fact that most of her scenes had George Clooney in them may have had something to do with that, of course. Her farewell scene on "ER" where George Clooney showed up for a surprise cameo remains one of my favorite tv moments.

Is it just me or is it getting late and you are going to be late for work? Whoops. That is just me. I have to dash. Have a great Wednesday!

Here's to Hallie and her family. Thanks for your service EVERYONE!

Twofer Tuesday

A short distance from my house is "North America's Oldest Family Run Store". Frisbee's Supermarket is a stereotypical country store. Old fashioned meat market, a table with a checkerboard, etc. On display, you will see albums from Hall and Oates and
Gene McDaniels. If you are not familiar with Gene McDaniels, check out this YouTube recording of one of his performances from the early 1960s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K317zw5VYQ0

Why does a country store in small town Maine display these two very different albums? Because Mr. McDaniels is a resident of our little town and Mr. Hall, while not a resident, owns a home within walking distance of the store.

I met Gene at work several years ago. Even though I am ancient in my son's eyes, I am not old enough to remember his music. One day, I was on the Internet and pulled up a list of people born on a particular day. I noticed his name on the list and wondered if it was the Gene McDaniels that I knew. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility to me because Gene has the most amazing speaking voice. It is like velvet. I could listen to him talk for hours. A few clicks of the computer keys later, I discovered the truth. My client (and neighbor) was a former singer. He wrote the #1 hit for Roberta Flack "Feel like makin' love". In addition, he is a very nice man who loves his mother a great deal. Gotta love that.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting Daryl Hall but he bought a antique waterfront home a short distance from me. It was being auctioned off, he saw it in the paper and bought it. He apparently likes to restore old buildings and didn't want to see this torn down. Since that time, he has also purchased the small building close by that is rented by the post office. He outbid a local gentleman who would have turned it into condos. Once again, Daryl had preservation on his mind. He hires locals to do work for him so he is quite popular.

That is my two famous neighbors.

Here's to music and the internet.

Monday Morning Musings

On Saturday, we had to meet my brother and family in Portland for an errand. After lunch, we decided to venture a little further north and visit Maine's most famous store, L. L. Bean. Before venturing into the store, we decided to check out the outlet store to see if we could score any bargains. My husband and I were both looking for pants. I found a pair of jeans marked down from $44.50 to $19.95! That was just the beginning, however. We had a $10.00 gift certificate from buying Christmas gifts there PLUS $30.00 in credits for using our LL Bean credit card. My husband found 2 pairs of high end socks and I got my jeans - and all we had to pay in cash was less than 50 cents! Yeah!

My son is working on his eagle badge for Boy Scouts. He has a project picked out and approved by the local level. He has been trying for over a month to get it approved on the district level. It was rejected once for lack of details. He made all of the corrections (after we drove 45 minutes each way to pick up the rejected on AND spent almost $6.00 to send it out again) and he just got a phone call tonight saying that, while he addressed ALL of the issues originally raised, they have thought about it some more and they have more questions. This time, they are going to let him re-submit the project by email until it gets approved and they quickly went over the changes they want by phone. Unfortunately, what they want changed wasn't given in great detail so he is going to be shooting in the dark. He had to call back to get clarification of one item on his "to do" list only to find that it wasn't what the leader called it. My son is so frustrated that he is ready to quit. I understand the purpose of the project and having to do all this but this is past ridiculous. Some of the additional details they want don't even make sense to us. What makes it even more frustrating is that this means that this will delay the project at least 2 weeks.

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

Here's to bargains.